Accenture Interactive has established its first design and innovation studio in Africa, Fjord Johannesburg.
Fjord is the design and innovation consultancy of Accenture Interactive. The Johannesburg location marks its 28th design studio globally, with several others in London, Germany, US, Dubai and Hong Kong.
The Fjord Johannesburg studio, according to Accenture, is part of the company's strategic move to establish Fjord as the design leader for Africa.
Using the latest technology and innovative approach to design, the studio will be a consulting hub aimed at helping Accenture Interactive's clients to design digital products and services to meet customer requirements, enabling businesses to transform and thrive in the digital economy.
The move, according to Accenture, is aimed at expanding the company's design capabilities and demonstrating its commitment to unlocking Africa's innovation potential through the creation of experiences that redefine industries in the digital era.
"Brands are constantly asking, 'how does one take a business need or problem, build that out into a definition of a service experience, and then bring it to market?' It's about re-engineering existing service experiences, identifying customer needs, prototyping rapidly, iterating often and proving or disproving assumptions," explains Marcel Rossouw, design director and studio lead for Fjord Johannesburg.
"But it's also about getting feedback from customers. The combination of these factors helps companies advance towards the ultimate service experience."
The new Johannesburg studio, officially opening in November, will be located at Accenture's new offices in Waterfall, Midrand. It will be led by Rossouw.
Accenture Interactive says its African blend of intelligent design and creative use of technology has already been used by some of SA's largest brands, including Alexander Forbes, Discovery, MultiChoice and Nedbank.
"Great design tells great stories. It unifies a brand, drives innovation and makes the brand or service distinctive and hyper-relevant in both the digital and physical worlds," explains Wayne Hull, MD of Accenture Digital and Accenture Interactive lead in Africa.
"Having Fjord Johannesburg as part of Accenture Interactive, and collaborating with all of Accenture Africa, will provide organisations with unique experiences and forward-thinking capabilities for our clients."
In its trends report, Fjord found organisations need to maximise the potential of the latest technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning technology, to transform how they work, learn and differentiate themselves if they are to continue having an impact.
"Businesses in SA are becoming more design-aware and are looking to take greater advantage of design skills to compete with the rest of the world," notes Thomas M"uller, head of Europe, Africa and Latin America at Fjord.
"We're excited to open our first design studio on the continent and to be part of an emerging market that is ripe for design and innovation, and open for business. Developing markets like SA are challenging assumptions and norms about what digital services and products are meant to be, and we'll strive to put design at the heart of the innovation being produced there."
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