2023 Parallax Year in Review

Another year has flown by for Parallax, but our vision still remains the same:
‍

To partner with ambitious organisations who share our values, and to deliver digital transformation that has measurable positive impact.
‍
The ambition from our clients and team has blown us away this year and we’re excited to share a selection of highlights that has made 2023 one of our busiest and most successful years yet.

Bringing the world's first internet-controlled ice bath to market

We helped people worldwide ‘get their cold on’ with an IoT solution that provided over-the-air updates for their ice baths. The cold water community is huge and our companion app is evolving in 2024 to serve those on a journey to build a stronger mind and healthier body.

Reframing the web3 space with a community-driven platform for creators

Web3 can be confusing and overwhelming, so we created a platform that helps music, art and sports fans connect with creators and invest without the web3 headache. 

Building a user-centric app with a simplified booking process

We’ve continued to innovate for CitiPark across their customer mobile app and backend systems. The flood of positive customer feedback has significantly boosted the app’s rating on both Google Play (from 2 stars to 4.4) and the Apple App Store (from 2.8 stars to 4.9).

Reshaping the wider website experience for life sciences customers

Throughout 2023, we have strengthened our partnership with SCIEX to build an extensive brand evolution. While the complete website overhaul will be a gradual process that will keep us busy in 2024, the initial transformation has already led to a significant boost in leads and revenue.

Reinventing web browsing with an innovative social media platform 

We transformed each web page into a dynamic social dialogue and managed to get Apple to approve its use as a default browser on their devices, being the only one in the UK to do so. To top it off, they’ve recently won a host of other tech awards including ‘Best Technology / Technology Product’ Talk of Manchester awards and ‘Tech Start-Up of the Year’ Prolific North awards.

AI highlights

In a world rapidly evolving under the influence of Generative AI, businesses are able to unlock new levels of efficiency and growth. However, understanding the potential of the technology and how to use it can be challenging. We’ve worked hard this year on a number of Gen AI-related projects to demonstrate that it can be a catalyst for digital transformation, if used correctly. 

Getting the answers you need with FluencyBot 

We wanted to help teams find the information they need quickly and easily with our AI-powered assistant in Confluence. FluencyBot saves staff time and money, so it can boost focus and efficiency in the areas that matter. 

Its use was pivotal in a recent global service design project we undertook, helping the team to efficiently analyse extensive research materials, workshop transcripts, and survey responses. This meant quicker, more informed decision-making, showing just how valuable FluencyBot can be for insight generation. 

Supercharging your business with our AI white paper

We developed a best-practice guide that provides deeper insights into designing, building, and launching groundbreaking AI systems. It’s a hefty 62-pager but early feedback suggests that it’s already helping businesses to reduce business costs, improve efficiencies and support vital ESG goals. 

Enhancing insurance claims with SwiftAdjust AI

Our solution focused on augmenting adjusters' capabilities, not replacing them. By automating routine document checks and simplifying claimant interactions, we minimised administrative tasks, allowing adjusters to resolve claims swiftly and accurately. More details on this approach will be released soon.

Applied AI

Our open format events were created to lead the conversation around AI and how businesses can use it successfully. We’re really proud of the growing community we are building around AI innovation and Applied AI has continued to get bigger and better throughout 2023. Applied AI will be hitting the road next year so stay tuned for announcements about our upcoming UK city tour. Here’s a rundown of what happened this year:

April 2023

Our first event took place in April 2023 as part of the Leeds Digital Festival. This was an inclusive event for people and companies to learn and explore practical uses for Artificial Intelligence. 

The event included several highlights, such as practical implementations of AI in daily life and creative explorations of AI with live demonstrations.

Speakers:

• Our very own James Hall, one of BIMA’s top 100 influential industry leaders and Parallax’s tech and AI pioneer.
• Bethan Vincent, Managing Partner at Open Velocity, blending her marketing expertise with AI insights.
• Phil Brunkard, CIO Executive Partner & Strategist at Forrester, sharing his vast experience in AI technology development.

August 2023

James Hall and Bethan Vincent returned in August 2023 for our next Applied AI event, covering the exploration of AI ethics, training and technical aspects of Artificial Intelligence. 

Other speakers:

• Jack Sails, Head of Hybrid Experience at IMA-HOME, who draws on experience in his career from a unique blend of music, live event production, innovation, and technology. 
• Reo Ogusu, Co-Founder of SeeAI, and recipient of the prestigious Global Exceptional Talent VISA, helping businesses utilise AI technologies.

November 2023

We finished up the year with our final Applied AI event covering a range of topical challenges, insights and evolvements in the AI landscape. 

Speakers:

• Andy Ingham, Experience Design Director at Parallax, discussed the evolving intersection of AI and UX Design and the shift from subtle AI integrations to direct AI-powered experiences. 
• Rebecca O’Higgins, Founder of KI-AH-NA, and lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, delivered a thought-provoking talk on how blind acceptance of technology could influence technological equality. 
• Ken Miller, CTO & Co-Founder of Panintelligence, explored Causal AI and its impact on operational efficiency, transparency and inclusive decision-making. 

Other Parallax events

In September, we were back with Leeds Digital Festival. The panel of female leaders discussed how they have harnessed AI to overcome challenges, excel in their careers, and lead with impact. Fatima Garcia (Consultant at The Data City) and Parallax’s Sophie Galpin and Millie Williamson joined forces to equip attendees with the knowledge and inspiration to level up in their roles.

James Hall also continues to share his ever-flowing fountain of knowledge as co-host of the increasingly popular HEY! Podcast's Off Script series. James and founder Josh Nesbitt explored cutting-edge topics from AI ethics to tech leadership misconceptions. Give Off Script a listen and join a growing tech community where people come together to educate and inspire.

Memorable 2023 events we attended

The first memorable event we attended (and hosted) was Stories on the Road by Storyblok. Stories on the Road is a travelling show that tours select cities in different countries to bring community members together, share valuable insight, and have a great time together! We hosted a number of interesting speakers including Harry Roberts, Phil Hawksworth and Arisa Fukusaki, and founder James Hall delivered a thought-provoking talk on mobile app pipelines. 

As part of our ongoing partnership with Hexagon on the Nexus Portal, our team made the trip out to Las Vegas for a second time to attend the global Hexagon conference HxGN LIVE. It was great to see how Nexus and Hexagon Manufacturing are transforming the future of the manufacturing industry with the modern, connected platform and portal we have built for them.

Our delivery team attended Agile Manchester to evolve and improve our agile development principles and better support our clients.

We also made it down to the AI and Big Data Expo in London to connect with and learn from other industry specialists, and celebrate the growth mindset needed for successful AI implementation. 

We’ve worked hard and played hard this year

It’s been a year of successes outside of the office too after being crowned champions at the Ascensor Cup charity football tournament, as well as taking part in the Abbey Dash 10K in support of Age UK and the Leeds 10K for the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.

Our social committee has smashed it this year with inventive ways to get together and have fun that doesn’t always mean a trip to the pub. We became ninjas for the day at Ninja Warrior UK, learnt how to Macrame, scaled the three peaks, built our own terrariums, and faced our fears at Yorkshire Scare Grounds. 

We’ve made learning a priority 

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to upskill and be the best they can be. That’s why we have made learning and knowledge-sharing a focus in 2023. We have spent a large portion of this year rebuilding and developing our progression frameworks for each role in our consultancy so we can ensure everyone is on a clear path to professional success.  

As well as huge uplift in lunch and learns where we share knowledge from all disciplines, the team have also been brushing up their knowledge in monthly professional development days and experimenting with new technologies in quarterly hack days where teams have a day to create something entirely different. 

We have been continuing to support young talent with our academy initiative and work experience opportunities. This has helped students work alongside and gain knowledge from likeminded people from juniors right through to directors. We also returned to Boston Spa Academy for another full-day workshop as part of BIMA Digital Day, putting the potential of digital careers in front of young minds.

And the growth continues…

There's no doubt that this has been a huge year of change for Parallax as we have transitioned into a strategic digital consultancy. However, just like there’s no end-point to digital transformation, there’s also always room to grow, evolve and improve as a business too.

We’re always keen to get better and that starts with listening to the team around us. We hold regular continuous improvement drop-in clinics and invite everyone to share their ideas to help us be better. 

We want to share the highs and lows of the business and performance with our people and keep them fully in the loop with everything that’s going on behind the screens. This year, we have begun holding quarterly finance updates and bi-annual "all-hands" sessions to keep our direction as a business (and team) aligned.

We don’t just listen to what our people say, we use that feedback to create the change our team wants to see. We send out quarterly eNPS surveys to monitor our employee satisfaction and gather feedback for improvement which we're proud to say we recently ranked in the "Excellent" band. We then report on the improvements we’ve made in quarterly ‘people updates’ to show our team that we’re not just listening, we’re actively responding to their feedback. 

Here are just some of the changes we’ve made this year:

• Increased holiday entitlement 
• Introduced an enhanced maternity policy
• Rolled out a new tech scheme, saving up to 12% when buying new tech gear
• Offered a new employee perk for gym memberships
  ‍

As we reflect on a transformative 2023, we're really proud of the milestones achieved and the growth we've experienced at Parallax. From innovative digital solutions to groundbreaking AI advancements, our journey this year has been marked by significant client successes, enriching partnerships, and a deepened commitment to technological excellence. 

Looking ahead, we're excited to embrace 2024 with a renewed sense of purpose and vision. With our team's relentless drive and the continued support of our clients and community, we're ready to tackle emerging challenges, and set even higher standards of digital innovation. 

And with that, we hope you all have a great Christmas. See you in 2024.