The Signal - Issue No. 01
A note from Dane
Welcome to our very first newsletter! I’m genuinely excited to be sending this. Each month we’ll be sharing what’s on our minds: the ideas worth paying attention to, the work we’re proud of, and an honest take on where AI and digital are heading. No filler, just the things we think are worth your time.
Last week during a studio recording session with one of our clients, I had an unexpected and rather brilliant encounter - I bumped into none other than Ainsley Harriott, the iconic British chef and TV personality. Having grown up watching him, and having literally just caught him on TV the weekend before, it felt like a full-circle moment.
What struck me wasn't the coincidence - it was him. He clocked me looking over, and without hesitation bounded across the room to introduce himself. Warm, genuine, and utterly magnetic, he was everything you'd hope and more. When we crossed paths again later, he remembered each of our names and happily agreed to a selfie without a second thought.
It was a small moment, but it's stayed with me. Here was someone with every reason to be guarded or distracted, choosing instead to be fully present and generous with his energy - and it genuinely made my week.
It's a timely reminder for all of us: the way we show up in those small, unrehearsed moments says everything. Whether it's with a client, a colleague, or a stranger in a corridor - presence, warmth, and authenticity leave a lasting impression. Let's keep that front of mind as we head into the week
Anyway, on with it. Hope something in here is useful.
01 — The Navigator’s Take
The AI productivity trap: why busy doesn’t mean better
A new PwC study of 1,200+ executives confirms what we keep seeing on the ground: three-quarters of AI’s economic gains are flowing to just 20% of companies. The difference isn’t the tools — it’s the question they started with.
The winners asked: how do we reinvent what we do?
The rest asked: how do we do it faster?
02 — On the Horizon
Agentic AI
Teams of AI agents are replacing solo tools
The next wave isn’t a single assistant — it’s coordinated networks of agents working in parallel across complex workflows. MIT Technology Review named this their top trend of 2026.
So what: If your AI strategy is tool-by-tool, you’re building for yesterday. Orchestrating agents across an entire operation requires product thinking, not just procurement.
Enterprise Strategy
The end of the ground-up AI experiment
The best-performing companies are abandoning crowdsourced pilots in favour of top-down programmes — senior leadership picks a few high-payoff workflows and goes deep, rather than letting a thousand experiments bloom.
So what: Do you have an AI strategy, or an AI activity log?
Human-Centred Design
AI is a collaboration problem, not a technology problem
Microsoft’s 2026 trends report is clear: the future is about amplifying human expertise, not replacing it. The design challenge is figuring out who decides what — and when a human steps in.
So what: Most organisations haven’t asked these questions yet. That’s the gap.
03 — From the Deck
Dov Tombsup in Auckland
Dov Tombs has taken on the leadership of our Auckland studio and is already doing an outstanding job. His energy, judgement and care for the team make him exactly the right person to lead Journey AKL forward.
Growing our London presence
The Journey team is expanding in London as we push further into the EMEA market — an exciting moment for the studio and a sign of where we’re heading.
Journey in London — let’s meet
We’ll be attending events across London over the coming months (details TBC). If you’re at any of the same, we’d love to connect over a coffee.
Drop us a note at journey-digital.com/contact
04 — Currently Playing
What we’re listening to in the London studio
Because every good studio has a soundtrack.
Closing
Thanks for reading — it genuinely means a lot that you’re here for issue one. I hope something in here was worth your time, and that we’ve earned a spot in your inbox next month too.
Dane Tatana
Chief Executive Officer (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira)
Elevating the customer experience is Journey’s purpose. And nobody embodies that more than our managing director, Dane. A designer and CX strategist, Dane has worked with some of the most customer-obsessed brands in the world, throughout Europe, Middle East, North America and Australasia.