Mobile

Implications - While the proliferation of platforms like Tinder has contributed to more convenient, fast-paced methods of finding love, consumers are craving more, and as a result, personalized methods are emerging. From AI algorithms to DNA testing techniques, these solutions give users the chance to customize their matchmaking process, ensuring the results are more tailored to their individual, inherent needs. Showcasing the type of effort and lengths consumers are going to find their match, these examples also reflect a growing desire for customization in every single facet of their life. [More]

Implications - Landlord-tenant communications and processes can be arduous, and new online property management services are aiming to alleviate some of the administrative and communication-related issues that arise in such circumstances. The streamlining of these processes creates a mutually beneficial relationship in which both parties are assured accountability throughout the property management process. [More]

Implications - Sound mapping apps are becoming increasingly prevalent, and have applications in everything from helping individuals with visual impairments, to allowing individuals with noise sensitivities to avoid certain areas. Such apps are often crowdsourced and are evidence that a grassroots approach to social causes like accessibility is often the most effective way to create impactful change. [More]

Implications - The once impersonal nature of interactions with the virtual world is slowly being chipped away with innovations like chatbots focused on the mental and physical care of consumers. As the reliance on technology continues to strengthen, these innovations could be applied across various formats, including apps and smart home devices, to continue the shift towards creating both essential and indulgent connections with tech. [More]

Implications - Though fertility wearables and apps that aid in the process of getting pregnant have been common for some time, less common but slowly being established as legitimate are apps that function as birth control by tracking ovulation in a highly precise manner. These apps offer a distinct dichotomy in that they meet the statistical standards of science-backed medicine, while simultaneously offering an alternative route to contraception for consumers seeking entirely natural options. [More]

Implications - With the popularity of dating apps at a peak, these platforms are expanding their reach by offering services other than those strictly related to dating. Tapping into consumers' ever-increasing openness to meeting new people online for recreational purposes, big players in the space are rolling out features to help consumers make friends, network professionally, and more. [More]

Implications - Home and apartment-swapping platforms are becoming increasingly accessible with new web and app designs that offer everything from rentals on Tinder-like match services, to vacation home-swapping business models. These large-scale forms of P2P swapping interactions are increasingly common as online platforms become more secure, offering consumers peace of mind alongside accessibility. [More]

Implications - Brands are offering financial apps that allow users to invest, save or reduce debts with small sums of money. This shift comes as consumer debt in the U.S. remains higher than it has ever been, and the majority of Americans fear stock markets–in part due to past experiences with financial crises, and a lack of education in the subject. The use of micro investment, debt reduction and saving apps resolves the intimidating nature of growing financial portfolios by removing reluctance-evoking barriers, including high risks and steadfast commitment. [More]

Implications - Brands in the beauty industry are creating app-based experiences and loyalty programs around the highly specialized, but hugely popular, industry of eyebrow and eyelash care. These apps serve consumers seeking interactive but low-commitment experiences when it comes to self-care planning within this niche. [More]

Implications - The game-changing platform Tinder has not only inspired companies in the dating industry, but also industries that are entirely unrelated to dating. Whether in finance, fitness or networking, the platforms companies are designing are now often inspired by the "left or right swipe" function that Tinder made popular. More than simply streamlining user experience, this shift now offers the benefit of evoking a sense of familiarity in customers. [More]