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Hiroto Kaku
UX Researcher
Professional Background
Hiroto Kaku is a seasoned expert in industrial engineering and human factors with extensive experience in user experience (UX) research and interaction engineering. With a robust background shaped by rigorous academic training and practical, hands-on experience in various prestigious roles, Hiroto has developed a keen understanding of how to bridge the gap between human needs and technological solutions. His professional journey has been marked by innovative contributions during his time at Mitsue-Links Co.,Ltd., where he held multiple roles focusing on UX research and interaction. This diverse experience allows Hiroto to bring a holistic perspective to projects, ensuring that he effectively contributes to user-centric designs that resonate with end-users.
Hiroto began his career at Trigger Happy, LLC, as an intern, where he honed his foundational skills in interaction design and user research. His role there provided him with critical insights into how user research informs design decisions, allowing him to appreciate the value of empathy in engineering solutions. Later, he transitioned to a more substantial role in academia, serving as a Research Assistant at The Research Foundation for SUNY, where his analytical skills and research acumen were further enhanced. Here, Hiroto engaged in multifaceted projects that sharpened his research capabilities and reinforced his commitment to improving human-centered design.
Education and Achievements
Hiroto's educational background is distinguished, featuring a Master's degree in Science specializing in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Human Factors and Ergonomics from the notable State University of New York at Buffalo. This advanced study provided him with a solid grounding in the principles of ergonomics and how they can be applied to optimize user experiences in various contexts, particularly in technology and product design. Prior to this, Hiroto earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on Control Engineering from Sophia University. This blend of mechanical engineering and human-centered design uniquely positions him to understand both the technical and usability aspects of product development.
During his academic career, Hiroto Kaku was not only dedicated to his studies but also involved in various research initiatives, which earned him acclaim as a proactive contributor to the field. His dedication to improving user experiences through research has made him a valuable asset in roles focusing on user experience and interaction design.
Achievements
Hiroto's contributions to UX research and interaction engineering are commendable. His tenure at Mitsue-Links Co.,Ltd. allowed him to apply his theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts, where he led various projects that emphasized enhancing user satisfaction through design improvements. Hiroto's meticulous approach to research ensured that stakeholder needs were thoroughly understood and integrated into the design processes. His commitment to harnessing user insights to create effective design solutions has resulted in products that not only meet technical specifications but are also user-friendly and efficient.
Hiroto's work in different capacities—combining research, implementation, and user experience design—has highlighted his versatility and adaptability within the fast-evolving tech landscape. His collaborative spirit and ability to communicate effectively with interdisciplinary teams have also been critical in achieving successful outcomes in various projects he has worked on.
In summary, Hiroto Kaku's impressive educational background, combined with a rich tapestry of professional experiences, positions him as a thought leader in the fields of industrial engineering, user experience research, and interaction design. His commitment to optimizing human experiences through thoughtful engineering solutions continues to guide his work as he seeks to innovate and inspire in the ever-changing technological environment.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.