Tracking dynamics between digital design agencies and clients of hybrid outsourcing in the double diamond website development process

Abstract

Background The increased insourcing of digital capabilities and the impacts of human-centered design thinking on driving innovation have caused considerable changes in the digital marketing landscape. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the dynamics between the digital design agencies and the clients for website innovation by analyzing both the client-and agency-side workflows and interactions in the Double Diamond website development process. Methods Based on the literature reviews of the agency-client relationships and design thinking approaches, case studies of two award-winning South Korean websites were conducted with an emphasis on context-aware insights from the website project journeys of real companies. The research data was collected by using both published and unpublished information and indepth interviews with key practitioners from the client companies and agencies. Then, the collected data was organized, interpreted, synthesized, and generalized through within-case and cross-case analytic processes. Results By scrutinizing client-and agency-side key tasks and roles for the website renewal projects, their workflows and interactions were identified across all phases of the expanded Double Diamond website development process (i.e., advanced research, web planning, web design and development, and test and maintenance), particularly in terms of typical themes of design thinking practices. In addition, several hands-on guidelines for successfully managing hybrid project teams were also suggested for best digital marketing practices and project optimization: planning performance-based strategic resource allocation, facilitating effective communication both internally and externally, and building trusted long-term agency-client partnerships. Conclusions These findings will help digital immigrant companies develop and manage innovative websites through successful hybrid outsourcing while keeping a long-term partnership with digital design agencies. This will also contribute to expanding the theoretical foundation and knowledge of agency-client dynamics and the design-thinking-driven website development processes by considering the real, complex context of the current digital marketing landscape.