Is AI a magic bullet for creating an effective CX strategy, or just a quick way to alienate your customers? Well, it depends on how old they are. ChatGPT is just another in a list of AI tools the internet says will revolutionize your CX strategy. From customer data analytics to automated CMS platforms to text and voice chatbots, it can feel like AI is necessary to deliver a modern, seamless experience. Many companies respond to all this information by jumping on the AI bandwagon without fully understanding how these tools fit into their overall CX strategy. It’s easy to see how bringing AI too ..read more

You want to deliver an innovative customer experience. To zig where others zag. Dare to venture off the map. But customer-facing teams rely on many legacy assumptions in delivering services. How can you empower them to act on behalf of customers while operating in new and unfamiliar territory? You need an ethos. We were recently faced with that challenge in designing a radically new healthcare experience for men. We found that an ethos, a high-level guiding concept for how teams will serve customers, patients, or users, turned out to be a valuable tool. (The dictionary defines ethos as “the gu ..read more

When you have a vision of the future — one you know can revolutionize your organization — it’s easy to want to charge ahead with your new strategy. And if anyone doesn’t agree with you? Well, they just don’t understand. But transformative organizational change isn’t an overnight process. Trying to force it through too quickly can easily alienate your audience, and your vision will be dead in the water. Consider what happens when you try to make a personal change. When implementing new habits, is it more effective to change everything at once: a healthy diet, daily exercise, and three new hobbi ..read more

This month, both the Design Management Institute and the Service Design Network recognized our work with University Hospitals Cutler Center for Men in their annual design awards. We designed this innovative men’s health center to incentivize men to engage with their health care in new ways. From an integrated digital experience to a physical space designed to promote connection to a staff training program to create employees who are dedicated to the mission, we set out to turn the health care experience into something men actively want to engage with. Through this work, we earned second place ..read more

Design thinking is a simple practice that describes how to approach and resolve a problem in a way that puts the needs of the end user of the solution first and relies on a set of prescribed skills. While many people associate design thinking with solving an industrial or manufacturing-related challenge, the approach is very effective in solving business and strategy problems and leads to solutions that are significantly more sustainable and successful than other approaches. When we say ThoughtForm is a strategy and design consultancy, what we mean is we help our partners create viable and des ..read more

ThoughtForm is thrilled to announce that Larry Garchar has joined our team as the Director of Project Management. We sat down with Larry to chat about his career path, the moody design of speakeasies, and what you can learn from a well-timed pivot. Tell us a little bit about your background. I attained my MBA from Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh where I focused heavily on Strategy and Project Management. Prior to my MBA, I received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the University of Mount Union and PennWest Californi ..read more

ThoughtForm is happy to announce that Zoe Mollering is joining us as our newest design intern for the Fall of 2022. We sat down with Zoe to chat about innovative keyboard design and her love of illustration. Tell us a little bit about your background. I am currently in my third year at the University of Cincinnati majoring in communication design. Before college, I had more of a fine arts background, and eventually started to explore design through my love of illustration. From there, I’ve learned a love for UX-UI, typography, motion, and brand design. I am forever grateful for my professors a ..read more

“Learn something new and you’ll never be bored a day in your life”. What if the same was true for the health, vitality, and sustainability of your business? Poll a group of CEOs on their values and many will mention learning. But few actually place it front and center in their organization. Learning organizations do just that. Peter Senge of the MIT Sloan School of Management first popularized the concept of a learning organization in his book The Fifth Discipline. He describes them as places “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and ..read more

ThoughtForm is happy to announce that Ashante Dujour is joining us as our newest design intern for the Summer of 2022. We sat down with Ashante to learn more about her university experience, and what to do when you don’t have all the answers. Tell us a little bit about your background. I spent most of my high school life practicing traditional arts. So I was excited to discover and embrace the digital world as my choice to carry out creative endeavors. I recently received my BFA in Graphic Design from Howard University. Working closely with multidisciplinary artists gave me the chance to brand ..read more

ThoughtForm is happy to announce that Madeline Warshaw is joining us as our newest design strategy intern for Summer 2022. We sat down with Madeline to chat about her favorite Swedish designer, and how curiosity leads to a rewarding career. Tell us a little bit about your background. I’m currently a Master’s student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Integrated Product Design. It’s an interdisciplinary program with Wharton Business School, Weitzman Design, and Penn Engineering. In my program and beyond, I’m passionate about leveraging collaboration and design thinking to find solutions ..read more