Accenture to establish first design and innovation studio in Johannesburg

A leading global professional services company has launched its very first design and innovation studio in Africa.

Accenture has announced this week that it has launched its first deign and innovation studio in Africa. Fjord, which will be headquartered in Johannesburg, is the design and innovation consultancy of Accencutre and represents a major expansion of the companies design capabilities while demonstrating its commitment to unlocking Africa’s innovation potential through the creation of experiences that redefine industries in our constantly evolving digital era.

Marcel Rossouw, design director and studio lead for Fjord Johannesburg, said: ““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. But it’s also about getting feedback from customers. The combination of these factors helps companies advance towards the ultimate service experience.”

The Johannesburg location marks its 28th design studio globally, solidifying its position as the world’s leading design powerhouse.

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Great design tells great stories," explains Wayne Hull, managing director of Accenture Digital and Accenture Interactive lead in Africa. "It unifies a brand, drives innovation and makes the brand or service distinctive and hyper-relevant in both the digital and physical worlds. This is critical to achieving results. Having Fjord Johannesburg as part of Accenture Interactive, and collaborating with all of Accenture Africa, will provide unique experiences and forward-thinking capabilities for our clients.”

“Businesses in South Africa are becoming more design-aware and are looking to take greater advantage of design skills to compete with the rest of the world,” said Thomas Müller, 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 South Africa 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.”