"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.
"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.

"The Importance of Maintaining Relationships Where You Can Be Yourself" | What Young People Learning at NIC Are Thinking Now.

In the summer of 2024, Creative Studio koko collaborated with students from NIC International College to create a set of creative guidelines for the school's content production—an educational institution focused on preparing students for enrollment in overseas universities.

NIC International College offers a special one-year educational program that supports students in advancing to overseas universities, with the goal of helping them graduate from world-class institutions. Since its establishment in 1988 as the Japan campus of the University of Nevada, it has functioned not merely as a study-abroad agency, but as an international college that emphasizes the "individual." Through thorough small-group, interactive, and participatory classes, the school promotes the acquisition of Western-style critical thinking and expression skills.

Beyond learning English that will be useful in university life abroad, the school serves as a place where people of all ages—from fresh junior high school graduates to working professionals—gather, driven by a desire to "truly learn," "change their environment," or "make their dreams come true." It is a community connected by shared values.

This project began when teachers at NIC consulted us, stating: "We feel the need to disseminate information through various media to reach people who are considering studying abroad or who are struggling because their current environment doesn't fit them, but we are unsure of how to approach our design and content strategy."





▼ What the koko members supported:
———————————-
・Designing three workshops to form a project team consisting of students, teachers, and others.
・Discussing the "NIC of the past" and the "NIC we want to be," and sharing a common vision of imagery and language regarding "NIC’s unique value."
・Designing the objectives, categories, and strategy for the content to be produced.
・Developing creative guidelines to clarify the brand identity and future direction.
———————————-

At koko, we were inspired by NIC's educational philosophy and the enthusiasm of the students who were already running their own Instagram accounts. Rather than unilaterally proposing a policy to the teachers, we proposed a process that involved working as one with the students and teachers. Through interactive workshops, we helped define the value of the NIC brand, establish content production policies, and create creative guidelines. We also worked together to design a policy for communication and operation that considered feasibility.



 

In the second workshop, we brainstormed design policies together with the students and teachers. To begin, a Koko designer held a design workshop to explain how we use fonts, colors, photography, and graphics in our branding strategies to express brand messages and worldviews.

Following this, during the working session, we turned our "mood" into keywords based on the question, "What kind of impression do we want to convey to people encountering NIC for the first time?" We built key images such as "an open place" and "a stoic atmosphere where everyone is working hard, combined with kindness and warmth," derived from words like "speed, all-out effort, family, friends, curiosity, and challenge." We then materialized these images by discussing color samples and over 20 different Japanese and English fonts.

 

 

During the discussions to create the guidelines, we were often struck by the sight of the NIC students—who expressed their opinions freely while respecting each other and utilized their individual perspectives to articulate the organization's strengths—and we frequently asked ourselves: "Why are they able to share a vision so smoothly?"

In the second part of this report, we will share authentic voices from NIC students on what they cherish as they spread their wings to the world, and what they do to stay true to themselves.

 

 

"Taking a step forward and engaging with others as your true self"

"For example, when I meet friends from junior high or high school after a long time, I feel a difference compared to NIC students, who have such clear ideas about what they want to do. I get comments like, 'It's great that you're doing what you want to do, that's amazing.' But when I listen carefully to them—asking, 'Why do you think that? Why do you feel that way?'—the atmosphere of the conversation gradually changes. They start to show their true thoughts without putting on a front. Whenever they tell me, 'I've never been able to talk about this kind of trouble with anyone,' or 'Even my best friend doesn't know, why can I talk about it here?', I realize the power of listening and the importance of truly facing what the other person is thinking."

Otani: I think "being yourself" is something that you can't express entirely on your own. I'm in my 30s now, and it's only recently that I've been able to express my thoughts and feelings exactly as they are. For example, back when I was a student, even if I tried to talk about my ideas or how I felt, I was often met with comments like, "You're overthinking it," "You're too serious," or "Why do you think about so much stuff?" Even if you want to express your true self, if you don't have a place that accepts you, you have no choice but to suppress it. Having a relationship where you can say what you want to say and have it be accepted is so important.

"I also feel that it might be difficult to have serious conversations with people who aren't NIC students. Even if I talk about what I'm thinking to friends back home, I often get a lukewarm reaction, like 'Aren't you overthinking it?' But when I talk with other NIC students, even serious topics feel like normal conversation. I really love the atmosphere where people listen to me carefully first and where my feelings are accepted as they are. Feeling that 'it's okay to talk' is so important."


 

Otani: Building a relationship where you can bare your true self is incredibly difficult. Personally, I couldn't find such a place until I started working. I feel that is a huge hurdle. It seems that for everyone here, that place was NIC, but how do you think one can find a place where they feel accepted?

"I think it's important to take a step forward, even if it's scary. In my case, I had close friends before, and I was even the student council president at my previous school, so honestly, I thought I would probably end up going to a decent university if I just stayed on that path. But when I properly faced the inner voice saying I wanted to go to a place where I could challenge myself and work harder, I felt like I gained the courage to step out of that comfortable environment."

"I couldn't do it at first either, but now I think, 'Being my true self is the strongest thing I can be!' When you try to conform to the expectations of those around you, a sense of discomfort inevitably remains. But if you are your true self, there is no discomfort at all, because that's who you are. By taking a step forward and showing your true self, you engage with the other person with everything you've got. Then, the important parts—like, 'Oh, this is who this person is'—get across, and the relationship changes. I understand the hesitation, but I think a great deal changes when you take that step forward and interact with others with total honesty."

 


“Maintaining relationships where you can be yourself”

Chii (NIC Graduate): During this project, I reunited with my NIC peers for the first time in a while, and we were able to talk just like we used to. Some are married and about to have children, but even if their life stages have changed, I don't feel like they've fundamentally changed at all. That's amazing. I think the reason we can maintain a relationship that doesn't change over time is precisely because we’ve had honest conversations and there’s a sense of security in truly understanding one another.

Otani: Being in a state where you share the recognition that this community is psychologically safe, and having relationships where you can always be yourself and be accepted, is really incredible.




"I think the important thing is to keep maintaining the relationships and connections where you can be your true self. Just before we travel overseas, there is a period where we leave NIC to prepare. Even in that short period, I feel like I almost forget the enthusiasm I found at NIC and the sense of self I regained. If you don't regularly interact with people you can speak honestly with, you end up changing before you know it. Even if your surroundings change, I think the most important thing is to hold on to relationships and connections that allow you to be yourself and stay the person you want to be. I still call my peers and talk on video calls from time to time."

"When you go into a new environment, you end up unconsciously trying to conform to those around you. But if you maintain connections that allow you to be yourself no matter where you are, you can always return to that baseline. As long as you have relationships where you can be your true self, I think you can get by anywhere."

Otani: Through these workshops, I feel that the relationships everyone found at NIC are truly irreplaceable. Being a strong team while each individual maintains their own identity is incredibly difficult, and it's something we are struggling with as we move forward right now. When you want to change society or change something, what one person can do alone is very limited. I want to value how to make an impact while living together with others, without erasing anyone's individuality. This project taught me so much about the nature of community and the power of a space through everyone's experiences and ideas. Thank you all so much.