This is the third episode of a four-part mini-series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, in partnership with the TiPS Accelerator, a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.
This episode features leaders from Thorntons, a full-service Scottish law firm, who speak to host Hilary Smyth-Allen about their journey on the TiPS Accelerator.
Sarah Blair, Jane McCance, and Lewis Quinn unpack how the firm used service design thinking to drive digital transformation, foster AI literacy, and unveil the real human challenges behind legal tech adoption.
From co-creating solutions with colleagues to embracing “messy” innovation, they share their people-first approach to change - and how that’s shaping the firm's internal transformation programme.
They discuss:
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to TiPS and Thorntons
01:45 – Thorntons’ structure, services, and innovation roles
04:20 – The trap of tech-first thinking and why adoption lags
06:30 – Identifying human problems before implementing solutions
08:00 – Shifting project scope: literacy, service design and the “AI Sandbox”
10:14 – Building transformation roles from scratch
12:00 – Starting with discovery and asking the right questions
15:00 – What the project uncovered (and what it changed)
17:17 – What is the Double Diamond? A primer on service design
19:15 – From AI requests to deeper diagnostics and real solutions
22:00 – Aligning innovation with strategic priorities
24:25 – Wellbeing, time-saving, and what “impact” really means
27:00 – Culture change and playful innovation techniques
29:00 – AI roadshows, Jedi groups, and safe experimentation
31:15 – Upskilling junior colleagues and early-career catalysts
33:42 – Final takeaways: messiness, experimentation, and mindset
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