Digital innovation has come very far in the past 24 months with artificial intelligence (AI) at the core of all of it. From marketing automation to predictive analytics it’s hard not to wonder: what’s next? 

One application we find quite interesting is using machine learning to surprise and entertain web users. Looking at a website design we’ve just released, here is an example of putting AI into action.

Our team had the pleasure to work on Hardie’s website redesign. Hardie's is a family-owned fresh food distributor making daily deliveries throughout Texas. The company has been providing farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, spices, and organic items to foodservice restaurants and retailers since 1943. Among other functions, the project required us to organize and filter a large catalog of seasonal produce. 

To jazz it up a bit, we created a “draw it yourself” product search. We gave users the ability to manually draw the shape of a fruit or a vegetable they want to order and let the website determine which product they are thinking of. “Gamifying” aspects of a web page can create a captivating and unique user experience.

Just hold the bar space and try it for yourself.

To build this application, we are using artificial neural networks (ANN) to identify hand-drawn scribbles. Think of ANN as a computing system inspired by the human brain. The network itself is not an algorithm, but rather a framework for many different machine-learning algorithms that work together to process complex data. Unlike other technology, which may organize data or crunch numbers, neural networks learn from experience. Like humans.

Using an unusual approach makes a website memorable and propels the brand as a leader in its space. There’s also a “coolness” effect to creating a playful interaction with users.

With the advancement of ANN and AI, a whole new world of digital marketing is opening up for brands. Better ad targeting and audience segmentation are only two of the applications that will help build a clearer picture for potential customers and their behaviors. Armed with big data insights, digital campaigns can greatly boost their performance and ROI.

Our team is proud to keep experimenting, learning, and generating innovative ideas.

Do you have a project we can help with? Just say hello@edesigninetractive.com.
You can find examples of our work here.