Introduction

Hi, I’m Adjoa — an engineer at Tokyo ICT.

Recently, I had the opportunity to take part in the system outline design phase for the first time in a large-scale project. In this post, I’d like to share what I learned from that experience.

If you’re curious about what engineers actually do in system development, I hope this gives you a clearer picture.

1. Project Overview

The project was about renewing a credit card business system. The requirements definition phase had already been completed when our company joined.

Our team took over during the outline design phase, and I was assigned as one of the design engineers.

2. What Is “Outline Design”?

In system development, the outline design phase is where you take the requirements defined earlier and translate them into a concrete system structure.

The main purpose of the outline design document is to make sure both the client and the development team share the same understanding of how the system will work — before moving on to detailed design and implementation.

Once the client approves the outline design document, the project proceeds to the next step: basic design.

3. What I Worked on in the Outline Design Document

In this project, each engineer was responsible for several functions. I was assigned five of them. My work mainly consisted of writing the outline design documents for those functions.

Here’s what they included:

(1) Function Overview

Since we created one document per function, I started each one by describing who uses it, when, in what context, and how.

(2) Screen Transition Diagrams

These diagrams show how users move from one screen to another — for example, which screen opens when a certain button is clicked.
I also listed the APIs, database tables, and external interfaces used in each transition.

(3) Business Rules

In this context, business rules define conditional behaviors — such as showing or hiding buttons depending on user type. For instance: “Display the ‘Edit’ button for Gold members, but hide it for Standard members.” I identified all such conditions and made the branching logic as clear as possible.

(4) Screen Layouts and Field Descriptions

For each function, I created mock screen layouts and explained the purpose and data source of every field.
Example:

• Member Name: Displayed from Member Table.name
• Edit Button: Navigates to the “Edit Confirmation” screen

(Note: The items above were part of our project’s design template, but not necessarily required in every project.)

4. Challenges I Faced

At first, I thought my job was to “design exactly as written in the requirements.” So I confidently submitted my first design document — only to be hit by a wave of review feedback.

The main reason? Requirements documents don’t always consider long-term maintenance or implementation complexity. If you simply follow them word for word, you might end up with something too complicated or inefficient to maintain.

That’s when I realized: the real purpose of the outline design phase is to bridge the gap between requirements and reality — to make the system practical and sustainable.

I also received questions like:

“How exactly will this branching logic work?”
“How do you pass the data between screens?”

Each question forced me to pause and think.
“Maybe I need to use session IDs?”
“I should review how React handles this…”
“I really don’t know enough yet.”

It was humbling — and incredibly educational.

5. What I Focused On

Since I felt my technical knowledge was still limited, I decided that at least the quality of my documentation had to be top-notch.

Here are a few things I made sure to do:

• Ensured consistent terminology across the whole team
  (e.g., unified terms like “User” vs. “Member”)
• Kept diagrams perfectly aligned and evenly spaced — fixing them immediately rather than later
• Used our in-house AI tool to check for typos before each review
• Double-checked everything using the team’s official checklist

I repeated these checks even after finishing all five documents, to make sure everything met our quality standards.

6. What I Learned

Through this experience, I realized that design isn’t just about writing what’s in the requirements — it’s about thinking ahead to how the system will actually be implemented, operated, and maintained.

I also discovered that system design requires a surprisingly broad range of knowledge — from programming languages and databases to networks and security.

Most of all, I came to appreciate how deep and fascinating the “design” phase of software development really is.

If you’re considering joining Tokyo ICT as an intern or new engineer, I hope this story gives you a glimpse into what we do — and how much you can grow through real project experience.

1. Introduction

As remote work becomes more common, our team had the opportunity to work together with engineers from Vietnam, China, and Korea during the design phase of a system development project. In this article, we share the insights and lessons we gained through cross-border collaboration.

2. Project Overview

Our members were responsible for the high-level design phase.

As part of the system replacement, we created design documents for the new system by comparing the requirements definition with the design documents of the existing system.

The team was Japan-centered, but engineers from Vietnam, China, and Korea also participated, forming a truly multinational structure.

3. Remote Work Environment and Tools

• Chat: Mattermost
• Meetings: Zoom, Gather
• Document sharing: Nextcloud
• Task management: Jira

4. Language and Cultural Barriers

When joining a multinational team for the first time, I initially expected that we might communicate in English. However, in practice, all communication was conducted in Japanese. Engineers from each country had near-perfect reading, writing, and speaking skills in Japanese, and even used honorifics naturally. There were only very rare instances of awkward expressions, but they never interfered with communication.

Furthermore, I did not feel any cultural barriers, such as differences in work styles.

Since all members worked remotely regardless of nationality, we were able to proceed with the project smoothly, without being conscious of national boundaries.

5. Outcomes and Learnings

Working with international members not only reminded me of the importance of language skills and documentation ability but also gave me the opportunity to truly appreciate the value of teamwork—achieving results while respecting each other’s backgrounds.

Through this experience, I became convinced that actively incorporating different cultures and perspectives will lead to better system development in future projects.

6. Conclusion

By working on the high-level design phase with a multinational team, I realized firsthand that “engineers pursue the same goals, regardless of nationality.” This project turned out to be a highly valuable and meaningful experience.

And above all, I thought, “To work internationally, this level of language proficiency is truly necessary. I need to work harder myself!”—a realization that has greatly boosted my motivation for language learning.

When I first started my internship, I found it quite challenging—both adjusting to working in an office environment and adapting to Japanese work culture. However, I received a lot of support, which helped me overcome these hurdles. Thanks to this, I was able to develop a network analysis tool for the company—my proudest achievement so far in my software development journey.

I’ll miss the wonderful places, the delicious food, and the amazing people I’ve met here. If you’re thinking about coming to Japan for an internship, I highly encourage you to give it a try as it’s a amazing experience you won’t regret!

Me ma wo aha (Good afternoon)! I’m Adjoa, a former member of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), and I lived in Ghana, West Africa, for 2 years and 6 months between 2014 and 2017.

I was assigned as a PC Instructor to Kings Technical Vocational Institute, a vocational training school located in the village of Gomoa Mprumem in the Central Region. My role was to work as an ICT teacher.

Since I now work in an IT company, I’d like to share some insights into Ghana’s IT landscape.

Mobile Money Has Been the Norm for Over a Decade

In Ghana, it’s not uncommon to hear people say, “I don’t have cash on me—can you send me some?”

Even back in 2014–2017, when I was living in a small rural community, mobile money transfers were already a part of daily life. There were no banks or ATMs in the area, but there were women known as “mobile ladies” (interestingly, I never saw a “mobile man”). You’d hand over cash to one of these women, and she would transfer the money to the phone number you specified. Simple and effective.

Smartphone Penetration: 50% as of 2020

Even in 2014, many people in Ghana carried two phones. According to this source, smartphone penetration reached about 50% by 2020.

From what I observed, people tended to use one basic phone for calls and SMS, and a separate smartphone for browsing the internet and using social media.

What Do Ghanaians Do on Their Smartphones?

Besides making calls and sending messages, it’s common for people to post photos and videos to social media and browse others’ content.

When I revisited Ghana in 2024, I noticed that some of my friends were even using their smartphones to make a little side income. Some were driving part-time for ride-hailing apps, while others were filming and uploading videos to YouTube.

By the way, here’s a video my YouTuber friends filmed while accompanying on an interview:

That said, despite the passage of time, I didn’t see much improvement in network infrastructure between my volunteer days in 2017 and my return in 2024. The network was still quite unstable in many areas. However, I was impressed to learn that a Ghanaian company recently developed an app that allows voice calls even without a network connection. Amazing progress!

What About PC Users?

While not as common as in Japan, using a PC isn’t considered rare in Ghana either. However, due to the higher cost compared to smartphones, the hurdle to owning one is definitely higher.

Among my Ghanaian friends who owned laptops were teachers who created documents, entrepreneurs working in graphic design, and students studying programming.

In Closing

The Ghanaian government is actively promoting the IT sector, and I’m excited to see how the country’s digital landscape will continue to evolve in the coming years!

Hello! Today, we’d like to share our experience participating in the 2025 spring training program for new employees, where members of our team once again served as instructors.

At our company, many of our members are former Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), and we regularly draw on that teaching experience to support IT companies with their annual new employee training. Continuing from last year, two of our team members, O and K, participated as assistant instructors again in 2025.

The training program lasted for about two and a half months and covered a wide range of topics, including:

• Basic business skills
• Fundamental knowledge of databases and networks
• Programming basics
• System development exercises, and more

What Does an Assistant Instructor Do?

An assistant instructor’s role goes far beyond just supporting the lead trainer. As someone who directly supports the growth of each trainee, the assistant instructor answers questions during exercises and provides feedback on business etiquette and professional attitude.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this role is being able to witness the trainees’ growth and transformation up close through direct communication.

Inspired by the Dedication of New Employees

Once again, we were deeply inspired by the trainees this year.

• They took feedback seriously, made detailed notes, and acted quickly to improve.
• Many came in early to proactively tackle their assignments.
• After hours, they stayed late to ask questions and deepen their understanding.

Seeing their dedication reminded us that we need to keep pushing ourselves too. Their attitude motivated us to continue learning and improving.

In Closing

Supporting the development of future engineers is not just rewarding — it’s a learning opportunity for us as well.

We’ll continue to refine our skills through teaching and strive to provide even better services in the future.

Hello! I’m Adjoa, a system engineer who’s been part of the TOKYO team for three and a half years. Today, I’d like to introduce our president, Mr. Sakurai.

TOKYO has many former members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV). Before joining the company, I was also a volunteer, working as a PC instructor in Ghana.

President Sakurai is one of us too — he served in the 3rd group of the 1996 dispatch to the Kingdom of Bhutan, where he worked as a system engineer.

What Happened When We Tried to Put His Photo on the Website?

Recently, we were preparing to update our company website with a photo of President Sakurai — and that’s when this little episode happened:

I said,
“Mr. Sakurai, didn’t you have a photo of yourself vacuuming in Bhutan during your volunteer days? Wouldn’t that be perfect for the website?”

In response, he sent…
an AI-generated image of a young man vacuuming in Bhutan!

(Just to be clear: this is not him!)

And Then Came Images from Other Countries…

Next thing we knew, he started generating AI images of other countries where our team members had volunteered — including Ghana (where I served), Laos, Uzbekistan, and Ecuador!

Here’s the image for Ghana:

Here’s Laos:

Here’s Uzbekistan:

And Ecuador:

The President’s AI Image Generation Skills Are Impressive?!

Inspired by him, I tried generating an AI image myself — a Ghanaian person vacuuming. But the result was far from what I imagined. In the image, the person’s fingers turned into a vacuum brush, and the house didn’t resemble a typical Ghanaian home at all!

Clearly, President Sakurai has a knack for giving precise prompts and getting good results. No surprise there — it seems his leadership skills even apply to AI prompts!

More Than Just a Playful Personality

Under this fun and playful president, the TOKYO team enjoys a cheerful and engaging work environment every day.

But he’s not just a fun guy — he’s also a reliable and supportive leader with strong technical expertise and extensive experience both in Japan and abroad. He looks after every employee with genuine care and attention.

If you’re curious to learn more about President Sakurai or the TOKYO team, feel free to get in touch with us. Click here to contact us!

We’re excited to welcome a new intern from the UK!

Hands-On Experience in Tech and Security

Over the course of six months—from March to August—he will gain hands-on experience in web programming and cybersecurity-related tasks.

Impressive Progress in Japanese!

He is also dedicated to learning Japanese, and we are amazed by how quickly his skills are improving.

Join Us as an Intern

We are welcoming interns from all over the world!

If you’re interested in gaining practical experience while exploring both Japanese culture and IT, feel free to reach out to us! Click here to contact us.

This internship was not only my first professional role abroad but also my first time outside the U.S., where I discovered a deep appreciation for Japanese culture. Coming from Arizona, this journey has been both professionally rewarding and personally transformative, expanding my global perspective and strengthening my passion for cybersecurity. The three months I spent interning and living in Tokyo have truly changed my outlook on life for the better. I had the opportunity to try a wide variety of foods, and each day, I challenged myself to try something new, as Japanese cuisine is truly amazing. I’ve been fortunate to make meaningful connections with people I hope to stay in touch with for life. Japan has treated me exceptionally well, and I will truly miss being here.

Until next time <3!!!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Tokyo ICT; I will never forget this experience. I promise to visit Japan again!

First, let me introduce the first item. “Moro de guandules” It seems to be a mixed rice with pigeon peas! To make it, mix rice and pigeon peas and cook. I’m not very familiar with dishes using pigeon peas, but they tasted like green peas and were very delicious. Although rice may not be a staple food in some countries, Japanese people still love rice. This is a very pleasing menu. I never thought that I could eat rice from the first item. (I am so happy!) The taste is familiar, but the name is a little difficult to pronounce for japanese…

Now, the second dish is fried eggplant (“Torrejas de berenjena”)! The taste is quite similar to Japanese tempura! The recipe is also the same, as it involves adding beaten eggs and flour and frying until the color changes. In the Dominican Republic, it is commonly eaten as an accompaniment to other dishes such as rice, meat, and beans. I’m glad that we seem to have some things in common with Japan. There is also a sweet called “Torrijas” in Spanish that uses toast, so I guess it’s a little similar?

The third item is arepas (“Arepitas”). It is served as a side dish and is made from ground corn or yucca. What she made this time was arepas made with yucca. To make it, grate the yucca, mix it with anise, eggs, and salt, then fry it until it changes color. Anise is also used as a flavoring agent in sweets and mouthwashes, and has a slightly tangy and refreshing taste. My partner who I went out to eat with said that this dish was his favorite!

Finally, we will introduce the location of the Dominican Republic on a map. Caribbean islands are wonderful, I want to go there…

TOKYO Co., Ltd. has started hiring new graduates this year, including members who want to work in the Dominican Republic in the future.

Don’t miss out as there aren’t many applicants! Please feel free to come to our company information session.

Click here for the recruitment page.

Contact: contact@tokyo-ict.com