About Design Chit-Chat
When talking about PayPay’s creations, you can’t overlook the diverse product team members from approximately 50 countries and regions. These globally skilled techies come together, pushing boundaries daily to create a future no one could have ever imagined.
In our “Design Talks” series, we aim to bring you the vibe and spirit of the PayPay design team directly from the members themselves. This time, we have Risa Tanaka from the Product Design Department joining us.
Risa Tanaka
Product Designer, Design Department, Product Division
I was born in Chiba Prefecture. I joined an IT company as a designer in 2016, focusing on product design for e-commerce sites and even took on a PM role for about two years. Then, I joined PayPay Corporation in January 2024.
What is your team and role?
I’m the manager and lead designer of the O2O Merchant team, responsible for designing the “PayPay for Business” payment management tool used by merchants. Our team designs all pages, from transaction and remittance management to issuing coupons and loyalty cards.
Why did you become a designer?
I always loved kids and initially wanted to be an industrial designer for toys, so I enrolled in a design-related course at university. However, the course covered not just industrial but also information design, and as I learned both, I gravitated towards web design. With both my parents being engineers, being exposed to the internet from an early age probably influenced my career path too.
What are some recent projects you’ve been working on?
I recently worked on the design for the new service PayPay Shikin Chotatsu (PayPay Funding), released in March 2024. This is a revolutionary service that allows merchants to secure funds swiftly, as early as the day of applying, bypassing the usual lengthy loan processes at banks.
Design-wise, we focused on making the system intuitive and user-friendly, creating numerous prototypes along the way. We also incorporated feedback from store owners to refine the design. Post-launch, we were thrilled to see higher-than-expected usage and positive feedback. While there are still areas for improvement, we plan to continue updating it.
How do you come up with ideas?
I constantly explore various services across different genres and countries for design inspiration. I also analyze the results of A/B testing on past designs to build a knowledge base of what works and what doesn’t.
What do you prioritize when creating a product at PayPay?
Designing PayPay Shikin Chotatsu was my first foray into B2B products, and one for which I am not the user. So I focused on minimizing my own biases and made it a point to design based on user feedback and usage patterns. I also validate design hypotheses through A/B testing.
Moving forward, I hope to engage more with merchants to gather insights and make essential usability improvements.
What future challenges do you want to take on at PayPay?
As a designer, I aim to help merchants boost their sales by providing optimal advice through “PayPay for Business.” By collaborating with various departments to improve the design, I want to make “PayPay for Business” more user-friendly and work hand-in-hand with merchants to elevate our services.
A message to the readers please!
At PayPay, there are numerous opportunities for challenges and direct user feedback, making it a rewarding environment. My colleagues are brimming with ideas and possess unique professional strengths, making each day stimulating and inspiring.
While we do face challenges, PayPay’s culture of teamwork and mutual support is incredibly reassuring. Our team is made up of members from various nationalities, each bringing their own unique (and often strong) personality. I love this dynamic environment and look forward to working with you in exciting new ways!
Current job openings
*Job openings and employee affiliations are current as of the time of the interview.