From a Confused Product Developer to a Sensory Insights Explorer
I did not start my career as a researcher; I began as someone confused by research. My journey began in the product development lab of a Japanese food company, where I worked on developing a powdered salad dressing. I collected data on physical properties and conducted taste tests, but the feedback I received seemed hopelessly inconsistent. People’s opinions on flavor, texture, and mouthfeel led me to conclude that their perceptions were just subjective noise.
One day, one question came to my mind: Why was the feedback inconsistent? I tasted the prototypes myself and reviewed every survey response. I realized users perceived the same things I did; their preferences varied. Every benchmark product, a liquid salad dressing, received the same comment that it “tastes like real dressing.” This realization prompted me to change my approach. Rather than optimizing the prototype as a powdered dressing, I reformulated it to mimic the feel of liquid dressing on an actual salad, trusting my own trained palate. In the next user test, our prototype finally received ratings comparable to the market leader. Although the project ultimately failed, it taught me a crucial lesson that I’ve carried for thirty years: user perception is not noise; it’s a signal that we must learn to interpret with sharpened senses.
Persuading my way into sensory science
Later, at Procter & Gamble, I encountered the same gap from the other side: countless consumer survey data without a straightforward answer to “How do we improve the formula?” A moisture meter, for instance, doesn’t measure how moisturized skin feels. While my role was product development, I proposed applying sensory evaluation to skincare products. Sensory evaluation of skincare products was new to the workplace. It took months to convince my American manager to agree to my switch to introduce sensory evaluation. This moment marked the start of my research career.
Revealing users’ sensory insights through their behavior
My skincare project in the United States marked a key milestone in my research career. The company dispatched me to a U.S. research center in 1993. They assigned me my first-ever interview project: mapping users’ facial-cleansing behavior, gesture by gesture, and linking each moment to their feelings. I also learned the value of explaining everything from first principles—research that stands up to scrutiny.
Fast-Tracking Japanese Sensory Panel
After returning to Japan, I proposed creating a Descriptive Analysis Panel, something I had learned about in the U.S. This method would help us objectively evaluate product characteristics and analyze competitors, giving product developers insight into the skincare landscape. However, training the panel usually took six months to a year.
My manager initially rejected the idea, arguing that the long training period would waste money. To convince her, I claimed we could complete the training in two months. Although my manager was furious, she agreed to proceed.
During recruitment, we received over three times the usual number of applicants. These enthusiastic candidates, particularly attuned to texture differences, showed incredible commitment, even staying late for training. We successfully formed the panel within just two months. After validating the panel, the descriptive analysis panelists helped screen prototypes and profile products in the marketplace.
Listening to Descriptive Consumers
I further explored descriptive analysis panel approaches across various fields and countries. Across the industries I have experienced, two key points have remained clear: first, we need to connect with consumers who are passionate about describing product characteristics and sharing their experiences; second, product developers and sensory researchers should listen directly to consumers and incorporate their feedback into products to create superior sensory experiences.
Transforming these experiences into JDR’s mission
These experiences have shaped JDR’s mission: we assist global product developers in listening directly to Japanese consumers, understanding their verbal and nonverbal signals, and integrating those insights into products that deliver superior sensory experiences.
Noriko Nakano, founder and CEO of Japan Direct Research