Located in the IBM Southbank location on the banks of the River Thames, the Studio will be the hub of IBM Design in London and will host local teams from IBM Interactive Experience, the largest digital agency in the world; IBM Marketing Innovation Group, which enables digital discovery and marketing to build new engagement models; as well as local IBM product designers.

Teams in IBM Studio London will collaborate on projects to support the global demand for data-driven experiences. Nearly twenty IBM Studios around the world have already produced innovations including a machine-to-machine connected car platform; IBM Bluemix, the open platform that enables developers to rapidly build, deploy, and manage their cloud applications; and IBM Verse, which re-imagines email for the age of analytics and cognitive computing.

IBM Studio London will be a space for clients in industries such as healthcare, financial services, and retail to work side by side with IBM consultants, researchers, digital marketing, and experience-design experts to analyze business challenges and integrate next-generation mobile, social, analytics, and cloud technologies.

"Today's most successful companies have design embedded in their DNA," said John Mathers, CEO, Design Council. "Good-quality design improves people's lives and creates value for businesses. This is why we work to bring the design and business communities together and help to develop the skills that are a vitally important to our economy. We support and encourage companies such as IBM that recognise and value the importance of design, bringing it into the heart of what they do."

IBM Studio London represents the new world of work and a model environment for co-located, creative cross-functional teams. User experience design and personalization are driving digital engagement and product development at IBM, as exceptional customer experiences create value for IBM clients.

IBM Design applies the principles of IBM Design Thinking, which takes a rapid prototyping approach to user-centric product development, as well as IBM Design Language, a framework to inspire bold and engaging experiences.

"London is a creative epicenter that now boasts a powerful digital economy," said Matt Candy, European Leader, IBM Interactive Experience. "IBM Studio London will bring exceptional digital experiences to our exceptional digital city, where some of our most forward-looking clients reside. Through the IBM Studios we are transforming the client experience of our products and services and how the company engages with the world at large."