Manufacturing one-of-a-kind pieces requested by customers would seem to require strong design capabilities. However, Ohira stated definitively, "We don't design."
"The design exists in the customer's mind. Our job is to give it form."
This might be more difficult than drawing a design and proposing it.
If we were to create and propose designs, we could suggest optimal solutions based on our experience or recommend shapes that are easy to manufacture.
However, there's a high probability that the customer has an unconventional image in their mind.
Extracting and shaping such an unconventional image would be quite challenging.

That being said, we don't simply manufacture exactly what the customer says.
"Customers think about various things, but it's often theoretical. When actually given form, there might be issues like insufficient durability making it unsafe, or a different material being better depending on the exhibition environment. We adjust while proposing methods to realize the customer's vision."
Even for transparent plastic sheets, there are acrylic, polycarbonate, PVC, and PET, and the optimal material differs depending on various conditions, such as whether it's for indoor or outdoor display.

OP Studio employs many female staff members.
"It's my personal theory that women have a higher sensitivity to beautiful things than men. Therefore, we check from a female perspective and provide feedback to customers."
We provide feedback in this way because we believe that simply creating what the customer envisions might not be in their best interest.

"I believe that we are one team with the customer, working to make the project a success. Therefore, we engage in two-way communication and clearly convey our opinions when necessary."
The customer's goal is not merely to complete an exhibition display. The true goal varies by customer, such as conveying the appeal of a new product or showcasing advanced technology through the display.
Customers may be experts in their products, but not necessarily in how to display them.
"The way you display a 500-yen product differs from a 5-million-yen product. Our job as a team is to understand what the customer truly wants to convey and propose methods to achieve that."

During university, Ohira chose commercial studies in his seminar. There, he learned about customer flow and perspective in stores, how to make products easy to pick up, and how to make them easily recognizable.
He said, "To make customers see, the movement and angle of their gaze, as well as the design, are important."
It is likely because of these proposals, which consider the end-user's perspective, that customers value them.

"The most frightening thing at an exhibition is an accident. We also need to anticipate how visitors will move around the venue and devise ways to prevent accidents."
In fact, for exhibitions in places where many children gather, they proposed improvements to the setup to prevent accidents caused by children touching things out of curiosity.
"We cannot mass produce in units of thousands or tens of thousands. Instead, I believe our strength lies precisely in areas where large companies cannot compete."

The beauty of OP Studio's products is also a reason why customers choose them.
"Even if we increase the precision of all parts, they can shift when assembled. So, we intentionally create 'wins' and 'losses' to achieve a beautiful state when assembled."
Furthermore, the condition of materials differs between environments near 40 degrees Celsius in summer and below freezing in winter. It is the on-site skill and experience that subtly adjusts these to enhance the finished precision.
"It's difficult to manualize because the materials are prone to low precision and susceptible to environmental influences. For something we manufactured recently, we redid it 5 or 6 times to achieve the final form."

The reason we repeat trial and error to achieve high precision while handling difficult materials is because we prioritize the beauty of the finished product.
"Our products house the customer's products. And the main focus is the customer's product. Therefore, it's unacceptable for it to be unsightly, and it must not detract from the customer's product."

OP Studio's technology is also utilized in the Christmas tree of a certain commercial facility.
Ohira says that it was a continuous struggle, as it was a job they had never done before, but it was a good experience.
"Employees told me they went to see it with their families. Isn't it great to be able to boast about your work to your children?"

Furthermore, Ohira intends to expand the scope of his work, starting with this project.
This includes broadening connections with new customers in regions like Kanto and Kansai, and incorporating new materials and techniques.
"Using the machinery we have, I want to challenge ourselves with products combining different materials like iron and wood, as well as materials we haven't used before, such as recycled materials."
In fact, he says he has also experimented with encapsulating samples using 'resin,' a liquid plastic that hardens with UV light, and feels positive about the results.

"In Germany, artisans are called 'Meister' and hold a high status, right? But in Japan, the status of those called 'shokunin' (craftsmen) or 'oyakata' (master craftsmen) is low. And they often don't fully understand what level their work is at or what level they should aim for."
In Japan, humility is often spoken of as a virtue. Even skills that appear outstanding to others are often considered "normal" by craftsmen, who rarely promote them externally.
"This prevents craftsmen from developing self-esteem, and young people won't want to pursue these professions."

What is needed in the future world of manufacturing is for craftsmen themselves to properly evaluate the value of their work and to establish that as a shared understanding with customers.
Just as OP Studio makes products look beautiful, it is necessary for craftsmen to properly showcase their own skills.