Make Nemawashi part of your design process

John

Getting consensus on design decisions is one of the most challenging aspects of any technical or creative project. Too often, teams find themselves caught between two extremes: the chaotic free-for-all of design by committee, or the risky isolation of the lone wolf making decisions in a vacuum. But there’s a third way—one that comes from Japanese business philosophy and can revolutionize how we approach collaborative work.

What is Nemawashi?

Nemawashi (根回し) literally translates to “going around the roots.” In gardening, it refers to the careful process of digging around a tree’s roots before transplanting it, ensuring the tree has the best chance of survival in its new environment. In business and design contexts, Nemawashi means laying the groundwork for a proposal by quietly building support and gathering input from key stakeholders before any formal presentation or decision-making meeting.

Think of it as the art of informal consensus-building—having those crucial one-on-one conversations, understanding concerns, and addressing objections before they become roadblocks in a group setting.

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short

The Design-by-Committee Problem

We’ve all been there: a room full of stakeholders, each with their own agenda, trying to collectively make decisions. The result? A watered-down compromise that satisfies no one and serves the end user poorly. Design by committee often leads to:

  • Feature creep as everyone tries to get their pet idea included
  • Inconsistent user experiences
  • Potential for overly complex architectures
  • Paralysis from too many conflicting opinions
  • Solutions that check boxes rather than solve problems

The Solo Cowboy Syndrome

On the flip side, the lone designer or software architect working in isolation might create something beautiful and cohesive, but it often fails because it lacks buy-in from crucial stakeholders. Without proper consultation, even brilliant designs can be:

  • Technically unfeasible given current constraints
  • Misaligned with business objectives
  • Missing critical user needs that weren’t considered
  • Difficult to implement without organizational support

How Nemawashi Transforms the Design Process

Nemawashi offers a middle path that combines the best aspects of collaboration with focused, intentional leadership. Here’s how to integrate it into your workflow:

1. Map Your Stakeholder Ecosystem

Before diving into design solutions, identify everyone who will be affected by or influential in your project’s success. This includes:

  • Direct users of the product or service
  • Technical implementers and developers
  • Business stakeholders and decision-makers
  • Customer service teams who’ll support the solution
  • Marketing teams who’ll communicate about it

2. Conduct Pre-Design Conversations

Schedule informal, one-on-one conversations with each key stakeholder. These aren’t formal interviews or requirements gathering sessions—they’re exploratory discussions where you:

  • Understand their perspective on the problem
  • Learn about constraints and opportunities you might not have considered
  • Identify potential concerns or objections early
  • Build personal relationships that will serve the project later

3. Synthesize and Iterate Privately

Take the insights from these conversations and begin crafting your design approach. This is where your expertise as a designer shines—you’re not implementing every suggestion, but you’re considering how each perspective informs the solution. You maintain creative control while being deeply informed by stakeholder needs.

4. Test Ideas in Safe Spaces

Before formal presentations, share draft concepts with select stakeholders who you’ve identified as allies or whose feedback will be particularly valuable. This isn’t about getting approval, but about stress-testing your ideas and refining them based on informed feedback.

5. Present with Confidence

When you finally present to the larger group, you’re not unveiling something created in isolation. You’re sharing a solution that has been thoughtfully crafted with deep stakeholder input, tested against real constraints, and refined based on collaborative insights. Most concerns have already been addressed, and you have allies in the room who understand and support the direction.

The Benefits of Design Nemawashi

Stronger Solutions

Technical or UX designs informed by diverse perspectives are more robust and comprehensive. You’re solving for real constraints and opportunities rather than imagined ones.

Faster Implementation

When stakeholders feel heard and understand the reasoning behind design decisions, implementation moves more smoothly. There are fewer surprises and less resistance.

Better Relationships

The informal, consultative approach of Nemawashi builds trust and rapport with colleagues. People feel valued when their input is sought and considered.

Reduced Risk

By identifying and addressing concerns early, you reduce the risk of major pivots or rejections later in the process.

Practical Tips for Design Nemawashi

Start with listening. Your first goal in stakeholder conversations should be understanding, not persuading.

Keep conversations informal. Coffee chats, walking meetings, and casual Slack conversations often yield more honest insights than formal meetings.

Document privately. Keep notes on stakeholder perspectives and concerns, but don’t make people feel like they’re being interviewed or recorded.

Be transparent about the process. Let people know you’re gathering input to inform your design approach. Most people appreciate being consulted.

Maintain your design authority. Nemawashi is about being informed, not about implementing every suggestion. Your job is still to synthesize input into coherent, user-centered solutions.

When to Use Nemawashi

Nemawashi is particularly valuable for:

  • High-stakes projects with many stakeholders
  • Organizational changes that affect multiple teams
  • Projects where you’re working with stakeholders for the first time
  • Situations where you anticipate resistance or conflicting priorities
  • Complex problems that require deep domain knowledge from various sources

Conclusion

Nemawashi transforms the adversarial dynamic that often exists between designers and stakeholders into a collaborative partnership. It’s not about compromise or committee-driven design—it’s about being so well-informed and so thoughtful in your approach that your design solutions naturally align with organizational needs while serving users brilliantly.

The next time you’re facing a complex design challenge, resist the urge to jump straight into solutions. Instead, dig around the roots first. Understand the ecosystem your design will live in, build relationships with the people who’ll make it successful, and craft solutions that have the best chance of not just surviving, but thriving.

Your designs—and your stakeholders—will thank you for it.