More and more the world of banking and investing is moving into the online and technological world. Terms like “cryptocurrency” and “bitcoin” have steadily been gaining popularity as user’s are finding ways to handle their finances in a way that matches today’s fast-paced, digital world.  In relation to online financial going ons, another term that is gaining a lot of recent attention is “blockchain”. Blockchain is not a new term, but it is generating increasing buzz since they will have a massive impact on the future of online banking, investing, digital identity, and more. While blockchain is not a new concept, it is still in its exploration stage in terms of how exactly it will be designed and applied.

       If one performs a job search on a job board, one job might require Python and another might say Javascript. What do the experts think are important? Github and Stack Overflow list Javascript as the top trending programming language (“Major Programming Trends to Prepare for in 2019”  2019). Although Github and StackOverflow list Javascript as number one, it does not specify with Javascript package such as Vanilla, Angular, or React. This is why knowing and keeping up to date with programming trends are important for employers and employees alike. 

      Effective storytelling is simple, unexpected, credible, concrete, and emotional. Simplicity breaks the story down into a digestible piece. The unexpected and emotional elements leave a mark on the viewer’s brain and heart, making it memorable. If a story isn’t credible and concrete, it lacks merit and loses its value. A great story leaves a memorable impact on potential customers and keeps your brand at the forefront of their minds when looking for the services you offer. It begins with your company’s purpose, then how to solve a customer’s problem.

      Many of us at KLI are trying different ways of staying healthy: some of us do yoga, Crossfit, hiking- one of us is even on a rugby team. Swimming and running are my exercises of choice, and I usually choose to go for a run. In my time preparing for half marathons and 5ks, I have tried several apps to use while running. Recently I learned that one of my colleagues is also a runner, so we started talking about the different apps that we use or have tried in the past. We would continue to point out what worked really well and what didn’t which made me wonder what actually makes a running app great for runners?

BREAKING NEWS

The 2018 midterm elections are on November 6th!

….but it is unlikely that this is the first time that you are hearing about them. With all the news, coverage, and spin, we at KLI asked: “is UX being considered when covering politics?” We know that there are other places that you can find political opinions and hot takes, so you will not find any in this article.  I will be staying focused on the UX of communicating and understanding politics, specifically on how different news organizations and outlets have tried to cover the midterm elections.

       Here at KLI, we publish a bi-annual Home and Renters Insurance Mobile Competitive Index Report that reviews eight of the largest home and renters insurance companies in the US and their online and mobile app capabilities. Some of the capabilities and features that are assessed are features such as secure login process, ability to get a quote or locate an agent. The goal of our third-party syndicated report is to help provide consumer-driven data that can help insurance companies improve their user experience. It also helps to summarize how the insurance companies differentiate and help provide valuable forms of competitive intelligence for companies to help them stay ahead and on top of the current market.

       Pretty much everyone in the UX industry has come across a customer journey map at some point or another. A customer journey map is a useful tool that helps to outline the customers’ journey, from start to finish. It covers the customer's initial contact with the product, through their process of engagement and even covering longtime usage. Customer journey maps help provide useful insight into a user’s feelings, motivations, and questions when interacting with that product. Customer journey maps are usually carried out in similar ways and then presented as an infographic. However, there is a new and innovative take on the customer journey map that can offer ingenious insights into the customers’ journey and can help to create a brand new experience.

The idea of biometrics in XR isn’t a terribly new one. Methods like heart rate and eye tracking are pretty popular in the research community. Academic researchers have been using physiological signals to measure changes in user states for decades and some AR applications have begun integrating biosignals to inform changes to the system. What is a newer idea is using biosignals as a user controlled input method.

If the future of XR interaction means that users will communicate via customizable avatars, how can you trust that the user you’re interacting with is who they say they are? Part 2: Blockchain-based VR.

Read Part 1: AI Smart Avatars

Although augmented and virtual reality systems (which I will refer to globally as extended reality, or XR) have not yet reached the level of everyday ubiquity expected by some industry insiders, these technologies are being increasingly utilized in domains traditionally considered to be risky, such as aviation and medicine. This is Part 1: AI Smart Avatars.