work
Ritsu Katsumata is an observer of human behavior, a discoverer of white spaces for innovation, and a designer of new approaches to human experience. She challenges the status quo with creative thinking — a positive deviant who has spent 30+ years anticipating each pivot in the communications landscape before it arrives.
It starts with empathy. Through ethnographic research and deep listening, she uncovers the human emotions that drive behavior, cross-referencing qualitative insight with quantitative data to identify where real innovation is possible.
CASE STUDY 1 — Ford Motor Company (current)
The Challenge When a product needs to work for dealers, service staff, customers, and corporate simultaneously, the temptation is to optimize for one stakeholder at the expense of the others. The real work is understanding that each group has legitimate needs that only appear contradictory on the surface.
The Approach Through ethnographic research and deep listening across all four stakeholder groups, Ritsu mapped the hidden connections between their experiences — where friction for one creates friction for all, and where a single well-designed touchpoint can deliver for everyone at once.
The Outcome The result is a service blueprint that forms the foundation of a digital solution currently in development.
Details under NDA.
CASE STUDY 2 — nbyNutrilite, Amway (2020)
The Challenge In 2019, Amway needed a youth-oriented brand that didn't just look good on shelves — it needed to look good on Instagram. The brief: create an "Instagrammable brand" that would inspire authentic user-generated content from distributors and customers around the world.
The Approach Working within an intense two-month timeline, Ritsu engaged designers on both coasts of the US and several in Asia to develop a brand identity and packaging system designed specifically for the social media age — bold, shareable, and distinctly youthful without being trend-dependent.
The Outcome The result is a global product line that lives and breathes on social media. Search#nbyNutrilite to see Amway distributors around the world showcasing these products on their own channels — exactly as intended.
CASE STUDY 2 — Takashimaya Fifth Avenue (1990)
The Challenge In the early 1990s, Takashimaya — the famed Japanese retailer — was preparing to launch a new concept boutique on Fifth Avenue. They needed to understand the New York City retail landscape, build credibility with a sophisticated American audience, and make an opening that would be remembered.
The Approach As the bilingual account executive at Dentsu, Ritsu led the research into the competitive retail environment that shaped the launch strategy. For the grand opening campaign, she oversaw the creative production and media placement of a series of full-page ads in the Sunday New York Times, working with photographer Geof Kern, copywriter Steve Hogan, and a team of designers.
The Outcome Takashimaya Fifth Avenue became a tourist destination. The origami bags created for the opening are now collectors' items on permanent exhibit at The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.