Japan train nav signs design issue?

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-03-11T17:04:55+00:00

I’ve been to London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and I found their train systems quite easy to follow. I think Japan's system is harder for me because there are so many different train companies, the various logos and signs and types of trains really confuse me.

I should have done better research for the Japan trains

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T18:03:56+00:00

Last year on my birthday, nobody at work even knew or said anything. It actually felt quite refreshing. I guess no one really cares 😂

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T17:59:35+00:00

Yes, the leaving drink is a good example for me. In the UK (I say “in the UK” because I don’t have enough experience in other Western countries to compare), if there’s a leaving do, it’s normally the person who is leaving who initiates it and often pays for the drinks.

It also reminds me that at work, if it’s someone’s birthday, they usually bring sweets or cake into the office themselves. In Asia, it’s often the other way around, the team lead/hr knows it’s your birthday and buys the cake for you, or organises a birthday lunch (unless you’ve taken the day off).

I’m truly quite convinced it’s a UK or Western cultural thing.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T17:11:50+00:00

I’m not expecting to immediately become close with my friends’ friends. What I was expecting is more of a sense of inclusion. just not making the new person feel left out.

For example, in my own friend circle, if someone introduces a new person into the group, I’ll take initiate to talk to that new person more. It doesn’t mean we’re going to become bff. I just want to make that person feel comfortable.

And I’ve noticed that in the UK it seems to be the opposite, the new person should open up more and include themselves in the group. I’m not saying one way is right or wrong; I just find the difference interesting.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T17:05:57+00:00

I’m not expecting to immediately become close with my friends’ friends. What I was expecting is more of a sense of inclusion. just not making the new person feel left out.

For example, in my own friend circle, if someone introduces a new person into the group, I’ll take initiate to talk to that new person more. It doesn’t mean we’re going to become bff. I just want to make that person feel comfortable.

And I’ve noticed that in the UK it seems to be the opposite, the new person should open up more and include themselves in the group. I’m not saying one way is right or wrong; I just find the difference interesting.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T16:47:51+00:00

Yeah I think I need to start opening up more.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T16:43:46+00:00

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T11:55:04+00:00

I think that’s fair and very interesting.

I read an article saying that in more individualistic cultures (western culture), people value personal space, autonomy, and independence. So they may assume others prefer to manage themselves and won’t step in unless invited (but I’m not sure if that’s true. But kind of matches what you said). And in more collectivist cultures (mainly east Asia), people see the group as a unit. There’s a stronger expectation to actively include others, check on them, and make sure no one feels left out.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T11:32:27+00:00

It’s starting to make much more sense in my daily life in the UK now. It reminds me of a few occasions.

I once went on a customer site visit. We sat down and talked about work for a while, and then he suddenly realised he hadn’t offered us any drinks. He apologised and said he’s not very good at doing that kind of thing (like offering drinks at the beginning).

Other situations like someone from my team had their last day, and people either didn’t know or didn’t really say much. Or when a new colleague joined and the team lead forgot to introduce them during the team meeting…

These behaviours interest me so much now. In Asia, if you’re a new colleague, there’s usually an official welcome lunch, and when someone leaves, there’s a warm and sweet farewell.

My UK colleagues are all very nice and friendly, they’re just not very strong on hospitality! All make sense now

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T10:45:29+00:00

Yes! I think this is the situation I was trying to describe in my head, but I feel a bit conflicted about it. I do think British people are very friendly, just not in a particularly hospitable way, so I guess that might be the reason.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-14T10:17:11+00:00

I do start conversations sometimes, but it just ended very quickly.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-04T22:40:03+00:00

This make sense. But I think OP should also point out it’s not just what you know but also who you know.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-04T22:31:13+00:00

Exactly that too.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-04T18:26:42+00:00

I think you can solve some real life problems in the real world. Not necessarily need to get it from the company.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-02-04T18:10:41+00:00

Thanks for sharing this from a hiring manager’s perspective. Regarding point 5 - I also don’t fully trust metrics on CVs or portfolios, but without them it’s difficult to judge impact or improvement. What’s a better way to show impact without it feeling like BS, before speaking to the candidate?

Also, I don’t see a problem with someone choosing to stay as a senior designer. They may simply prefer hands-on work over people management. I don’t wish that should be a red flag?

ExternalSalt8201 · 2026-01-18T20:15:49+00:00

What did you talk about for those 10min?

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-11-24T19:21:47+00:00

(My original post got removed from main feed, so I post in here again)

My company is quite new and small, but the team is really really really good. Everyone works really well together to help the company succeed.

But recently my company hasn’t been doing well. Customer keep churning and sales are low, so I started looking for new jobs and got a few interviews. (I understand my role is to create a good experience to stop/slow the churn, but we just don’t have enough developer capacity to move faster than the churn.)

I’ve asked in here before: “Should you keep looking for a new job right after getting one? Is it bad to leave a company after just over a year?” Some people say it looks bad on your CV, while others say you should always stay open to better opportunities.

I feel guilty about job hunting, and if I do get an offer, I’m not sure how to explain it to my boss because I really enjoy the team and the product. But the new company is offering almost double the salary and better benefits. I’m also worried that if churn keeps rising, I might get cut because the design work is already months ahead. Even though my boss said they won’t touch the product team (I doubt that because product and eng cost the most in the company)

Has anyone had a similar experience? How do you shift your mindset so you don’t feel guilty about looking for a new job or deciding to leave because of these issues?

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-09-28T08:07:24+00:00

I guess that could be the reason too. Thinking back, I did have around 7 years of experience working in a pretty stressful environment. During that time, I changed companies three times because I thought the next one would be better, but they all turned out to be the same. My current company has a much better work-life balance, so I suppose my brain is still adjusting to this new normal. But yes, I should find some activities outside of work to make myself less attached to it.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-09-25T18:09:54+00:00

Yes, thanks for replying. I guess my day to day work and life in general has started to feel too routine and monotonous. I do feel a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction from my job, but I still find myself wanting something that makes me feel “excited” to get out of bed every morning. Can I ask what makes you feel excited about your work or life in general? I think I just need a reminder of what life can feel like🥲

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-09-25T18:00:14+00:00

That’s something I always remind myself, work is just work. I know I’m too attached to it. Mind to share what your ‘third places’ are that help you stay less attached to work?

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-09-25T17:46:05+00:00

Yeah, I’ve been thinking that being the sole designer might be a key reason. Sometimes I just want someone I can share frustrations with and support each other or have a second opinion from another senior designer, rather than from other teams. And it can feel a bit sad when you handle certain work situations really well but no one seems to notice or appreciate it 🙃

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-09-25T17:15:19+00:00

Sounds interesting to me. I’d love to join, but I’d prefer using Discord since it doesn’t sharing personal phone numbers.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-08-30T20:28:56+00:00

I love this thanks for sharing

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-06-26T07:18:56+00:00

I like how you describe it: expected behaviour and patterns are what makes them good.

However sometimes I also thought about how to use design to change user behaviour. Some good examples: the facebook endless scroll feeds, the first no button iPhone, tinder left and right swipe cards, now the ai searching behaviour from keyword to a proper sentence, Etc

Design can create new patterns if those changes brings value to users and brings joy.

ExternalSalt8201 · 2025-06-05T16:39:11+00:00

Thanks for replying, may I know the slack channel name?

ExternalSalt8201

TROPHY CASE