This year’s SXSW brought together some of the brightest minds in technology, design, and innovation. Across the diverse sessions over the course of a thrilling week, some recurring themes emerged, including the evolution of AI from tool to collaborator, the growing fusion of biology and technology, and the significant strides in sustainability and healthcare.

We asked what stood out for Rich, Nadine, and Andy, who all attended the festival this year.

Rich’s Insights: CX trends and AI-powered workspaces

Surprise, surprise! Our Design Partner, Rich, aligned his observations with ongoing trends in customer experience (CX). As a CX and UX expert, Rich has spent years analysing how technology shapes customer experiences, digital interfaces, and workplace environments. Here’s what he noticed:

Future service mapping → AI that gets things done
AI is evolving into an independent decision-maker. With advancements in agentic AI and living intelligence, these systems can now sense, learn, and adapt in real time rather than simply responding to commands.

Future interface → AI that adapts to us
Generative UI could revolutionise user interfaces by allowing natural interactions like text, speech, and/or gestures that adapt to users’ tone and context. Although still nascent, this holds immense potential for upcoming platforms and products that are embracing AI.

Future workplace → smarter offices and digital twins
Workspaces are becoming dynamic, AI-driven environments. Digital twins will not only optimise layouts and schedules but also enhance physical conditions like lighting and air quality. It’s about the way we work and our working environment as much as it is about the work itself.

Here's what Rich had to say: “AI is becoming more proactive, responsive, and seamlessly integrated into both our digital and physical environments. The future of CX, UX, and service design is shifting toward hyper-intelligent, anticipatory systems. AI will not only respond to user needs, but it will also predict and fulfil them before users even ask.”

 

Nadine's Perspective: advocating for sustainable tech and design

Nadine Clarke, Strategy Partner at Tangent, not only attended SXSW 2025 but also co-presented a session alongside iF Design. The session, entitled "Create, Code, Conserve: Digital Design for a Circular Future,” delved into the environmental costs of our digital world, emphasising the significant energy consumption of emerging technologies and advocating for the application of circular economic principles to "design out" digital pollution.

Naturally, Nadine's own talk can be referenced a highlight, one you can learn more about here, Nadine’s most valuable takeaways come mostly from MIT, including:

Generative AI Search represents the biggest shift in decades
Search as we know it is changing. AI-powered search engines won’t just find information—they’ll synthesise it, fundamentally altering SEO, content discovery, and brand visibility.

Small language models allow for AI that is task specific and private
Unlike massive AI models, small language models are faster, cheaper, and more private, allowing businesses to fine-tune AI on their own data—and soon, even run them on personal devices.

“Green Steel” is reinventing its industry
Steel production is one of the biggest carbon emitters, but Swedish firms are pioneering cleaner production methods. With the industry projected to grow 30% by 2050, sustainable alternatives could reshape global supply chains.

Breakthroughs in HIV Prevention
A long-acting HIV prevention drug is proving 100% effective in clinical trials. Instead of daily pills, a single injection every six months could dramatically cut new infections worldwide.

Robotaxis!
Yes, they’re real! And they’re scaling in the Middle East, China and the US – in fact, Austin had self-driving taxis (Waymo) which, when at our fingertips, was impossible to resist. See below!

Here’s what Nadine had to say: “As a strategy consultant and digital practitioner, SXSW is, for me, about understanding the bigger picture - how emerging technologies shape businesses, industries, and the world at large. For businesses, the sustainability conversation can’t be an afterthought - it needs to be a strategic imperative, and not just with reference to design practices. The intriguing challenge now? Seeing which of these trends will scale, and which will stall."

 

Andy’s takeaways: design, quantum and emerging tech

Andy, our CTO, has a passion, both personally and professional, for emerging technologies, AI, and computational advancements – it comes with the territory as a CTO! At SXSW 2025, he zeroed in on the breakthroughs that are set to redefine not just digital experiences but the very fabric of how technology integrates with our lives. Andy shared a mix of design insights and cutting-edge technologies as his highlights, including:

Design in Tech Report 2025

• MCP (Model Context Protocol): This AI protocol, akin to HTTP for the internet, could standardise AI interactions.
• Sesame.com: A groundbreaking AI voice service worth exploring.

Quantum Computing - D-Wave's latest advancements make quantum computing more accessible, offering a Python toolkit to experiment with their 5,000+ Qubit chip which is now available on Google Cloud Platform.

Emerging Tech Trends (Amy Webb) - AI is merging with biology, creating programmable matter. Innovations like bio-hybrid robots, brain-computer interfaces, and “spermbots” (yes, that’s real!) demonstrate the fusion of life and technology we’re seeing emerge stronger than ever before.

Scott Galloway’s Predictions for 2025 - The global economy is tilting toward Europe, with rising defence spending driving growth. European stocks are poised to outpace the US in the coming years… Or are they?

Here’s what Andy had to say: “The intersection of AI, quantum computing, and biology is redefining what’s possible, blurring the lines between technology and life itself. The boundary between software, biology, and the physical world is dissolving. From AI-driven design to quantum breakthroughs and living machines, we’re entering an era where technology is no longer just digital - it’s alive.”

 

Our summary

From AI that senses and evolves to breakthroughs in sustainability and healthcare, SXSW 2025 showcased the relentless pace of innovation, including but not limited to:

• The evolving role of AI: AI is no longer just a tool - it’s a partner in decision-making and action.
• The integration of biology and tech: From wearable neurons to hybrid robots, the line between life and tech continues to blur.
• A big push for sustainability: From green fuels to methane-reducing innovations, the urgency of climate action is driving technological progress.

These trends point toward a future where technology is smarter, more adaptive, and increasingly intertwined with both the environment and ourselves. See you next year SXSW!