12 May 2022

Digital agency internships

We're pleased to announce that our summer internship programme has re-opened after a 2 year Covid induced hiatus. 

We're committed to helping the next generation of digital superstars get a foothold in the industry so if you're thinking of applying please check out our careers page to see what's on offer.

We interviewed super-talented design student Léna Paleczny about her experience of moving over from l'Ecole de Design in France to join our Creative Team in London for her placement back in 2019, in a pre-Covid world.

We're looking forward to welcoming the next generation of digital superstars in 2022!

What made you want to work with us?

Since I only had work experience in a really small design agency in Nantes, I wanted to take advantage of this new 4-month internship to discover how a larger award winning agency works. It was also a way to work with a full team, from Project Managers to Developers.

I got really enthusiastic looking at Catch clients: Bodyshop, SES, Vistaprint. But what really made me want to send my resume was to see that they were carrying their own projects driven by the willing to design intuitive and user-friendly services.

What also made me want to work with Catch is the fun atmosphere. One of the biggest clichés about British people is their awful sense of humor. Then I discovered the Game of Thrones chatbot and I felt relieved: Catch took time to design a pop culture based service and even made it funny and useful. 

What did you work on?

During those 4 months, I had the chance to work on a new SaaS product, including UI, UX and data visualization. I also worked for the world-leading satellite operator SES, re-designing a 3D platform to discover the coverage of SES satellites.

I was also trusted to add my creative touch to other projects like Bodyshop, Vistaprint, University of Salford.

What did you learn?

Because of the great diversity of projects I have worked on, I improved a lot of different skills like UI, a lot of UX, but also data visualization, interaction design, animations etc. The Catch team gave me the opportunity to present my work directly to clients, teaching me useful tips on how to go showcase my work.

As a French native, I also learned a lot about British culture and British daily expressions, we even created a collection of professional lingo.

What was it like being in the studio?

The team always makes your work days funnier, without giving up on efficiency. Friday catch ups are the best: you discover what everyone has been working on during the week, with some Prosecco and vinegar crisps.

What was the highlight?

The Christmas party of course! The Catch team never miss an opportunity to enjoy great food and handmade cocktails. 

What’s next?

My year is going to be busy: I will continue my Master's degree working on Tangible Interfaces at l'Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique. After my studies, I am willing to begin my career as a UI/UX designer and work with teams as great and open-minded as Catch!

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28 Oct 2020

Future-proofing your tech stack

We recently completed a piece of digital consulting to help a global technology company understand best practices in terms of tech stacks for B2B organisations, upcoming consolidations in marketing software tools, and how their current tech stack needed to adapt to support their business goals.

Our work was organised into three parts:

1. Outlining of what the future technology stack of an advanced B2B company will look like, with a particular focus on CRM and Webshop items

2. Presenting an overview of what kind of developments and market consolidation of tools to expect in the coming years

3. Providing personalised recommendations on technology to integrate into the organisation's existing tech stack

Within the space of tech-enabled transformation, and its potential to positively impact B2B organisations, there are three main factors you should consider when adopting new digital tools. 

  1. The impact of a rapidly changing workforce

    • As the millennial workforce grows, the ability to adopt new tech and not shy away from automating tasks is more important than ever in attracting and retaining talent.

  2. Faster moving ecosystems of customers and suppliers

    • Adopting new tech is not only a factor among your potential workforce, but also among your users (expectations for high quality UX) and partners (“...they will prefer to engage and partner with innovative organisations”).

  3. Digital disruptors and the need to reimagine operations

    • The potential for an economic slowdown is a factor in favor of embracing new tech that supports your future business objectives and sets you apart from the competition.

Estimates suggest that B2B organisations could generate over $1 Trillion in value through embedding the use of digital technologies, analytics, and the Internet of Things into their operations. Simply put, the impact of smart investing should be considered by organisations who aim to be competitive in the market as more people are being convinced of its benefits.

Estimates suggest that B2B organisations could generate over $1 Trillion in value through embedding the use of digital technologies, analytics, and the Internet of Things into their operations.

Now, where to start? There are five main areas where digital transformation can be applied to enhance your organisation's productivity.

  1. Running the corporation
    1. Modernising finance function
    2. Optimising workforce (HR)
    3. Building scalable tech infrastructure (data security)
  2. Innovating and Developing Products/Services
    1. Updating business models with data 
    2. Enhancing R&D processes
  3. Making and Delivering
    1. Optimising procurement
    2. Improving forecasting capabilities
    3. Improving manufacturing and distribution outlets
  4. Selling
    1. Improving digital marketing performance
    2. Optimising the UX
    3. Adopting IoT updates at dealers and retailers
  5. Servicing 
    1. Managing customer demand
    2. Optimising and managing production
    3. Delivering high quality UX

While these areas have been isolated into five sections, and your needs as an organisation may not encompass all of these, studies have shown that 50% more value was generated by companies that took a comprehensive approach to transformation as opposed to those who focused solely on single technology improvements.

This means getting down to the core of your business needs. For example, mapping how the results of the technology, more than the technology itself, supports your overarching business strategy. 

And there’s no better time then now.

The above graph, taken from a McKinsey study entitled “Tech-enabled Transformation: A CEO’s guide to maximizing impact in industrials,” reveals a correlation between an updated and efficient tech stack and an increase in revenue, gross margin, and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), relevant to the speed in which organisations adopted new technology.

Source: McKinsey Report, Tech-enabled transformation

Ultimately, an effective tech stack is in line with both business and user goals. Not just about what it can do for internal processes, but also how it can support the user. Bringing a user experience perspective to your strategy will help improve both sales and marketing performance

Below are three main areas where Catch can help guide you in this process:

1. Take inventory of your current tech-stack and identify opportunities for improvement

  • We’ve created an outline to walk clients through that includes a series of questions organisations must ask themselves if they want to find the best way to incorporate new technology into their processes. 

2. Mapping out both internal (employee experience) and external (user experience) user journeys to isolate areas for consolidation or addition of tools/services 

  • We bring an objective outlook to the table, which is key to unlocking the full potential of your digital transformation project. 

3. Securing buy-in across your organisation by showing examples of proven success

  • Digital transformation is as much about the technology as it is about the people who support and use it every day. A digital transformation project without securing buy-in from all levels of the organisation will not succeed. 

Get in touch to learn how Catch can facilitate an online workshop to help finalise your tech stack decisions and provide support with performance monitoring through custom reporting.

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0207 494 3554
or
newbiz@catchdigital.com