The Account is Praised for its Communication Design thatCultivates Proactive Participation in Urban Planning Among Residents
A Communication Infrastructure with 1.7 Million Registered Friends,the Account Supports a “Civic Smart City”
LINE Corporation (“LINE”; Location: Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer: Takeshi Idezawa) and its Fukuoka-based subsidiary, LINE Fukuoka Corporation (“LINE Fukuoka”; Location: Hakata Ward, Fukuoka; Representative Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer: Noritaka Ochiai) are pleased to announce that the Fukuoka City LINE official account has been awarded the 2020 GOOD DESIGN AWARD. The account received acclaim for designing communication that cultivates proactive participation in urban planning among residents.
Following the conclusion of the “Information Provision Fortification Tie-up Agreement” between LINE and Fukuoka City, LINE Fukuoka launched the Fukuoka City LINE official account on April 25, 2017.
At first, the account was a way for users to select and receive only the information they wanted by customizing the account’s information categories and residential area settings in advance. It currently offers chatbots and features that are closely related to daily life, including some that let you send your location information.
The “Disaster Prevention Information” (防災情報) feature helps users prepare for disasters, while the “Evacuation Action Support” (避難行動支援) feature allows them to share evacuation information with their loved ones. With the “Infrastructure Report” (道路公園等通報) feature, users can report damage to infrastructure they find to the city.
Users can also find out how to throw away garbage using the “Garbage Separation Support” (ごみ分別案内) feature, which lets them enter garbage types (such as batteries) into the message field. Additionally, residents can use the “Childcare Assistance Feature” (子育て案内機能) to instantly search for “Baby Stations” (such as for breastfeeding) that are nearby. The “Safe School Lunch Management” (あんしん給食管理) feature which notifies parents about allergens in school lunches.
Now with 1.7 million registered friends, the Fukuoka City LINE official account is a “Civic Account” that allows residents to smoothly access the information they want when they want it, and actively participate in building a richer, more convenient city as well as way of life, all through simple operations on LINE.
■ Praise from GOOD DESIGN AWARD Judges
“Each of us has a different lifestyle, and we all have different questions or issues, and need different information. The Fukuoka City LINE official account strives to deliver the information that each resident needs in an easy-to-understand way, and provides a wealth of information that is not only urgent and important, but also detailed local government information.”
“The account has gained support from residents, and has succeeded in developing features that serve as a communication tool between residents and the government. It’s features can be utilized to report damage to public infrastructure and promote awareness of natural disasters.”
“We also recognize the account for cultivating conditions that encourage residents to get involved in urban planning.”
■ GOOD DESIGN AWARD Online Gallery
https://www.g-mark.org/award/describe/51223
■ GOOD DESIGN SHOW 2020 Award Exhibition
The Fukuoka City LINE official account will be introduced at an award ceremony where all recent GOOD DESIGN AWARD recipients will come together to be held on the GOOD DESIGN SHOW 2020 promotional website.
GOOD DESIGN SHOW 2020
Dates: Thursday, October 1 – Monday, November 30
Event website: http://promo.g-mark.org/
■ About the GOOD DESIGN AWARD
The GOOD DESIGN AWARD serves as the successor to the Good Design product selection system established in 1957, and works to evaluate and promote designs that are representative of Japan. Many companies and organizations both domestic and international participate in the global awards ceremony, which is held each year to find designs that improve quality of life and solve social issues.
Recipients of the award receive the “G Mark,” which is widely recognized as a symbol of excellent design.
Moving forward, the LINE Group will continue to undertake initiatives like the Fukuoka City LINE official account that accelerate the realization of our vision of a “Civic Smart City” that evolves through cutting edge technology and the actions of its residents.