Key takeaways from April’s Conjure Circle Breakfast: Exploring Digital in 2023 and Beyond
In this Conjure Circle Breakfast, we were joined by industry leaders from Checkout.com, eBay, END., JustEat for Business, KPMG, Labster, Log my Care, TrueLayer, William Hill, and more. This month’s event saw us delve into what might be disrupting industries when digitising, what’s next for digital transformation, some of the success stories of digital implementations across companies, and a few other key issues.
Below, Sam, Bea, and Christian from Conjure’s Circle team delve into their key takeaways from the conversations.
Sam’s Key Takeaways
We managed to avoid talking about A.I for a good 50 minutes, but naturally when the subject rolled round we had some great insights from the group, especially as we had an AI expert in the room in Greta. Interestingly, AI led to a conversation about the Metaverse, in particular how there is no such thing as a Metaverse. My thoughts on the subject are all rounded up on this fantastic video on folding ideas, which I highly recommend. Basically, it’s all bad.
Outside of AI and Metaverse. Bob posed the question on Digital Transformation, “Are we there yet?”. Digital Transformation feels like a term that is past its sell by date, with digital now thoroughly in the DNA of almost every business in some shape or form. The sentiment in the room was less transformation and more continual evolution, which felt about right. Certainly something to think about.
Bea’s Key Takeaways
The Conjure Circle event was an energising way to start a Wednesday morning, the conversations were incredibly thought-provoking and the atmosphere was notably welcoming.
A key topic discussed was ‘Digital Transformation’. We sought to collaboratively define ‘digital transformation’, discussed the contextual nuances and considered some of the challenges associated with transformation in digitally advanced organisations. It was interesting to hear the experiences of different individuals and how those influenced what ‘digital transformation’ meant for them.
Multiple individuals around the table worked in the product design space, so there was a particular emphasis on human-technology relations throughout conversation; particularly, when the subject of ‘challenges to technological advancement’ arose. A number of people spoke about the challenge of communicating user research across different levels of their organisation. Others drew on their own experiences to explore the subject of stakeholder management. The core solution to these challenges, that arose from discussion, was to tailor communication approaches to the individual.
Christian’s Key Takeaways
April’s Conjure Circle led to three key takeaways worth discussing: the continuous evolution of digital transformation, the weaponisation of AI as a marketing buzzword, and the importance of product management in the design process.
Firstly, digital transformation is not a one-time event, but rather a continuous process that involves the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business. Successful digital transformation requires a long-term commitment to change.
Secondly, AI has become a trendy buzzword in marketing, and its overuse has led to the weaponisation of this name. Marketers may use the term AI to manipulate search engine rankings or to create false impressions about a product or service.
Finally, product managers play a crucial role in the design process, acting as a bridge between design and business. They provide designers with context and information to create effective solutions that align with the company’s goals and priorities.
Most importantly, breakfast was sumptuous! I can’t wait for the next one.
Closing statement
Thank you to all who attended this Conjure Circle event. The engagement, perspectives, and ideas you have brought to the table were incredible and helped make the breakfast a real success.
We will be back with more Conjure Circle events on 24th May so, as always, if you’d like to come along please get in touch!
