Nihilent, a global consulting and solutions integration company, opened its first user experience (UX) lab on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa – the only other such facility outside India and second globally.
According to a statement issued by the company, the Lab is "an ideal setting to innovate, drive a deeper understanding of customers and build products and services that create an emotional connect with the users."
The company's statement reads: "The lab uses a patented design thinking framework and analytical tools to identify cognitive, and emotional triggers as well as non-verbal modalities of user experience with the goal of further humanising the interaction between users and technology. The lab is home to multidisciplinary teams of right and left-brain professionals working closely with customers to continually enhance user experience.
According to Nihilent the facility caters to all types of businesses and verticals B2B and B2C for product/content validation, driving projects, facilitating design workshops and bringing to market the next big disruption.
Jeremy Ord, Nihilent Chairman, said, "We are thrilled to have chosen South Africa for our second UX Lab in the world. We believe South Africa has the skills base to support our vision for the lab. South Africa's emerging economy has tremendous growth potential and we are fully equipped to offer innovative products and services to our customers in the region."
The company believes the massive adoption of digital technologies, exponential increase in connected individual and devices has given rise to a new type of economy.
"Millennials today hold the potential purchasing power and are spending more on experiences rather than just services. Fueling this economic shift is social media – a medium that lets everyone showcase and share their experiences, making these moments tangible and worth returning for. The experience economy is one of the biggest and most significant global trends that reflects consumers' changing attitudes and expectations," the company stated.
LC Singh, Nihilent Executive Vice Chairman said, "If you want to build brand affinity for either product or services, you need to give customers an experience, something memorable they can connect with and relate to. In a hyper-connected world, that's your currency."
The Lab was inaugurated by South Africa's Minster of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan.
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