DIT Research
THE POWER OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2016-18)
This research project focused on digital ecosystems as innovation cultures that pursued enhancements in user interface design combined with artificial intelligence (AI) (i.e., machine learning) as a means to enhance consumer engagement as form of monetization. The researchers explored digital distribution and mergers/acquisitions across old and new media, new forms of e-commerce and their integration into existing digital platforms, new forms of content curation — human vs. algorithmic, and new forms of live video, including community-based liveness (e.g., Twitch) vs. social forms of liveness (e.g., Facebook). The research drew on examples from a variety of media and technology companies, including Loot Crate, Instagram, Time Warner/AT&T and Twitch. Learn more
THE RISE OF USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN (2015-16)
This research project focused on the art of user interface (UI) and experience design as a strategy to enhance the value of content in the ever-consolidating network of digital ecosystems. Key areas of research focused on ecosystems built on intuitive UI design features aligned with AI (e.g., voice navigation, chatbots, IoT, self-driving cars), the blurring of software/hardware lines in new ecosystems (e.g., Amazon Echo + Alexa; Snapchat Spectacles; Pokemon Go), as well as 360 immersive videos (e.g., Facebook’s Oculus vs. Facebook’s social VR) and the rise of curation to manage overabundance of choice. Specifically, DIT identified and analyzed core examples of user experience design at work, including Amazon’s video and gaming ecosystem, Facebook’s feed and virtual reality integration, as well as Apple’s hardware and services evolution. Learn more
