This thesis investigates how Accenture Song can strategically design hyper-personalized digital products in response to rapid developments in malleable software. As user expectations increasingly shift toward hyper-personalized experiences, and as research shows that customization can improve efficiency, satisfaction and accessibility, Accenture Song must adapt its approach to digital product design. Malleable software enables end-users, designers and developers to adapt digital products more easily during use and development. However, most current hyper-personalization strategies remain system-driven, limiting user agency. This reveals a gap in how malleable software can support adaptive, user-centric digital products through user customization.

The aim of this thesis is threefold: to understand how malleable software can enable hyper-personalization in digital products, to explore how these tools can be embedded within the design and development process of the Design & Digital Products (D&DP) practice, and to define how Accenture Song should position itself strategically in relation to malleable software.

This project follows a diverging and converging design approach across three phases. The first phase builds contextual knowledge on current and emerging hyper-personalization strategies, resulting in eight interaction design principles for designing hyper-personalized digital products using malleable software. The second phase applies generative research methods to uncover latent customization needs of Generation Z in digital financial products. The final phase focuses on co-creation and iterative prototyping with malleable software, leading to a demonstrator, an intervention framework for D&DP’s design and development process, and a strategic and tactical roadmap for Accenture Song.

One of the key findings is that malleable software enables a shift from system-driven personalization toward user-driven customization, improving the end-user experience by increasing efficiency, accessibility and user agency. In addition, malleable software supports faster validation, concept development, ideation and co-creation within internal design and development processes, while also creating opportunities for Accenture Song to engage clients through hyper-personalized digital products and new service offerings.