Mar 2023|Adrenalin

8 Digital Trends So Far in 2023

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Over the past three years, we have witnessed a massive surge in digitalisation. Our classrooms exist on laptops, our health data is stored on our wrists, and we can access our stock portfolios with just a few taps on our screens.

As we progress through 2023, digital trends continue to evolve, and this article will share the ones that we should pay close attention to in 2023 and how each of them will shape the design and build of digital products.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undergone remarkable expansion in recent decades and has become an undeniable presence in the contemporary digital landscape.

At the start of 2023, we saw an unprecedented adoption of AI in our society. Progresses in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics will empower organisations to reduce costs, save time, enhance quality, and manage risk more effectively, for instance:

Facilitate personalisation by gathering and analysing user data and providing customised experiences.
Generative AI may act as a co-worker which will significantly impact the nature of our roles and processes, such as researching, concepting, ideation, prototyping, creative, content and many other areas.
AI-powered chatbots can be integrated with traditional digital tools to enhance user experiences.
AI can also enable web, app, and digital platforms to incorporate voice recognition, which leads to better accessibility and more interactions.
AI can play a crucial role in cybersecurity by detecting and responding to threats in real-time, thereby helping organisations prevent data breaches and cyber-attacks.

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AI-Powered Chatbots

While chatbots have been in existence for a considerable period of time, achieving a natural and engaging conversation with customers has remained a challenge. However, the recent advancements in AI have revolutionised the way chatbots interact with users.

AI-Powered chatbots leverage natural language processing (NLP) to simulate human-like interactions with customers. By better comprehending customer inquiries and automating responses, they create a more personalised experience and enhance customer satisfaction, through :

Customer service: AI-powered chatbots provide round-the-clock customer support, instantly answer frequently asked questions, and provide instant responses.
Personalisation: With the ability to learn about user preferences and tailor responses over time, AI-powered chatbots create a more personalised experience for users.
Efficiency: AI-powered chatbots can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, reducing the workload for customer service representatives and improving response times.
Cost-saving: As businesses grow, AI-powered chatbots can handle an increasing number of customer interactions without requiring additional resources such as hiring and training additional customer service representatives, leading to significant cost savings.

Voice search

Voice search has become increasingly popular due to the widespread adoption of smart devices and the convenience of hands-free searching. Through harnessing sophisticated tools, such as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Understanding (NLU), voice assistants can interpret users’ spoken commands, provide relevant results, or execute the requested actions.

Organisations that incorporate voice search into their digital products can enhance accessibility and improve the overall user experience. To ensure the success of voice search initiatives, several key factors should be considered during the design and development of digital products, including:

Incorporate Voice User Interface (VUI) and conversational user interface (CUI) technologies to enable seamless voice interactions with digital products.
Ensure compatibility with different voice search platforms and APIs to maximise the reach of the product and ensure compatibility with different devices and operating systems.
Optimise information architecture, content, and SEO for voice search to ensure easy comprehension and usage by voice assistants.

Content personalisation

The process of content personalisation through machine learning entails utilising advanced algorithms and statistical models to meticulously analyse user data and behaviour, providing a tailor-made experience to each user.

This intricate approach involves employing machine learning techniques to automatically identify patterns within user data and then utilise this knowledge to customise content and recommendations for each individual user.

By training machine learning algorithms to gain insights from user data and generate personalised content recommendations, organisations can:

Deliver customised product suggestions, content ideas, and targeted advertising that will be of greater interest to each individual user.
Enhance user experience, augment engagement and retention.
Drive sales and revenue for businesses.

Through providing more pertinent and individualised content to users, businesses can cultivate customer loyalty and satisfaction, achieving growth and success.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

In 2023, we will see further increased usage of mobiles and tablets in our daily lives. As a result, there is an urgent need to revamp traditional web applications into Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) to cater to the evolving user demands and technological advancements.

A PWA is a web application that offers a seamless and near-native mobile app experience without the need to download or install an app from an app store. These applications operate independently and flawlessly on any device or platform, be it desktops, mobiles, or tablets.

The adoption of PWAs has proven to be highly beneficial for both users and organisations:

Lower development and support costs compared to traditional mobile apps, making it a cost-effective solution for organisations.
PWAs can be launched in the market at a quicker pace, providing a competitive edge to businesses.
Simplified distribution and installation processes, resulting in a hassle-free experience for users.
Lower device power and storage requirements that enhance the overall user experience.
Improved performance speed, providing seamless and efficient performance.
Enhanced website, app, and platform engagement and conversion rates, offering a significant advantage to businesses in the digital landscape.

AR/VR/MR

Augmented, virtual and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR) are rapidly advancing technologies that have revolutionised the way in which users interact with the digital world. By seamlessly blending digital information with the physical world using camera-enabled devices such as smartphones or tablets, they have opened endless possibilities for interactive and immersive experiences.

As they continue to gain momentum and popularity, their impact on digital design and development cannot be ignored, for instance, the need to:

Focus on creating 3D interfaces that can effectively overlay digital information onto the real world.
Ensure that the user experience is seamless and intuitive, making it easy for users to interact with AR, VR and MR-enabled platforms
Optimise content for AR, VR and MR and integrate it into experiences in a cohesive and compelling manner
Ensure that platforms are compatible with different AR, VR and MR platforms and APIs

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Cybersecurity

As technology continues to advance, the collection and storage of digital data have become widespread. However, the rise of cyber-attacks and data breaches poses a significant threat to organisations, which can result in financial loss and reputational damage to legal repercussions and disruption of business operations.

Recent incidents, such as the Optus and Medibank data breaches, have reinstated the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard user data and maintain or enhance an organisation’s trust and reputation.

To mitigate the risks of cyber-attacks and data breaches, organisations should consider:

Prioritise cybersecurity at the start of product development process
Consider the latest cybersecurity developments and standards, such as encryption, authentication, and access controls, to ensure the security of platforms from the ground up.
Incorporate user authentication mechanisms, such as two-factor authentication and biometric authentication, can also be implemented to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive user data.
Ensure that the collection, storage, and processing of user data are compliant with relevant data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.
Integrate AI and using machine learning and deep learning to recognise patterns on the network, and cluster them, can provide an extra layer of protection against cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Sustainable technology

Sustainable technology encompasses the development and deployment of technologies that have a minimal negative impact on the environment and can be sustained over time. Its overarching goal is to meet the present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and are looking for sustainable options when it comes to digital products. Creating a sustainable digital product involves considering the environmental impact of the product throughout its lifecycle. Here are some recommendations for creating a sustainable digital product:

Prioritise for energy efficiency: optimise the design and coding to minimise the amount of energy required to operate the product
Host on sustainable servers: choose a web hosting provider that uses renewable energy sources to power servers
Reduce data usage: optimise images, videos, and other media to reduce their size and minimise data usage
Consider end-of-life disposal: think about how we can dispose of the product sustainably and reduce its impact on the environment. This may involve deleting data securely, or using environmentally friendly disposal methods for any physical component

2023 is an exciting time to be in, with technological advancements enabling products to be more intelligent, personalised, and connected. In recent years, top brands and organisations have shifted their focus to an extent, from branding and marketing to developing digital products that satisfy their users’ intrinsic needs and core value demands.