Making strategic decisions crucial to your business success can be difficult in today’s digital economy. With so much information readily available, it can be tough to determine what’s relevant and what isn’t.
However, there’s one non-digital trend that’s been proven to succeed time and time again in today’s digital environment. Learn from this non-digital trend and give your business the best chance for success.
Digital Detox Camps Can Teach Us About Digital Innovation
Digital detox camps have become a norm for those seeking to disconnect from their digital devices and clear their minds. These retreats offer a chance to reset and recharge away from the constant barrage of notifications, emails, and social media updates.
While some may view these camps as a way to escape the modern world, they can teach us a lot about how to be successful in today’s digital economy.
Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs And The Modern, Digital Person
Rest And Relaxation
Digital detox camps are rooted in the belief that humans must relax and decompress to fulfil their safety and health needs, as outlined in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Unwinding and relaxing are impossible to do when we’re plugged in 24/7. Digital detox camps are successful because they allow us to rest and uncompress.
New Experiences
Digital detox camps improve the entertainment value of meeting new people and having new experiences.
People discover a sense of belonging at these camps. Social interaction creates a sense of community and helps one develop a better version of self (self-actualisation).
Love and belonging are two basic human needs we can only address through social interaction. Happier, fulfilled people are more open to new ideas and experiences.
Face-To-Face Interactions
Finally, digital detox camps are built around a primary mode of interaction that people have been using for centuries: face-to-face conversation.
So, digital detox camps teach us about the power of face-to-face interactions and human connection. In a world where we constantly interact with screens, it’s easy to forget the importance of in-person interactions.
We can use this same concept in our digital businesses by creating spaces where people can come together, relax, and have conversations. These spaces can be used to cultivate new relationships and build a sense of community.
While this may seem counterintuitive, it speaks to the same success factors in our Digitlab humancentric model. Our humancentric model is based on the belief that humans are the most crucial aspect of our business.
At its core, this model is about understanding and empathising with people. It’s about connecting with them on a deeper level to create lasting relationships.
Learning from the success of digital detox camps can give you the edge you need to thrive in today’s ever-changing landscape.
Even Google Puts People First
One of the most successful companies in the world, Google, has made people their primary focus. In fact, its mission statement is “to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
They’ve been so successful because they understand that people are at the heart of everything they do. Their products are designed with people in mind. They constantly innovate to make the user experience better.
For instance, Google recently launched the “helpful content update”. This update is part of a broader effort to improve user experience. The goal is to provide searchers with more helpful and informative content that addresses their needs.
The update aims to reward publishers who put people first and produce high-quality content helpful to users. To do this, Google will look at several factors, including engagement data and time spent on a page.
This update is just one example of how Google puts people first in everything they do. It’s something that all businesses, from startups to established enterprises, can learn from.
At the end of the day, it’s not about technology or platforms or any of that. It’s about people. And if you want to succeed in the digital economy, you must put them first.
Does Putting People First In A Digital Economy Make Sense?
Analysts often measure the value of humancentric design against traditional business metrics. IBM has collected the following data that provide some insight into how humancentric design positively impacts business:
- Organisations that put people first have a 32% higher revenue than traditional businesses.
- Humancentric organisations deliver outcomes twice as fast as conventional businesses.
- Humancentric companies can build products that people love. This leads to brand loyalty and customer advocacy.
How To Apply A People-First Approach To Digital Innovation
Below are tips on how you can apply a people-first approach to digital innovation in your business:
Establish A Human-First Organisation
Contrary to popular belief, succeeding in the digital economy isn’t a race for cutting-edge technology.
It’s a race for understanding what people want and need and how they interact with others and technology. This is what we call a humancentric approach to innovation.
To succeed, you need to put people at the centre of everything you do. This means understanding their needs, wants, and motivations. Only then can you design products and services they’ll love and use.
Make sure that your team is aligned with your humancentric mission. Hire people who are passionate about making a difference in the world. And empower them to come up with new ideas and solutions.
A humancentric organisation:
- Focuses on creating better experiences for customers and employees.
- Uses customer feedback to drive innovation.
- Encourages employee creativity and collaboration.
- Empowers employees to make decisions.
- Communicates openly and transparently.
- Intentionally, actively embeds these principles in their culture.
Create Experiences
Great artists, designers, and storytellers have always understood that human connections are crucial to success. Marketers are only now catching up. They use experience design to create messages that meet the emotional needs of their customers.
Instead of giving people things to buy, they create experiences that people enjoy.
Humancentricity is the future of marketing, and it’s something that all businesses need to start doing if they want to succeed in the digital economy.
Frank Chimero, a designer who works with top consumer and technology brands, once wrote, “People ignore design that ignores people.”
Think about the customer journey and how you can make it more enjoyable. What kind of emotions do you want your customers to feel? How can you use design to create those emotions?
Design Authentic Connections
People are looking for authentic connections in an increasingly digital and impersonal world. They want to do business with companies that share their values and care about making a difference.
To create authentic connections, you need to be transparent about who you are and what you stand for. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Be real. Be genuine. Be authentic.
People can see through inauthenticity, and it’ll damage your reputation. Being authentic will help you build customer trust and create lasting relationships.
