Design Mind frogcast

On this episode of the Design Mind frogcast, we welcome Sheldon Pacotti, Technology Director in frog North America to talk using AI to create meaningful connections, the power of the parasocial and defining the line between creepy and cool when it comes to intelligent interactions. Sheldon’s passions for technology, fiction writing and game design have influenced his work and his life—and may inspire you to write your own chapter in the world of design.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https://www.frog.co) 

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Today on our show, Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director, frog, joins us to discuss the future of customer experience. We examine the gap between what organizations believe they offer and what customers actually feel they’re getting. Plus, we dive into the rise of AI in business and the co-evolution of human-AI chemistry.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent.

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Featured in this episode:

Futurescape: Artificial Realities

Resonance AI Framework by Capgemini

Unilever: Creating Co...

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https://www.frog.co)  

Find episode transcripts and relevant info (https://www.frog.co/designmind/design-mind-frogcast-ep-55-what-makes-a-product-great)

Host/Writer: Elizabeth Wood, Editorial Director, frog  

Research & Story Support: Gareth Entwistle, Editorial Manager, frog 

Audio Production: Steven Strange (https://www.stevenstrange.com)

Today on our show, we’re joined by Thordur Arnason, a Vice President and Global Gen AI GTM Lead at Capgemini Invent. Thordur, a contributor to frog’s recent Futurescape report, is here to help us understand the potential impact this continuously unfolding technology can and will have in all of our lives, but more importantly, our role as designers, technologists, business leads and consumers in shaping it.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https://www.frog.co)  

Find episode transcripts and relevant info (https://www.frog.c...

On today’s episode of the Design Mind frogcast, we’re joined by Antonello Crimi, Head of Design on the West Coast, North America at frog, to talk about the shift from app-centric to language-centric technology and the potential for natural, conversation-like interactions with devices.

Antonello shares insights on how language will be used to further integrate digital touchpoints into the physical world–and how AI and natural language processing can contribute to positive mental health outcomes. Plus, Antonello tells us how a focus on quality and attention to detail has influenced the creation of a new frog t...

Today on our show, we’re sitting down with Kara Pecknold, Vice President of Regenerative Design at frog to talk about the world-changing potential that can take place when we come together and share space—whether it’s around the boardroom table the dinner table, or even nature’s table. For starters, we explore the need for new business strategies in the face of disruption, followed by a main course of the evolving role of leaders and we finish off by asking if the solution to the climate crisis could be found by looking at nature's cycles.

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Today on our show, we’re pulling up at the junction of customer experience and automotive. To drive this conversation forward, we’re joined by Christina Schehl, an Executive Vice President and Head of Germany at frog, part of Capgemini Invent. Christina brings her experience leading global CX transformation programs with top automotive brands as well as insights from her recently published thought leadership in the space. Join us as we explore innovative strategies to revolutionize customer journeys across the automotive industry. 

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https...

Today on our show, we’re talking about the creative process at a time of synthetic data and AI-powered simulations. To do this, we’re joined by Jason Severs, Head of Design for frog on the East Coast in North America. Jason is a self-identified ‘skeptical optimist’ when it comes to engaging with new tech, which is an approach he brings into all aspects of his life, from his work with teams at frog, to his own art practice, as well as to the many IoT devices in his home currently in various states of connectivity.

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Today on our show, we’re talking about what it takes to build loyalty by creating long-lasting relationships between brand and consumer. To do this, we’re joined by Christopher Baird, frog’s head of loyalty based in the UK, in conversation with Aaron Mitchell, Global VP of Membership and Personalization at The LEGO Group. Throughout their chat, the two talk about the intersection of play, people and purpose, and what that means for long-term business strategies that simultaneously create a new level of customer value.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part o...

What does it take to make your mark at the Cannes Lions festival? We asked our experts who attended the 2024 Cannes Lions to share trends and observations from their experience on the ground along the famed croisette. Live from an event in frog's London studio, we get a glimpse at the brands, campaigns and activations that made the biggest splash at 2024's premier global festival for creativity. Our guests: Kate Dale, Director of Marketing, Sport England; Bhavesh Unadkat, VP of Brand, Content and Marketing at frog UK; Sharon Jiggins, Managing Director, 23red; Tristan Cavanagh, Creative Director, 23red

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Today on our show, we’re diving deeper into last episode’s conversation on consumer responsibility. You’ll soon be listening in on a chat recorded live in London between Bhavesh Unadkat, Vice President of Brand and Marketing UK, frog; Sharon Jiggins, Managing Director, 23red, also part of Capgemini Invent; and Matt Gratze, Former Director of Digital at Signet Jewelers. Our experts share their perspectives on some of the key ways that brands can show up and take a renewed ownership of their impact. Learn how leading with responsibility can lead to fresh forms of creativity and open up new av...

Most brands will tell you they put the customer first. But how far are they really willing to go? For instance, how many companies make consumer needs priority over the fiscal bottom line? How many brands would be willing to recommend a competitor's product if it served their customer's needs better? Probably not a lot. In our newest frog report, 'The New Terms of Engagement' we explore these tensions with our guests and report authors Bhavesh Unadkat, Vice President of Brand, Marketing and Content Services UK, frog, Kerry Lee, Director of Commerce and Customer Transformation UK, frog and Christopher...

The Futurescape: a place where reality is challenged everyday by the evolution of AI, where the devices we use to measure our sense of wellness might negatively affect our health if we don't unplug every once in a while, and where our relationship with the very notion of change is constantly changing. Of course, it’s also the subject of frog’s latest report 'Futurescape: Trajectories for Tomorrow.' To dive in deeper to the report, we're joined by Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director, frog, Part of Capgemini Invent.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog...

How has world-class beauty brand L'Oréal, with 115 years of experience selling products on a global scale, transformed itself into a tech powerhouse standing beside tech giants like LG and Samsung? By ushering in the future of Beauty Tech. On this episode, we're joined by leaders from L'Oréal Groupe to talk orienting around customer needs, as well as using emerging technology like GenAI and augmented reality to power new services—all while pioneering at the crossroads of innovation and sustainability.

Our Guests: Béatrice Dautzenberg, Global Director of Beauty Tech Services, L'Oréal; Stéphane Lannuzel, Beauty...

Today on our show, we’re talking about the creative process as a fusion of art, logic and performance. To do this, we’re joined by François Nguyen, Executive Design Director in frog New York. François is a long-time frog and a very accomplished industrial designer with an extensive history in his field, working on everything from medical products to next-generation hardware across industries and even designing the iconic Beats by Dre headphones. 

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https://www.frog.co) 

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Today on our show, we’re talking about future-proofing products and services to connect the dots between creating experiences people love and contributing toward a more regenerative future for people and planet. Today’s guests, Chiara Diana, Chief Design Officer at frog and Ruth Thomson, Senior Vice President at Cambridge Consultants, will be taking us through five key challenges they’ve identified businesses face when creating transformation in a more Connected World.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https://www.frog.co)

Download the new frog report...

What if 'future' was a verb? Could that inform our approach to building a society with lasting value for people and planet? Historically, the world of innovation has emphasized the human experience, which, in most contexts, translates into being zeroed in on the needs of the end user of a product or the customer of an organization. Of course, this remains mission-critical to making things people love. But today, creating with intention requires a much broader remit. It requires expanding to include decision-making that considers societal and environmental factors. To discuss how to shift toward a more “planet-centric mindset,” we’r...

Today on our show, we’re talking about what we here at frog call the ‘Connected World.’ Connecting hardware to the internet is not exactly new at this point. But what is new is the reach our connected devices can have, the services and applications they enable, the technology behind them and the positive outcomes they can have on people and planet. To talk about the potential applications of connectivity, four strategies for success and the pitfalls to avoid, we're joined by five experts from across frog and Capgemini Invent. 

Our Guests: 

Today on our show, we’re jumping into the constantly shifting, sometimes chaotic world of social media. For those developing social media strategy for brands, these are places to tell stories, curate content, sell products and measure engagement. To talk about how to capture attention amidst all the noise while also managing to somehow be authentic on these platforms, we’re joined by two voices deeply enmeshed in this space: Laura Davies, a Senior Performance Marketing Manager at Deliveroo and Isabelle Cavanagh, Marketing Consultant here at frog.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is p...

Today on our show, we’re talking about connected products and services that perfect customer experience while driving new business value. More specifically, we’re starting with a focus on some very special members of our families: our pets. Recently, our team worked with Nestlé Purina to create an intelligent litter box system that collects and shares data about your cat’s health and wellness. Of course, this use case is just one prime example of using data and technology to improve everyday experiences and better our lives in the process. Joining us for this discussion and more today are Chi...

Today on our show, it’s time to talk shop. Malls, department stores, traditional brick-and-mortar—these are still a big part of everyday life. But even frequent in-store patrons are increasingly finding themselves buying more items online. And while that’s great when searching for exactly what you’re looking for, it does take some of the serendipity out of it all. Our guest, Brian Beitler, Founder of the video commerce platform sune and General Manager of Live Shop Ventures for Qurate Retail Group, has been thinking a lot about how to bring some of that in-store magic to online s...

At a time when how we pay for things and how we manage our money has increasingly become embedded into our everyday interactions, from using our devices for contactless payments to getting financial advice online, financial institutions are integrated into everything and yet in some ways less visible than they’ve ever been. To talk about what this means for institutions and consumers alike, we’re joined by Dan Roberts, Global Head of Business Banking for HSBC. In his role, Dan travels a lot to get perspective on financial trends around the world. Here he shares what it means to g...

Today on our show, we’re sharing the final episode of our special summer mini-series recorded live from the Cannes Lions 2023 International Festival of Creativity. frog was an official partner of the event, where we hosted a cabana along the famed croisette. What ensued was four days of programming that included on-stage panels from our sunny beachside terrace and interviews with expert guests from leading brands in our on-site recording studio.

Day Four in the frog Cabana was titled ‘End of the World vs. End of the Month,’ hosted by Kara Pecknold, frog’s Vice President of Regenera...

Today on our show, we’re bringing you the third episode in our special summer mini-series recorded live from the Cannes Lions 2023 International Festival of Creativity. frog was an official partner of the event, where we hosted a cabana along the famed croisette. What ensued was four days of programming that included on-stage panels from our sunny beachside terrace and interviews with expert guests from leading brands in our on-site recording studio.

Day Three in the frog Cabana featured conversations on the topic of ‘Expectations for a Connected World.’ At a time of eroding boundaries between realms like t...

Today on our show, we’re continuing a special summer mini-series recorded live from the Cannes Lions 2023 International Festival of Creativity. frog was an official partner of the event, where we hosted a cabana along the famed croisette. What ensued was four days of programming that included on-stage panels from our sunny beachside terrace and interviews with expert guests from leading brands in our on-site recording studio. 

Day Two in the frog Cabana, we explored the theme of ‘Creativity in the Machine Era,' exploring  the evolution of human creativity alongside new tools like generative AI, Web3 princi...

Today on our show, we’re launching a special summer mini-series recorded live from the Cannes Lions 2023 International Festival of Creativity. frog was an official partner of the event, where we hosted a cabana along the famed croisette. What ensued was four days of programming that included on-stage panels from our sunny beachside terrace and interviews with expert guests from leading brands in our on-site recording studio. 

Day One in the frog Cabana, we focused on the theme ‘Innovation in a World of Flux" and discussed everything from avoiding the pitfalls of so-called ‘innovation theater’ to real company j...

Today on our show, we’re talking about the future of banking. Or, more specifically, how the true next wave of financial services experiences are becoming so embedded into our everyday lives, such a part of everything we do, that banking may become invisible altogether. You’re going to hear a conversation between three leading voices in this space. Stephen Dury, Vice President of Financial Services for frog’s parent company Capgemini Invent, who hosts a discussion with Janine Hurt, Chief Executive Officer for Innovate Finance, and Michael Harte, Partner at United Ventures and Industry Research Fellow at MIT. The co...

Industrial design is all about inventing the future and humanizing technological innovation. Today on our show, we’re talking about designing the physical products that shape the world around us. To do this, we’re joined by Inna Lobel, award-winning designer, Creative Director, Head of Industrial Design and Interim Head of Ventures in frog’s New York studio. During her eight years at frog, her years prior at Apple and her time as a Graduate Research Assistant at MIT Media Lab, Inna has worked with some of the best and brightest on an enormous volume of design work. Now leadin...

Psilocybin–the active ingredient naturally found in psychedelic magic mushrooms–is increasingly being used to help fight what is often called ‘treatment-resistant depression’ among other mental illnesses. COMPASS Pathways is one bold healthcare venture on a mission to fight human suffering at scale using a combination of a one-time psilocybin treatment, ongoing therapy and digital tools. To discuss this new direction for mental healthcare, we are joined by COMPASS Pathways Co-Founder and Chairman, George Goldsmith, as well as Ed Bolton, Creative Director of Brand in frog London. George and his team at COMPASS Pathways worked with frog to communicate their st...

What does it take to design products people love in the world of streaming entertainment? To find out, we're joined by Sarah Lyons, streaming media leader, product executive and former Head of Product at HBO Max in conversation with Sean Rhodes, Executive Creative Director of frog North America. Sarah has worked on products that support a fanbase. The scale of HBO Max’s reach is massive–around 95 million subscribers worldwide. Sarah shares her own experience building a career in the rapidly evolving world of streaming entertainment, the new consumer trends and behaviors that are shaping the media landscape and wher...

Electric vehicles—once the domain for early adopters and the eco-conscious only—is a movement on its way to becoming a way of life for drivers all over the globe. To discuss the way our world may change in the era of recharging vs. refueling, we're joined by Melodie Hoke, Director of Product Design in frog's London studio and lead of frog's automotive practice in the UK. Melodie led a team exploring the new services, products and spaces that may emerge enabled by eMobility, and arrived at five concepts for EV futures. In this episode, we're extending our conversation on t...

Today on our show, we’re talking about the future of mobility. To tackle this topic, we’re joined by four experts in the space: Greg Lindsay, Futurist, Author and Urban Tech Fellow at Cornell Tech Jacobs Institute, Anne Junge, Head of Customer Transformation Germany at frog, Sean Rhodes, Executive Creative Director North America at frog, and Dr. Philipp Haaf, Global Head of Smart Mobility Connect at Capgemini Invent. Join us to discuss the scale of mobility innovation, from long-distance autonomous solutions to last mile delivery.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part...

We’re back for 2023! And today on our show, we’re talking about artificial intelligence and human creativity. Creative AI, also called Generative AI, is inspiring new ways of working and even thinking about the creative process. To help us unpack the implications of all this, we’re once again joined by Andreas Markdalen, Global Chief Creative Officer at frog. Back in 2015, Andreas first began speaking about the intersection of AI and design at a conference called Digital Shoreditch in London. A few years later, he again explored the topic in a presentation at Interaction 19. Next month, Andreas will again...

Today on our show, we’re diving even deeper into the world of corporate ventures for the Next Economy. To do this we’re listening in to a conversation with three experts in this space: frog’s own Ethan Imboden, VP of Design and Global Head of Ventures, Susana Jurado, Head of Telefónica’s Wayra Builder and Sohaila Ouffata, Managing Director of  BMW i Ventures in Europe. The three talk corporate venturing building, corporate venture capital, what it means to be a Next Economy business and even how to raise children in the metaverse.

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On this episode, we're shining a spotlight on a real collaboration between frog and life sciences giant Bayer. This months-long partnership was all about building and launching a new corporate venture to deliver proactive, customer-centric, data-driven self-care at scale in service of healthy aging. Told in seven chapters, you'll hear from real members of the Bayer Consumer Health and frog team, sharing their perspectives on what it takes to push a 150-year old brand into the future with new business models and methods of innovation—without jeopardizing what's made them a household name.

Guests today include leads at...

Today we’re taking a trip to a place we’re calling the ‘Futurescape': a place built on decentralized connections and thriving micro-communities, where culture is no longer bound by geographic regions and sustainable behaviors are simply an intuitive, convenient way of life. It’s also the subject of a new frog report examining evolving consumer behaviors and future business opportunities. To guide us across the Futurescape and to unpack the many forces at work shaping it today, we’re joined by Liron Reznik, Executive Strategy Director, Head of Brand Strategy and Consumer Strategy, in New York. Liron worked with a tea...

Design has earned its seat at the table. Now what? Today on our show, we feature a conversation between Andrea Sutton, VP Design Technology at American telco giant AT&T and Tim Morey, Global Managing Director at frog. Andrea and Tim are two leaders merging creative instinct and business strategy to deliver the next generation of products, services and experiences. Hear their candid discussion on scaling DesignOps in a massive organization, leading creative teams and insights from their careers in design, business and consulting.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of...

On this episode, we’re talking about transformation: one of the most commonly tossed around buzzwords in business and consulting–and arguably one of the least understood. To do this, we’re joined by Nathan Weyer, current Chief Operating Officer of Experience Design at Philips. Nathan has a long history with frog, first as a frog himself, then an alum, and now a client. He’s here to share more about what he’s learned about leading transformation initiatives in big organizations, managing creative teams and using Agile methods to align on a vision in the face of constant change.

Today on our show, we’re talking about behaviors–or, more specifically, the science behind behavior change. Behavioral science is a study of human actions that has roots in many different domains, from economics to psychology, biology and neuroscience. To talk about behaviors, we’re joined by Matt Wallaert, Head of Behavioral Science at frog and author of the book 'Start at the End: How to Build Products that Create Change.' Along with training his fellow frogs in the principles and applications of behavioral science, Matt works on multidisciplinary teams to guide clients in improving their own applied behavi...

Today on our show, we’re exploring the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Newly emerging decentralized technologies are causing a stir in the realms of art, gaming and now business strategy. But are NFTs the wave of the future or the latest passing fad? We asked artists, strategists and designers to share their perspectives on why NFTs are raising questions about ownership, identity and value. Join artist Filip Peraić and frogs Kelley Kugler, Spencer Scott and Adam Wrigley as they share their POVs on NFTs.

Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of...