Georgiana Dragomir (Grapefruit): AI without design thinking remains a tool, without strategy remains an experiment

Last year Grapefruit celebrated 26 years of activity, a chapter marked by continuous evolution alongside its partners and guided by a philosophy that has shaped every decision: people, not jobs. Grapefruit began its journey as a branding and web design agency. In 2012, it became one of the first companies in Romania to introduce the concept of UX into practice, transforming the way brands built relationships with their users.

Today, after more than two decades, Grapefruit remains a benchmark in the digital industry, integrating technology as a strategic engine for growth: from creative services to AI readiness assessment tools and custom AI-based solutions for marketing, UX, and software development teams.

AdHugger set down with Georgiana Dragomir, Chief Executive Officer at Grapefruit, about the changes in the agency, plans & goals, AI and many more.

The agency has evolved and changed a lot in recent years. But what do you consider to be the pivotal moments, besides the ones that people will normally point at?

Beyond visible milestones, the most important shifts were internal. One pivotal moment was when we stopped defining ourselves primarily by what we build and started focusing on why we build it. Clients began inviting us earlier into conversations about business models, efficiency, digital operating structures, and increasingly AI integration. That changed our role. We moved from being strong executors to becoming strategic navigators.

Another key moment was realizing how fast AI was accelerating. Initially, like many companies, we observed. But we quickly understood that observation without integration creates distance from reality. We had to increase what I call our “restart frequency”, constantly questioning our own services, processes, and assumptions.

Joining RCI Holding added another structural shift. It required us to think beyond projects and toward ecosystem-level digital coordination. That transition demanded clarity, maturity, and discipline.

You are taking more steps into establishing more and more a positioning into an agency that offers AI services at a high level, as you were known for in digital. What are the main steps you are taking?

We didn’t begin with external positioning. We began internally. Before building AI services, we integrated AI into our own workflows. We tested tools, automated repetitive tasks, redesigned delivery flows, and measured efficiency gains. Only after validating what truly worked in practice did we start structuring services around AI maturity assessments, strategic consulting, custom AI models, and process optimization.

One important realization was that AI is commoditizing execution. Coding faster or producing content faster is no longer a differentiator. The real value lies in understanding where AI should be integrated and where it shouldn’t.

We also see agencies increasingly acting as educational labs. We test, experiment, fail fast internally, and then bring structured, validated frameworks to clients. AI for us is not a department. It is a layer across development, UX, marketing, and strategy.

How is this direction impacting your product production services?

It has shifted production from output-focused to system-focused. We are building fewer “static deliverables” and more adaptable digital ecosystems. AI allows automation and personalization at scale, but only if architecture is designed properly from the start.

At the same time, we are careful not to add intelligence for the sake of it. AI amplifies systems. If processes are fragmented, AI accelerates fragmentation. That is why production has become more analytical and more iterative.

Execution alone is no longer the value. Orchestration is.

What are the main goals you entered 2026 with and why?

2026 feels like a consolidation year. Our goals are:

• To accelerate structured AI integration across our clients
• To continue disciplined international expansion
• To refine our AI portfolio toward measurable impact
• To deepen AI adoption internally by investing in our people through continuous learning and integrating it into our daily workflows

One of the biggest industry risks today is what I call the “implementation gap.” There is a lot of AI discourse: conferences, podcasts, LinkedIn enthusiasm, but far less systemic integration.

In 2026, we are focusing on closing that gap in a pragmatic way.

How important is the strategy in your day to day business and in your company’s growth?

Strategy has become more operational than theoretical. In an AI-driven landscape, experimentation without strategic alignment leads to fragmentation. We’ve seen that when AI is treated as a side project or delegated to one department, impact remains limited.

Strategy, for us, means deciding clearly where AI belongs in the organization, what problems it should solve and what success looks like.

Without that clarity, even the best tools create noise instead of value.

On your website it is stated that “By combining technical expertise with human-centered design, we ensure AI doesn’t just stay experimental but becomes a practical driver of growth, efficiency, and customer experience.” Can you develop more on that statement?

Human-centered design ensures that solutions are usable, intuitive, and aligned with real behaviors. Technical expertise ensures scalability and stability. Strategy ensures business relevance. Too often, companies start with tools. We start with inefficiencies, decision bottlenecks, and customer experience gaps.

The difference between experimentation and transformation lies in integration. AI must be embedded into workflows, data flows, and decision-making processes, not layered on top as a feature.

Recently you have partnered with RCI Holding. What are your goals for 2026, from this point of view?

Within RCI Holding, we operate as the group’s Digital & AI Agency, with the responsibility of coordinating digital direction and accelerating AI adoption across multiple companies and industries.

This means building shared frameworks, aligning communication and brand direction, and supporting group-level digital maturity in a structured and measurable way. It’s not just about implementing tools, but about ensuring coherence across systems, processes, and decision-making layers.

The partnership requires us to operate at ecosystem scale. Agencies are increasingly becoming orchestrators: connecting technology, data, creativity, and business objectives across complex environments. In this context, our role is less about delivering isolated projects and more about enabling long-term digital capability.

Our focus in 2026 is structured integration, clarity of direction, and sustainable transformation.

How are you approaching the international market in 2026?

We approach international markets through a hybrid ecosystem model. Our in-house marketing and new business teams work closely together, combining targeted outreach, personal branding, awareness campaigns, and strategic event participation. Messaging is adjusted per market, and we continuously measure traction before deepening investment.

But beyond acquisition tactics, 2026 is also about structured scaling.

Scalability, for us, means building repeatable frameworks, standardized AI maturity assessments, and modular digital solutions that can adapt across industries and geographies without losing quality. We also understand that proximity today is less geographical and more strategic. Hybrid collaboration allows us to build strong international partnerships without compromising delivery standards.

Where do you find inspiration for all your projects?

In complexity. Conversations with clients often reveal tensions between ambition and operational reality. Those tensions are fertile ground for innovation.

I am also inspired by the rapid evolution of technology. And not because of the hype, but because of its implications. AI forces us to rethink roles, processes, and even leadership itself. Running an agency today requires higher restart frequency. That constant recalibration is demanding, but it is also stimulating.

And ultimately, inspiration comes from responsibility. When you understand that your decisions influence teams, clients, and long-term partnerships, you look deeper for solutions.