What is Phygital? Designing Experiences that Blur the Real and Digital Worlds
3 min read
The line between physical and digital is no longer clear. In 2025, the concept of phygital — blending the physical and digital into seamless experiences — is redefining how brands engage with customers.
Where once physical experiences ended at the store counter or event booth, and digital lived on websites and apps, phygital design combines the two. The result? Journeys that are more connected, personalised, and immersive than ever before.
Services
Design, Events, Strategy
Written by
Sandy Tsindos
From Channels to Continuums
Phygital is not just about QR codes on posters or augmented filters on apps. It’s about building continuous experiences that bridge offline and online worlds.
According to Gartner, by 2027, over 40% of large retailers will adopt phygital technologies like AR shopping, digital twins, and interactive packaging to enhance the customer journey (Gartner, 2024). Meanwhile, Mastercard research shows 77% of global consumers expect retailers to integrate digital tools into physical spaces to improve convenience and personalisation (Mastercard, 2024).
What Clients Are Asking For
- Smart Retail Spaces: Stores augmented with AR mirrors, interactive shelves, and digital loyalty layers that personalise experiences on the spot.
- Event-to-Digital Journeys: Physical activations extended into digital platforms, allowing audiences to continue the experience beyond the venue — from NFT collectibles to XR after-parties.
- Connected Products: Packaging and physical goods embedded with scannable, interactive digital layers — unlocking tutorials, exclusives, or community content.
Designing for Impact
The best demos balance simplicity with depth. They strip away jargon and complexity without losing substance, focusing on clear outcomes: how this solution solves my problem, in my context.
At Charles Elena, we design demos as experience-first tools – blending strategy, storytelling, AI capabilities, and design craft to help brands cut through at critical events. Our demos are a destination, anchoring the brand’s presence long after the event ends.
Designing for Phygital
The challenge for agencies is to think holistically: phygital is not two worlds colliding, but a single ecosystem of touchpoints. Great design makes the transition invisible, guiding customers fluidly between in-person and digital interactions.
At Charles Elena, this means approaching campaigns with a blended mindset: designing environments where screens, sensors, and storytelling work together to create a unified brand experience.
Why Phygital Matters Now
Phygital isn’t a passing trend — it’s a response to consumer demand for experiences that feel both human and connected. In a world where people want the immediacy of digital and the authenticity of physical, phygital is the bridge.
For brands in 2025, the question isn’t if they should design phygital experiences, but how fast they can build them. At Charles Elena, we believe campaigns that blur the boundaries most seamlessly will be the ones that continue to stand out.
