Photo by: Zaid Ajani
In a nutshell phygital is the fusion of the physical and digital world. You certainly red articles saying that this is a new trend. Here is when phygital really started and why it is so hot.
Phygital is not really a new thing in itself. It is as old as the digital world itself. For example, if you give someone a good old Texas instrument calculator. The interaction between the user of the calculator and the information on the screen is a phygital experience. In this case the physical interface of the product is the bridge between the user and the digital interface.
The technologic evolution of the past few years has permitted us to reach a new level of phygital experience. As an example, if you try your future sunglasses thanks to the augmented reality this is a phygital experience. If you pay your ticket with your digitized credit card in the metro this is a phygital experience too. Our environement is bonding more and more with the digital world.
With the evolution of technologies like IA, AR, VR, blockchain… you can now really build this bond between physical and digital to another level. I can almost hear you thinking about what all those new possibilities. Yes, you are right the potential is amazing and will offer many new job opportunities even if AI automation is around the corner.
For example, the technology to have your personal AI shopper still needs to democratise. But many companies are currently working on it. I am sure that this is a matter of months to start seeing people using it. I have myself experienced it with a prototypes.
I also discovered a year ago that some NFT platforms were selling a digitized version of physical assets and not only art but also wine, clothing, toys and more. This is providing an amazing flexibility for business and customers.
All of those examples are just a small part of what the technology evolution has offer us and it is accelerating.
Even if we go full phygital, I like to think that phygital experience will still require from time to time the Human touch to ease it, because there is the Human in the equation. Not that the AI can’t do a lot but because of our human specificity. Human love human interaction even if it cane be scary or difficult, sometimes only a Human can understand a Human. Also some experience are not made to become phygital, it will make them lose what makes them so unique.
But who knows what the future will be. And you what do you think of Phygital?
Article by Gregoire Bessette
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2023/08/02/the-top-15-best-examples-of-phygital-customer-experiences/?sh=3c3829e72198
https://www.bringg.com/blog/product-technology/phygital-experience/
