Make the work visible.
I look at tasks spread across paper, spreadsheets, chat, and manual steps to understand where people get stuck and what they have to remember.
PEOPLE, WORK & TECHNOLOGY
Make complex work
manageable for
people and AI.
Small, practical changes, starting with real work.
I start with people and the constraints of their workplace, then clarify workflows, explore where AI can help, and build small tools that are easier to use and maintain.
SilentMalachite / Independent practiceSCROLL TO EXPLORE
PREMISES
Assumptions I design from
I start from the constraints of the workplace and from how people differ.
Instead of building a large system first, I divide the work into pieces that can be continued.
Assume interruption
Work stops in the middle. Decisions and the next step should remain outside a person's memory or a conversation.
Handle less at one time
Reduce the information and the steps, and separate what needs a person's judgment from what a tool can handle.
Assume differences in sensing and cognition
Seeing, hearing, and memory load differ from person to person. Prefer a form that can be used without strain.
Prefer what a workplace can sustain
It can run offline, takes little to introduce and maintain, and does not greatly disrupt the existing flow of work.
Try a small part, then check
Do not aim for a finished form at the start. Build only the part that is needed, try it, and adjust.
WHAT I DO
Understand the work.
Make it manageable.
For small businesses and teams in welfare, healthcare, and education.
We can start with the difficulty itself,
before deciding what to build.
Break complexity into manageable parts.
I separate steps and responsibilities, looking for where human judgment is needed and where a tool could help.
Use technology where it helps.
A clearer procedure, AI assistance, or a small app: the choice depends on the people using it and what they can keep running.
Tools for repeated conversion tasksSERVICES
How I can help.
From clarifying a workflow to a small prototype.
We work out the scope together.
Workflow & AI design
I clarify complex work and separate human responsibilities from tasks AI could assist with, including operating procedures and instructions for AI when useful.
- Example deliverables
- Workflow diagrams, AI usage guidelines, prompt instructions
- Timeline & estimate
- 2 weeks to 1 month / from ¥50,000 (tax included; quoted based on the work)
Small business tool prototypes
I examine work done with spreadsheets, paper, and manual steps, then prototype a small app or automation for the parts that need it.
- Example deliverables
- Small web apps, automation tools for routine tasks, setup guides
- Timeline & estimate
- 1 to 2 months / from ¥150,000 (tax included; quoted based on scope)
Accessibility & cognitive load
I consider differences in vision, hearing, memory demands, and information load to design systems people can use without unnecessary strain.
- Example deliverables
- A list of cognitive load and accessibility issues in screens and procedures, with proposed design improvements
- Timeline & estimate
- From 2 weeks / from ¥50,000 (tax included)
CASE STUDIES
Understand a problem.
Give it a practical form.
The problem, the thinking, and the tool.
Four examples grounded in people and their work.
Find by topic
Matching work is outlined and marked “Match”. This also applies to the work below and to Current exploration.
Pick up where you left off.
Soujo (層序)
- Problem
- Every interruption can mean reconstructing decisions and next steps. Depending on human working memory or an AI conversation history makes resuming and handing over work harder.
- Approach
- Move the state outside people’s heads and conversations, and keep each task small. Interruption and resumption are part of the design, with the aim of reducing memory demands.
- Design
- Four files hold the specification, plan, log, and next step. Work proceeds in small “layers,” and Claude Code and Codex can share the same records.
- Result & status
- A CLI and shared skills for Interruptible / Resumable AI Development, with public source. I use it in my daily development work; by separating specifications from work records, it serves as a foundation for smoother AI collaboration and for handing off and resuming work.
- Tech
- TypeScript / CLI / Markdown
Turn complex document processing into small steps.
AlchemIIIF
- Problem
- Publishing archaeological reports involves image processing, metadata, and review. The project aims to connect cultural heritage publishing with meaningful tasks in Japan’s welfare employment support services.
- Approach
- I draw on my expertise in archaeology to break the work into manageable tasks, separating understanding the material from processing, data entry, and review.
- Design
- PDF conversion, image cropping, metadata entry, approval, and publication form one workflow. IIIF provides a shared format for publishing and viewing the material.
- Result & status
- A web app supporting document processing and digital archive publication. The public README includes workflow and screen examples.
- Tech
- Elixir / Phoenix / PostgreSQL / IIIF
Turn page-by-page export into one workflow.
Utsushi.Win
- Problem
- Preparing images from multiple PDFs means repeatedly choosing pages, resolution, and filenames, then checking which pages failed.
- Approach
- Group repeated choices and show what will be produced before conversion. Support both interactive use and automation of routine tasks.
- Design
- Select PDFs or a folder, set page ranges, resolution, and naming, and preview output size and filenames. Review failures by page afterward, using either the GUI or CLI.
- Result & status
- A Windows app that produces a PNG or JPEG for each page, distributed as a ZIP with no installer required. The design divides the roles: a straightforward GUI for everyday routine work, and the CLI for advanced batch processing such as password-protected PDFs.
- Tech
- C++ / WinUI 3 / Windows.Data.Pdf
Build a cue to take a break into the screen.
Hitoiki
- Problem
- When absorbed in a task, it is easy to miss a break. A cue is needed to notice the time and pause the work.
- Approach
- Let a schedule and a screen prompt carry the task of remembering a break. At set intervals or clock times, a break view appears on every display to create a pause in the work.
- Design
- After a few flashes, a dark overlay and countdown cover every display. Schedules falling in the same minute are merged, and holding Esc for three seconds ends a break early. Settings stay on the device; the app makes no network requests.
- Result & status
- Downloads are available for macOS (Apple silicon) and Windows. First launch requires OS confirmation. It is designed to stay safe by never blocking urgent actions, and its settings are kept simple in an external file. I use it in my own daily work and have found it effective as a cue to take breaks.
- Tech
- TypeScript / Electron
No case studies match this topic.
These are design and implementation examples from my own projects. I also take on customization for real workplace problems and prototype development of new tools. Features and limitations are described from public project documentation.
MORE WORK & WRITING
More work behind the approach.
Accessibility writing and tools
informed by everyday work and life.
A11yLab
An accessibility journal exploring differences in vision, hearing, and physical interaction through captions, contrast, and keyboard use. Articles and the site are created in collaboration with AI.
OmniArchive
A web app connecting image cropping, metadata, review, approval, and publication. Cognitive accessibility is a stated design principle for its archive workflow.
SystemSoundsCaptions
A macOS and Windows app that turns microphone input, audio playing on the computer, and audio or video files into real-time Japanese captions. Speech recognition runs on the computer, and an always-on-top caption window shows in-progress and confirmed text in different colors. Captioning system audio requires setting up a loopback device.
Java / Swing / Vosk
Tsumugi
An offline-only desktop app that keeps daily records and work-payment calculations on the device for Type B continuing employment support. Its scope ends at PDF pay statements and payment lists; the bundled billing-data export for the National Health Insurance Federation is experimental because it has not been checked against the official systems. Downloads are available for macOS (Apple silicon) and Windows; the Windows build has not yet been tested on real hardware.
C# / .NET / Avalonia
No items match this topic.
View all repositoriesIN PROGRESS
Current exploration
Work in development, or still experimental.
Not finished products, and not a record of deployment.
Ayumi
In developmentAn app for Type B continuing employment support. It gathers individual support plans, daily records, attendance, and deadlines. It focuses on daily support records and deadline management, designed to reduce the input burden on staff.
BudgetTracker
In developmentA personal finance app that keeps data on the device.
MonoOto
ExperimentalAn audio experiment exploring whether timbral cues can convey stereo differences when listening with one ear. Sustained playback on hardware and listening evaluations remain unverified.
No items match this topic.
WORKFLOW & QUALITY
Start small.
Deliver with care for quality.
How a project moves from first conversation to delivery,
and the quality standards that keep it usable.
Consultation & problem framing (free)
I listen to concerns that are not yet clearly defined and organize the problem around the constraints of the workplace and the characteristics of the people involved.
Scope & estimate
Whether improving a procedure is enough or an AI workflow or small tool is needed, I propose the approach with the lowest cost and burden.
Small prototype & review
Instead of building a large system at once, I adjust cognitive load and usability while you try prototype screens and procedures yourself.
Quality assurance (QA) & delivery
Drawing on my experience as a community participant in a Mozilla web testing project, I run automated tests, accessibility checks, and regression checks, and confirm the tool can be used with confidence in the workplace before delivery.
ABOUT
Different settings.
A connected approach.
SilentMalachite
From archaeology, education, welfare, and healthcare
to software and working with AI.
My background spans archaeology, high school education, disability support, healthcare, and vocational support. Across these settings, I have learned that technology alone does not resolve a problem: the procedures, communication, and demands on people matter too.
My work now focuses on understanding the task and translating the parts that need it into technology. Software development and AI agents are tools for that work: clarify the problem, build something small, and find a form people can keep using.
Run by
Hiroshi Annaka (安中 浩)
Background
Archaeology → High school instructor → Senior support worker at a facility for people with physical disabilities → Hospital testing duties → Vocational instructor in Japan’s Type B continuous employment support service for people with disabilities
Qualification
Industrial Counselor (産業カウンセラー, Japan)
QA experience
Took part in a Mozilla web testing project as a community participant
Strength
With experience in welfare, healthcare, education, and cultural heritage settings, I can start designing from your perspective without you having to explain the terminology or workplace constraints from scratch.
I also welcome conversations about project participation and collaboration. Contact details
CONTACT
Start with the problem,
even before it is clear.
Here are some things we could work through.
- I want to use AI but do not know where it would help.
- I need to untangle a complicated workflow.
- I want to ease a task that relies on paper or spreadsheets.
- I would like to prototype a small business tool.
- I need clearer working procedures for AI agents.
- I want to make a workflow more accessible.
What to include when you get in touch
(Share whatever you know so far.)
- What your work involves and what is causing trouble
e.g., mistakes when copying data into Excel - What kind of help you are looking for
e.g., workflow consultation, a tool prototype, or a quote - Your rough budget and preferred timing
It is fine if these are not decided yet.
Get in touch
Your email app opens with the subject and the three items above filled in.
Email: silentmalachite.corp@
I also accept direct messages on social media.
Contact me on X Contact me on FacebookWorking arrangements
- Run by
- Hiroshi Annaka (安中 浩)
- Work style
- Remote work anywhere in Japan; on-site meetings can be discussed if needed
- Contracts & documents
- NDAs available; quotes and invoices issued
- First consultation
- The first online (or text-based) consultation, about 30 minutes, is free