Brand-Building Apps

Game-Based Tourism Apps

This was a companion game app to the tourism novel "A Waffle Lot of Trouble in Ghent." The game is an immersive, entertaining way for tourists to learn about the history of Ghent, and visit all of the main tourist sites like Gravensteen Castle, St. Bravo's Cathedral, The Belfry of Ghent, STAM-Ghent City Museum, St. Michael's Bridge, and the historic train station.

DESCRIPTION: Step into the shoes of a master detective in "Altarpiece Detective," a thrilling interactive experience set against the backdrop of Ghent's historic streets. Unravel the mystery of the stolen Ghent Altarpiece, a priceless masterpiece that has vanished without a trace. As you navigate the city, gathering clues , every correct deduction brings you closer to the elusive thief. But beware - each misstep allows the culprit to slip further from your grasp. With the clock ticking and the art world watching, can you crack the case of history's most revered treasure? Test your wit, sharpen your instincts, and immerse yourself in a game of cat and mouse that will take you on a tantilizing tour of Ghent.

THE APP THAT BEAT GOOGLE
Leadership in the Palm of Your Hand

A simple, intuitive user interface--coupled with technological advances like Artificial Intelligence and content personalization-- not only made this app a contest winner, but also a winner with the company for the business issues it addressed.

The app was up against some stiff competition from entrants from Google and high-powered learning agencies. (Google's app came in second in the competition.)

While awards are nice, what about results? The multi-media app was a winner there, too: Three months after the app launched, managers at the company were hitting 12% more of their quarterly goals. The app kept leadership issues top of mind, and provided social networking opportunities with other company managers to aid in strategy.

We've created more than a dozen apps. Here are a few highlights.

PERSONAL SAFETY FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

It's like a guardian angel in your pocket.

When a regional utility company had an increase in deaths and serious injuries of their line workers, company executives thought they needed more or different training.

But that was the last thing they needed.

After a detailed analysis of the "line tech journey" during repairs, I discovered that it wasn't lack of training, but either incorrect or incomplete recall of proper procedures.

This app not only used a large database of repair operations on specific equipment, but also included a buddy "Watch My Back" component that alerted nearby techs of dangerous repair operations.

Using AR and assisted GPS technology, utility line workers get live, up-to-date alerts about potential hazards the moment they step into the work environment.
Users hold up their phone to scan the work site, and hazard markers populate to show potential hazards.
Users click on a “hazard marker” to receive more detailed information, such as an MSDS or safety protocols.
Users can activate a continuous-monitoring safety mode. This feature periodically asks the utility worker if he or she is safe; if the worker doesn’t respond within a time frame specified by the user, the app alerts the “Watch My Back Buddies” network, which includes another field worker who is geographically closest, as well as the corporate Safety Manager. Geotags automatically identify the closest worker to the user’s location.

THE RESULT: Zero deaths (a decrease over the past safety metrics) and an 83% reduction in serious injuries after the app was launched and used in the field by repair technicians.

AI-BASED FOOD APP
As a Food Company's Marketing Tool

This started as a personal passion project, but led to a buyout from a food company.

I wanted to design a healthy food app that used artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized recipes based on the user's medical needs (such as heart-healthy or diabetic-friendly), dietary preferences (savory or sweet, Italian or Asian, etc.), and time constraints (available time to prep and cook a meal).

THE APP EXPERIENCE: Over time and with increased usage, the app "learns" the user preferences and automatically populates user-preferred recipes. (The app also has a shopping-list component, so "Max"--the friendly chatbot-- knows what ingredients are on-hand based on what was checked off the shopping list.) In addition, "Max" gives personalized, conversational feedback such as, "I like Italian food, too! It's so tasty! Here's a recipe that won't send your glucose skyrocketing, but still gives you those yummy carbs!"

During our test marketing, a Chicago-based food company got wind of the app and made me an offer to buy it to use as a branded content marketing tool for their company.