How brands can innovate customer experience through design-led thinking

Customer experience (CX) is one of the key investments for businesses in 2025 as it is key to sustaining business growth. As of 2024, the APAC CX market is worth an estimated US$120 billion, with a projected annual growth rate of 15%, according to The Global State of CX 2024 by CX Network. 

To better understand consumers, brands are also looking into incorporating design-led thinking into CX. The spirit of design-led thinking focuses on placing users at the centre of the design process and CX through empathy, defining needs, and leveraging data, said Kristie Wong (pictured second left), head of APAC digital, BlackRock, during a panel discussion at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Digital Marketing Asia Hong Kong. 

This approach involves prototyping, testing, and continuously learning what works, she added. “I think that really puts into perspective how we put users at the centre of it, really to understand where they come from, what they need, and then we create the customer journey and CX, continue testing and evolve.”  

Wong took BlackRock’s recent transformation of its Australian website, which centres financial advisors in this new digital journey, as an example. While the company focuses on its mutual fund's active products, iShares offers ETFs and passive index investing. The team must understand the needs of its 15,000 financial advisors and the two million advised end investors they serve by analysing their channel experiences and CRM activities. 

“We interviewed our clients to identify their needs, then ideated solutions that would work best for them, such as a model portfolios tool and a self-service education hub. These are the concepts we created prototypes for and continued to test,” said Wong.  

The transformed website has seen significant improvements in user engagement, satisfaction, and traffic, she added.  

On the other hand, marketers must be careful not to rely solely on the science aspect, as the other half of design thinking involves the art of creativity and beginning the right mix of people together, said Andrew Cleary (pictured right), VP of global CRM and customer strategy at Mandarin Oriental, in the same panel discussion. 

“We need to be careful about being too data-led. Get the creativity flowing. And my open question is what the voice of Gen AI should be in that process to bring them into the room, but I don't want it to be the voice,” Cleary added. 

Driving ROI through "true personalisation"

When it comes to customer experience, personalisation matters, but the transition from personalised to truly personal marketing is equally important, as people are increasingly uninterested in being bombarded with continuous messages, said Cleary.  

To convert CX into return on investment (ROI), it’s essential to place the customer at the heart of a company’s strategy, which varies by industry, said Cleary. 

Taking Mandarin Oriental as an example, Cleary said being customer-centric is a natural focus in the hospitality sector. It's crucial to start with data to identify customer segments and value pools. By presenting insights into management such as how a small group of customers can significantly impact revenue, organisations can spark interest in better understanding their clientele. 

“Start with the insight. Start with the actions of things that are already within your control, and just start that mindset shift around the end customer is always at the heart of this strategy,” he added.  

Looking into the healthcare sector, Yvonne Leung (pictured second right), director of customer transformation and growth, Bupa Hong Kong, highlighted that digital cannot fully replace the need for creating a seamless experience physically, especially in operational aspects such as consumers visiting their doctors or medical professionals. 

To distinguish between productive and intrusive in crafting CX, thoughtful design of customer interactions is crucial to ensure a positive experience, said Leung. The healthcare journey requires understanding patients' health and wellness needs while providing the appropriate services and expertise for their recovery and ongoing wellbeing. 

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