Digital Innovation

Viderity Helps Overhaul NSF App

The National Science Foundation has supported research in all fields of science and engineering for over 70 years. In 2018, the NSF worked with Viderity to overhaul its “NSF Science Zone” mobile app. The primary purpose of overhauling the app was to increase awareness for the NSF’s grant recipients by publicizing images and video of research results in a fun and easily digestible way. Viderity built a new, visually compelling app through ongoing collaboration with the stakeholders at NSF. Viderity used Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to accomplish this, and also used Adobe XD for the first time for prototyping and testing. Since the relaunch of the app went incredibly well, Viderity is now using XD to redesign NSF’s website and sub-domains,...

Virtual is the New Face of Government

As customers and consumers become more comfortable using technology it only stands to reason that government, traditionally behind the private sector when it comes to things like process innovation, would also be utilizing technology more and more. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been playing an ever-expanding role into public systems for years. However, the bridge between government-based AI and citizens appears to be ready to evolve. According to industry leaders, the next phase of customer contact and information sharing will be Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR). And, as AR and VR are expected to play ever increasing roles in the coming decade, systems and those associated with them will have to find new ways to grow...

The Benefits of Automation You Didn’t Imagine

Automation pays out, and relatively quickly too. But some of the benefits come from less obvious places. Viderity looked at the impact — costs and benefits — of automation in the world of application management, based on in-depth interviews with Viderity clients. For many organizations, the catalyst for considering automation is a cost reduction target. However, most clients quickly discover that the benefits of automation go much further than just reducing operating cost. No doubt, straightforward cost reduction is a benefit. AI and cognitive technologies, as well as preventative maintenance, can reduce the need for human intervention in routine tasks. For Viderity clients, automation led to a 70 percent reduction in ticket desk volumes* which can have an immediate impact on the...

AI in 2019: Are chatbots the future?

Mention the phrase ‘automated phone system’ and no rationale person thinks of the free exchange of information and ideas. The limits are due to framework constraints, a lack of critical thinking and a proxy set that can only answer the most basic of questions. Anything more complicated than this requires human intervention because AI is in its embryonic state. However, if you need information, and because your options are limited, then you must enter into the push-button phone matrix that not even Keanu Reeves can crack! But, what if there was a system in place that knew the information completely. A system with intuitive, instant recall that could respond to unique and person-specific inquiries - in any language - with...

UX Myth: Simple = Minimal

Simple and minimal go hand in hand, but they are not synonymous. Minimal design is a visual decluttering of objects, forcing designers to say more by displaying less. It is a reduction in style elements, adding only enough to tell a story, accomplish a task, or meet product goals. According to Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, minimalism is skin deep. What appears simple-looking can contain hidden complexities in UI.   Minimal Website: Landlife Minimal Website: basecamp Simplicity seamlessly blends the whole experience. Where there is both simplicity and usability, the overall product/application will shine. Design choices are meant to support product goals and empower users, period.   Simple Website: Apple In his book, The Laws of Simplicity,( http://lawsofsimplicity.com/, John Maeda notes, “On the one hand, you want a...

Enabling a Digital-forward Government | Key Takeaways from the Digital Transformation Summit 2018

Digital transformation in the 21st century demands leaps of rapid innovation. Federal agencies, though, are not famous for speed. Their legacy systems represent huge investments and are vulnerable to emerging security threats. Future-proofing government infrastructure requires agile development processes to create progressive, sustainable delivery models. Senior officials from Federal agencies and technology companies gathered at the Dell Digital Transformation Summit to discuss how agencies can evolve to better serve their customers, meet their mission goals, and succeed in the connected future. Here are a few highlights from the summit: Creating a NextGen Cyber Workforce and an upcoming hiring regulation Disruptive Technologies Digital Intelligence Cloud Smart Data Analytics AI + VR Col. Chris Wade, Director, Task Force Cyber Strong, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army says the Army is training young talent to be...

The Keys to Driving Successful Digital Transformation

The terms “Digital Workplace” and “Digital Transformation” swirl so prominently in the corporate air these days that it is hard to go a day without hearing them, if not inhaling them. In a recent study conducted by IDG Research for Unisys, nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents stated that it is “highly important” for their organizations to implement digital business over the next 12 months by substantially modifying their technology as well as their IT processes and resources. The survey identified five key priority areas: mobile application development, cloud deployment, social media, data science, and security. Digital business transformation requires an experimental mindset that is inclusive of the entire business—marketing, sales, services, IT, R&D, and customer and partner communities. Unfortunately, many companies...