TAG Weekly Roundup #6

Editor's Note

This week we explore the delivery of authentic value through understanding genuine customer needs. From Rory Sutherland's insights on crafting the perfect Guinness 0% experience to Jeff Staple's tale of creating cultural resonance through thoughtful design choices.

The theme - success isn't about the obvious solution, it's about recognising what truly matters to your stakeholders and delivering beyond expectations.

📻News

Adding Value by Understanding Real Customer Needs

Rory Sutherland's lesson on customer experience reveals how Guinness 0% succeeds by refusing to compromise on quality. Rather than creating a lesser alternative, they recognised that customers wanted the full experience without alcohol. 

Now, Guinness 0% is a splendid pour, the extra value in this case, comes from understanding that adding the head from the main tap, transforms an alcohol-free drink into an authentic experience.

In the BA world, this translates as: 

1. Understanding the genuine stakeholder need, then

2. Delivering value that exceeds their expectations. 

Customers / Stakeholders want authenticity, not just functionality. 

🧰Tools

Gemini Storybook - AI Powered Visual Communication

Google's latest feature creates personalised illustrated storybooks from simple text prompts. 

Generate 10-page stories with custom artwork in multiple styles—pixel art, comics, even colouring books!

Beyond bedtime stories, this opens intriguing possibilities for BA workflows: 

• Turning complex requirements into visual narratives

• Creating stakeholder communication materials, or

• Illustrating process flows for non-technical audiences

The ability to transform written concepts into engaging visual stories could revolutionise how we present findings to diverse stakeholder groups.

📽️Video

Cultural Resonance Through Thoughtful Design Choices

Jeff Staple's Nike Pigeon tail reveals the power of understanding your audience deeply rather than appealing to everyone.

When Nike asked him to design a New York City Dunk, his team suggested obvious choices—Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, subway themes. Staple insisted on the pigeon.

His reasoning was brilliant: "If you got it, I failed at my job. You guys live in Oregon—you're not supposed to get it."

He wanted to create something specifically for New Yorkers that would resonate authentically with their experience, not tourists or outsiders.

The February 2005 release sparked a riot requiring the NYPD, weapons were dropped by desperate buyers, and it made front-page news—permanently putting sneaker culture on the global map. 

This principle transforms BA practice: the most effective solutions often come from deeply understanding your specific organisational culture rather than implementing generic best practices.

The Reality of AI-First Development

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke delivers an uncompromising message: "Engineers should embrace AI or get out of engineering." 

Other insights I took from the video include:  

1. Shopify's MCP UI solutions now allow AI agents to return fully interactive components, whilst

2. Cohere North offers comprehensive workflow management and

3. Graphy enables AI-powered visualisation creation - https://graphy.app/ 

Till next week.