(The original post was published on February 13, 2025)
Our team participated in the Front-end Global Workshop event held on January 21, 2025.
The Front-end Global Workshop is an offline event that has evolved from the global workshop held until last year. Engineers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries gather to give presentations and network.
This year, it was held in a hybrid format at the Japan office and online. More people participated than we imagined, and we were greatly inspired by the international atmosphere.
Reason for participating in the event
Our team is creating a survey platform that external users can answer and its internal management service.
One day, the head of our team announced a call for speakers for the Front-end Global Workshop. When I saw it, I thought it would be a good opportunity for presentation and growth if I applied with my team members. When I asked the members if they would like to present together, we decided to divide the presentation theme and time among the three of us. After confirming that we could participate as a group, we applied and decided to present.
Flow of the day
Since the event was held from the morning, we flew to Tokyo the day before. We were able to schedule with plenty of time, so it was a good opportunity for our team, who live in various places due to remote work, to meet face-to-face for the first time in a while.
We arrived at the venue a little early at 9 am and rehearsed in our minds while drinking the coffee provided. Lunch boxes were prepared for lunch, and donuts and macarons were provided as snacks in the afternoon, allowing participants to casually interact while eating. Also, people from various places brought souvenirs, and we were able to enjoy various sweets.
In the evening, a social gathering was held, and we were able to enjoy dinner while conversing. Casual conversations over meals provided a direct interaction opportunity that cannot be obtained online, and I found it very meaningful.
Presentation content
Our team divided the presentation among three people and presented the following themes. Since the content was useful not only for front-end engineers but also for a wide range of engineers, we received questions and feedback from various perspectives, which was a great achievement.
1. Introduction of events and initiatives conducted by our team
- Strengthening mutual understanding in remote work
- We regularly set opportunities for 1-on-1 meetings among members to have a wide range of conversations from work to private matters.
- For example, we conduct a self-introduction workshop using the framework "Two Truths and a Lie" to deepen mutual understanding in a game-like manner.
- System to encourage technical challenges
- We hold "Front-end Technology Consultation Meetings" twice a week, providing a place to discuss various themes, including exchanging information on the latest libraries and tools.
- By sharing the knowledge brought by members, a culture of learning from each other naturally develops.
- Support system to supplement negotiation weaknesses
- We have created templates to make proposals easier, organizing "Proposal Overview," "Benefits and Risks," "Required Resources," etc., before consulting with superiors.
- By providing judgment criteria from the superior side and having me, the manager, follow up on weak points, we aim to create an environment where members can utilize their strengths.
2. Case of incorporating generative AI into a cloud-based survey service
- Points considered when introducing generative AI
- Since it was the first introduction, we first discussed beneficial features for users and chose an implementation that minimized risks and costs.
- By carefully discussing "what features are truly necessary for users" within the team, we are proceeding with the introduction within a range that does not overly burden the service and is expected to be effective.
- The internal procedures required for the introduction were complex, but having experienced it once, we believe it will proceed smoothly in the future.
- Demo conducted during the actual presentation
- The content is for internal release, so details cannot be described externally, but during the presentation, we introduced a demo that actually works and showed how it is already being used.
- We plan to gain more experience and challenge the development of a second generative AI feature in the future.
3. Initiatives for sharing knowledge within the organization
- Creating an environment where front-end engineers can gather and share knowledge
- We have created opportunities for front-end engineers and interested engineers to gather and share current challenges easily.
- With an environment where each person's area of expertise can be utilized, motivation increases as challenges become easier to solve.
- Hosting study sessions to share not only internal accessibility guidelines but also specific response methods
- We hosted a study session for accessibility measures and created materials that were published internally.
- The initiative was appreciated, and members' motivation increased further by being praised by leaders and gaining interest from members of other departments.
- As awareness within the organization increased, awareness of accessibility has risen over a wider range.
By finding roles that I can fulfill myself, I feel that my motivation is also increasing. I plan to actively find and fulfill roles in the future.
Impressive episodes at the social gathering
After the event, an offline social gathering was held.
- Exchanging opinions with other engineers
- I had the opportunity to discuss services with an engineer who came from Taiwan. The perspectives gained from differences in countries and cultures were very stimulating.
- By talking about what kind of services our team is creating and what challenges we are facing, we gained the opportunity to receive feedback after they return home.
- We also had the opportunity to talk with other engineers we had not interacted with before, expanding our network and feeling that it would lead to smoother work.
- I had the opportunity to discuss services with an engineer who came from Taiwan. The perspectives gained from differences in countries and cultures were very stimulating.
- Discussions on front-end technology and accessibility
- Engineers with specialized knowledge that is not often discussed gathered, and we were able to have deep conversations unique to offline settings.
- In particular, it was fruitful to have in-depth discussions on how other teams should address challenges in accessibility measures.
- Sharing information on the latest technology trends
- We asked each other about the latest trends in generative AI and front-end, and it was a great achievement to find ideas that could be applied to our projects.
- We were able to delve into topics that are not usually discussed, such as exchanging ideas for new features using generative AI to be implemented in the future, greatly expanding our knowledge.
Additionally, enjoying a luxurious dinner, such as roast beef carved by a chef in front of us, provided an attraction that cannot be obtained online.
Impressions of participating
This Front-end Global Workshop was a hybrid format of online and offline, but the stimulation and learning gained by meeting face-to-face at the venue were greater than expected.
Especially for engineers not belonging to the front-end organization, I realized again that such presentations and event participation are good opportunities to increase motivation. It was very valuable to directly absorb a wide range of knowledge that is not touched upon in regular work.
Conclusion
Through this event, I realized again that at LY Corporation, there is a culture of supporting learning and challenges among members, rather than developing separately in each department. In particular, the opportunity to communicate directly with diverse engineers, including those from overseas, brings new perspectives and knowledge that cannot be obtained from daily work. In the future, I would like to utilize the ideas gained this time in my projects and work on creating an environment where more engineers can exchange information.
If you read this article and feel like "I want to be stimulated in such a place" or "I'm curious about other engineers' initiatives," LY Corporation holds study sessions for the public irregularly, so please consider participating. By expanding connections among engineers, you can gain opportunities to challenge new technologies and development methods while enhancing each other.
