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Strategic design for

Cultural fluency for the ones that cross borders.
Copenhagen — Kyoto
The Lab

LoloxDesign Lab provides strategic design, research, and cultural consultation to organizations navigating complex challenges — locally and across borders.

We help organizations understand the challenge they are facing, surface what's not obvious, and turn that into strategy, capability, and action that holds.

We specialise in cross-cultural contexts, drawing on experience across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Our work has led to living solutions to complex problems in the forms of new ventures, product and service models, innovation portfolios, processes and policies, and internal capabilities that outlast any single project — for organizations including the World Bank, UNDP, SWIFT, and Volkswagen.

How We Help
01
Understand
We start by looking closely — at people, contexts, and cultures. We surface evidence, uncover patterns, and build a grounded picture of what's actually going on — so decisions are based on reality, not assumptions. When the challenge demands it, we also look ahead — exploring future scenarios to help teams prepare for what might be coming, not just what's here now.
fieldwork · qualitative research · cultural intelligence · context mapping · future scenario exploration
02
Strategize
We translate what we've learned into a clear plan — clarifying the real challenge, forming hypotheses, and identifying where to focus. Whether that means entering a new market, redesigning a service, or rethinking how an organization operates, the strategy is built to be tested and adapted, not followed blindly.
innovation strategy · market entry · product & service development · strategic roadmapping
then, in parallel
03
Implement
We stay involved through execution. We test what we've planned, learn from what actually happens, and adjust course as needed — especially when the work spans cultures, geographies, or disciplines.
project management · cross-cultural coordination · strategic advisory · stakeholder facilitation
04
Empower
We build the capacity for others to navigate whatever comes next. We equip teams and leaders with new ways of thinking and working — not just for this challenge, but for the ones that haven't arrived yet.
design thinking · systems thinking · cross-cultural training · 1:1 leadership coaching
Where Change Happens
Leadership, Organisation, Society

Leadership

Leaders who can think clearly under uncertainty, make decisions with incomplete information, and see around corners before the organization needs to turn.

Organizations

Organizations that can sense what's changing, anticipate what's coming, and respond with intention — rather than locking into plans that no longer fit.

Society

Social systems that are more inclusive and resilient — designed to adapt as the communities they serve evolve.

Our Practice

We work with complexity, not against it.

Start with people.

Empathy and deep listening before solutions.

Respect the system.

Everything is connected. We design with that in mind.

Learn by doing.

Bias toward action, experimentation, and iteration.

Think long-term.

We don't do quick fixes. We work toward change that holds.

Stay honest.

Creative confidence paired with intellectual honesty.

Behind the Lab

Lolo Xin Chen

Founder

Lolo is in ongoing pursuit of a better and more meaningful way of living, for herself, for the people she works with, and for the systems we are part of.

This pursuit has led her to live and work across Asia, Europe, and North America, and to explore fields spanning business, design, culture, and psychology.

Lolo x Design Lab is a result of that journey. It is not a fixed methodology, but a practice shaped through continuous experimentation, learning how to understand people, organizations, and contexts more deeply, envision better futures, and work toward making them real.

Beyond her work with organizations, she works on shōkakkō, a practice centered on living with greater intention and presence by noticing and cultivating small moments of happiness.

She is currently restoring a traditional machiya in Kyoto to create a space designed for this way of living.

Innovation Expert — UNDP Global Policy Network ExpRes Roster
MBA — London School of Economics & HEC Paris
MSc Service System Design — Aalborg University Copenhagen
Associate Certified Coach — International Coaching Federation
Lolo Xin Chen