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Accenture’s Accenture’s Fjord Fjord adds adds edge edge to to the the Toronto Toronto team team
ccenture is opening up a studio ccenture is opening up adesign studio for its innovative Fjord for its in innovative design brand Toronto. Fjord But don’t brand Toronto. But team don’t look tointhe new Fjord look the new Fjordredesign team for a to simple website for a simple website or an app refresh. According toredesign Scott or an app refresh. According Scott Weisbrod, the studio lead andtoGroup Weisbrod, the studio leadcharged and Group Service Design Director with Service Design Director chargedthat’s with just setting up the Toronto location, setting location, that’s just a small up parttheofToronto what Fjord’s all about. a small part of what Fjord’s all about. “You want to hire Fjord to help you “You want tohairy hire Fjord to help with the big, problem that you seems with the big,tohairy problem that seems impossible solve,” he explains. impossible to solve,” “We see a demand forhe theexplains. services “We a demand for Accenture.” the services Fjordsee provides within Fjord provides within Accenture.” When Accenture acquired Fjord in 2013, When Accenture in be 2013, the idea was that acquired the wholeFjord would the idea was that the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts. Seen greater than brand the sum the parts. Seen as an iconic in of design thinking as an iconic brand in design thinking and service design, Fjord was an ideal and service for design, Fjord was an ideal acquisition Accenture, which helps acquisition for Accenture, which helps the world’s biggest and best-known the world’s biggest and best-known organizations find digital solutions to organizations findtransform digital solutions to drive growth and businesses. drive It doesgrowth this forand alltransform industriesbusinesses. working It does its thisstrategy, for all industries working across consulting, digital, across its strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations divisions. technology and operations divisions.
sleek and modern office equipped with sleek and modern office equipped an innovation centre, relaxed workwith an innovation centre, relaxed work spaces and “telepresence” meeting spaces “telepresence” meeting rooms, and which allow participants to rooms, allow participants beam inwhich from around the world. to beam in from around the world. Accenture and its Fjord team are Accenture and its Fjord team aresome setting an example as they help setting an example they help some of Canada’s biggestasand best known of Canada’s biggest and best known organizations find digital solutions organizations find solutions to drive growth anddigital transform to drive growth and transform their businesses. “We’re not just their businesses. “We’re notalljust consultants, we implement the way consultants, weBill implement the way through,” says Morris, all Senior through,” Bill Morris, Senior Managing says Director and Canadian Managing Director and Canadian President of Accenture. “That makes President of Accenture. Fjord an especially good“That fit.” makes Fjord an especially good fit.” According to Weisbrod: “Fjord is According Weisbrod:and “Fjord known as atotrailblazer, thenisyou known as a trailblazer, then you layer Accenture on top and of us, it puts layer Accenture on top of us, it puts us on a whole different playing field.” us a whole different playing field.” Theonnew studio, which will comprise The new studio, which will comprise some 20 people at first, is still staffing some people at first,ofisroom still staffing up and20there is plenty for up and there plenty of room for growth. Fjordishas 20 design studios growth. Fjord has and 20 design studios around the world, the biggest around and theemployees. biggest have in the the world, range of 100 have in the range of 100 employees. So what are some of the big, So what are some of the big, hairy problems Accenture’s hairy problems Accenture’s Fjord team addresses? Fjord team addresses? Well, says Weisbrod, “Companies “Companies might Well, “Companies “Companies might might says comeWeisbrod, to Fjord and ask, might come to Fjord and ask, ‘How do we immerse ourselves come to Fjord and ask, ‘How do we of immerse ourselves come to Fjord and ask, in the world consumers?’” in the world of consumers?’” ‘How do we immerse Weisbrod sees two major trends ‘How do we immerse Weisbrod sees two major trendsof – number one, the digitization ourselves in the world –everything, number one, digitization ourselves in the world andthe number two, a of massive everything, and number two, a massive shift in consumers’ expectations of of consumers?’” shift in consumers’ expectations of of consumers?’” brands. Just as the world of entertainment brands. Just as the world of entertainment – Scott Weisbrod, has been transformed by digital so it Scott Weisbrod, has transformed digital sohealth it Group– Service Design Director will been revolutionize the by finance and Group and Service Design Director will revolutionize the finance and health Studio Lead industries, your home and your car. and Studio Lead industries, your home and your car. Consumers’ expectations are no longer Consumers’ expectations are no longer shaped just by direct competitors but shaped just by direct competitors but by what Weisbrod calls “perceptual Part of Accenture Interactive, the Fjord by what Weisbrod calls “perceptual Part the Fjord competitors.” Digital products and teamof ofAccenture designers Interactive, and developers competitors.” Digital away products and team of designers andresources developers services are chipping at the have access to global as services are chipping awaybusinesses at the have access to globalthat resources as foundations of traditional well as assignments are many foundations of traditional businesses well as 0909_9.25x1.75_FjordCanada_AccAd assignments that is arelocated many at copy.pdf 1 11/6/15 10:10 like banks. Weisbrod cites,AM as an and varied. Their studio 0909_9.25x1.75_FjordCanada_AccAd copy.pdf 1 11/6/15 like banks. Weisbrod10:10 cites,AMas an and varied. Their studio is located at example, U.S.-based Acorns.com, Accenture’s Toronto headquarters, a example, U.S.-based Acorns.com, Accenture’s Toronto headquarters, a
Fjord’s Fjord’s Toronto Toronto studio studio brings brings Living Living Services Services and and innovative innovative design design thinking thinking to to Canada. Canada.
Fjord’s studio lead scott Weisbrod and his team solve “big, hairy problems” Fjord’s studio lead scott Weisbrod and his team solve “big, hairy problems”
3,476 3,476 full-time staff full-time staff in Canada in Canada
61 61
charities helped charities helped last year last year
an app which promises “lowering an which promises by “lowering theapp barrier to investing letting its the barrier invest to investing by letting its customers their spare change customers invest their spare change into diversified portfolios.” into diversified portfolios.” “It’s showing how easy it can be, and “It’s showing how easyhe it can be, and shifting expectations,” explains. shifting expectations,” he explains. “People ask, ‘Why doesn’t my “People ask, ‘Why doesn’t my bank have a service like that?’” bank have a service like that?’” So-called experiential competitors So-called competitors don’t evenexperiential have to be in the same don’t have to be in the same line ofeven business. Consumers familiar line Consumers familiar withof thebusiness. frictionless service provided with the frictionless provided by Uber, disruptor ofservice taxi and limo by Uber, disruptor of same taxi and limo companies, want the standard companies, wanttheir the same standard of service from telco or bank. of service from their telco or bank.
5,875 5,875 staff volunteer staff hoursvolunteer last year hours last year
49 49
years, longestyears, longestserving employee serving employee
“We approach human problems with “We human with heartapproach and empathy. Weproblems try to understand heart We says try toWeisbrod. understand users and and empathy. their needs,” users and their needs,” says clients Weisbrod. Oftentimes, Fjord will help make Oftentimes, clients make life easier forFjord theirwill ownhelp employees. It life easier their own employees. might, for for example, “create a portal It to might, for be example, “create ainportal help them more effective daily to help be more effective daily tasksthem and routines,” explainsin Weisbrod. tasks and is routines,” explains Weisbrod. The goal to have maximum impact The is to have as maximum on asgoal many people possible.impact on as many people as possible. For Accenture and Fjord, says Morris, For Fjord,time saysfor Morris, “thisAccenture is a reallyand exciting us and “this is a really exciting time for and our people, because they want to us change our people, they and wantlives.” to change the way the because world works the way the world works and lives.”