We will miss you, Chris! We wish you the best of luck this year as you pursue your studies at IU Kokomo!

-Level Up Development Team

Level Up says “Farewell” to Summer Intern at Techpoint’s ‘Xtern Turns 5’ Celebration was originally published in Level Up Development on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Congrats to @LevelUpDevelop on winning the Food Compass challenge at #IndyCivicHack! And, thanks to all the very thoughtful and innovative teams who opened our eyes to tech solutions to food insecurity.

Our team at Level Up Development were happy to take part this past weekend in the 5th annual #IndyCivicHack put on by Indy Chamber, TechPoint, and Open Indy Brigade- a non-profit advocate for public data and open source technology.

This year’s theme centered around tackling food insecurity- the idea of which was decided on as a result of a collaboration between government, non-profit, and tech companies alike brainstorming together to address Indianapolis’s hunger problem.

Around 180,000 of Indy’s 853,000 residents are food insecure, - an issue many find unacceptable given our city’s otherwise positive economic developments.

Specifically, the idea was to have developers compete to develop an app which would serve as a “Food Compass” to be used for the purpose of helping residents in the Indianapolis and surrounding areas discover how and where to find nutrition assistance programs in parts of the city that have come to be commonly referred to as “food deserts”, which Indy has more of than any other city in the nation.

The app would answer questions of program eligibility and help to find available federal, state, and local assistance based on location and individual needs.

About 20 development teams competed to design and build a working product within 24 hours and competitors were evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Addressing the Challenge
• Creativity and Innovation
• Feasibility and Sustainability
• Accomplishment and Learning

Mayor Joe Hogsett made an appearance to kick the event off and express his administration’s concern about food insecurity, awareness and hunger relief.

Mayor Joe Hogsett on Twitter

Each year, the #IndyCivicHack brings together technology and government, developing innovative concepts to better Indianapolis. For the next 24 hours, we channel that innovation toward filling gaps in access to food resources that cause too many of our residents to go hungry.

Participants worked on their ideas throughout Friday night and Saturday during the day with plenty of snacks and caffeine for fuel. At 4pm on Saturday, ideas were presented to judges in a science fair like setting.

Level Up Development’s entry consisted of a multi-channel smart communication engine, Robin AI.

Robin AI enables Indiana residents to have access to resources available to them at their fingertips on-demand wherever in need. The core of the technology uses natural language processing to process complex information and data to perform intelligent recommendations and semantic search on food assistance benefits like SNAP and WIC as well as other resources (groceries accepting EBT, food pantries, Summer Servings, etc.)

This information can be consumed quickly and easily through thechat interface. A companion mobile application can be used in conjunction with Robin AI whenever a family has access to a smart phone.

A few of Robin AI’s key benefits:

• Quick access to locate available resources, programs, and events based on my benefits and location
• Answer FAQ about Food Stamps / SNAP / EBT / WIC via a conversational user experience
• Share resources with others, save favorites, and set reminders through companion application
• Answer questions and navigate through SMS/text messages and/or through companion application
• Manage benefits though messaging
• Eligibility criteria and screening workflow
• Collect of information to help Indiana plan for the future
• Reduction of 211 call volume

This service would also be available via SMS text messages for residents who may not have access to smart phones or data plans.

Karine Jannetta on Twitter

⁦@LevelUpDevelop⁩ taking the win for the Food Compass Challenge! Thank you #indycivichack

Thanks to Indy Chamber, TechPoint, Indy Hunger, and Open Indy Brigade for putting this event on, and special thanks to IUPUI for sponsoring this event, and Launch Indy for hosting.

We look forward to implementing Robin AI with Indy Hunger Network and Connect2Help 211 to the help the tens of thousands of people in our community facing the insecurity of where they will get their next meal!

Level Up Development Wins “Food Compass” Challenge At #IndyCivicHack 2018 with Robin AI! was originally published in Level Up Development on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Overall it was a great experience- we had a great response from lawn enforcement as well as a lot of interaction and inquiry. We even impressed ourselves with what we managed to put together in just 24 hours! Looking forward to the next one, the Indy Civic Hack on June 15th-16th.

Here are some pics and a video of our presentation- enjoy!

LevelUp Development presents “Shots Fired” at 2018 AT&T Civic Hackathon was originally published in Level Up Development on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The event will be held at the new Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers, a facility designed for entrepreneurs and businesses to bring the emerging IoT sector together for innovation and collaboration.

Indiana IoT Lab Fishers | Internet of Things — Indiana IoT Lab

The theme of this year’s Hackathon relates to the timely topic about how we can enhance the safety of states and local communities by using First Responder IoT technologies, especially mobile applications.

With the availability of 4G LTE, law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel are finally on a level playing field. With FirstNet — the only communications tool dedicated to providing prioritized connectivity to those who risk everything — they’ll have reliable communication services and access to highly secure data connections. Now they need mobile apps to help them respond to emergencies, fight crime, and make our communities safer.

Our team plans to arrive on Friday evening with little more than just our laptops and ideas, and we will be working throughout the night without sleep until Saturday afternoon when the judging begins.

The prize categories are “Best IoT App”, “Best Mobile App”, and “Best Data App” with $2000 and $1000 prizes for first and second place from each category.

Follow us along @levelupdevelopment on social media for live updates- we will be using the #atthack hashtag throughout the event!

Level Up Development at AT&T IoT Civic Hackathon 2018 was originally published in Level Up Development on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The event was hosted by Indiana’s chapter of the Interaction Design Association (IXDA), and produced by one of Level Up’s UX Designer’s, S. Poppe, a co-leader of the organization.

Our friends at Launch Indy were kind enough to lend us their space for the evening.

About 15 local professionals were curious enough to come out for the event. The audience members, many consisting of individuals with design backgrounds themselves from startups to more established companies, were able to hear perspectives on the importance of design from many of the tech industry’s most significant companies of our time.

The film featured candid and insightful interviews with leading designers from some of the world’s most recognized brands such as Google, Apple, Netflix, Facebook, AirBnB, Mailchimp, DropBox, and Lyft — just to name a few.

The audience was able to get a peek inside some of the personal philosophies of these corporations, and also see first-hand what the process of creating digital design solutions is like for many of the companies whose products and services have become essential tools of our daily lives.

The interviews in the film contained a variety of inspirational messages, insightful conceptual information, and interesting explanations about the important relationship between design and “disruption.”

The following are some of the most essential takeaway topics from the film:

• The Process of Product Development: How do ideas come to life from concept to completion? This is the process: come up with idea; engineer that idea; launch that idea; and then measure it by examining feedback from consistent iteration and prototyping.
• Art vs. Design: Art has no requirement to make sense, and even, in fact, intentionally “makes questions,” as MIT Media Lab’s John Maeda points out in the film. When it comes to Design, the opposite is true. Design happens when computers and art come together for the purpose of creating solutions to complex problems in innovative and technological ways. Design, therefore, must make sense. Design is pointed out to be analogous to a bridge in this regard, because it is the precise component which connects technological complexity to average people.
• Designers are Finally Starting to be Appreciated: Design is in a unique position in the tech industry as opposed to even only 3 to 5 years ago. Designers have gone from feeling as though they have been under-appreciated and under-noticed, to now feeling invaluable and forever-needed.

“I believe art and design are poised to transform our economy in the 21st century like science and technology did in the last century.” — John Maeda

This sentiment bolsters ideas that designers already have about themselves, and it is also an inspiring message for those pursuing futures in design.

• The Importance of Simplicity: New users find complexity daunting. The film points out that subtractions are often times the best additions to products (“less is more”). The reason why erasing certain aspects of the product is so important is because when there are too many components of a design competing for one’s attention, it detracts from the value of other parts of the product.
• The Importance of an Easy and Enjoyable UX: The necessity of creating a “frictionless” user experience is the most important challenge for the designer. The goal is to make the experience of using a product enjoyable without the user even being conscious of it. This means making a product seem simple, even if its complex- especially through aesthetically pleasing means. An easy user experience is also the best defense against competition when it comes to two or more similar products, and this vital aspect underscores the elevated role of the designer.
• The Importance of Empathy: We commonly make the mistake of only considering ourselves when when discussing experiences with using certain products, and this explains why we are often times so wrong about how we think humans will use such products. Inevitably, there will be many different ways in which individuals think, feel, and act during the process of using products. Designers must therefore know how to adequately put themselves in the shoes of those in their diverse target market when creating product solutions.

One interesting example from the film shows how employees at Facebook switch their phones from a 4G to 2G internet connection on Tuesdays (“2G Tuesdays”) in order to help them better understand user experiences of individuals from other parts of the world.

• Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things: The film mentions the importance of trying ideas that might even seem like bad ideas on the surface, because sometimes the mere process of brainstorming ends up producing things of value. This notion is epitomized in David Kelley’s quote in the film “Fail fast, succeed sooner.”
• Disruption: We may think about “design” exclusively in terms of aesthetics, when in reality design is much more so about solving problems. The idea of “disruption” is about destroying paradigms. The goals of disruptors are to solve problems in creative and innovative ways. Pretty visuals are usually more of a bi-product of designers coming up with new solutions to obsolete paradigms, rather than the initial focus.
• Anyone Can be a Disruptor: Not very long ago, only a few of the more initiated types had the means to “disrupt.” Nowadays, barriers to entry are almost completely non-existent, thanks to the advancement of the internet and mobile technology applications which have enabled even “nobodies” to have the potential to create the next great digital product.

Because environments are constantly evolving, all it takes is for an individual to see an opportunity for a solution to a problem that has never been solved before within these environments. If a groundbreaking solution is created, it is usually only a matter of time before it catches on and lots of people begin using the product. This is what causes “disruption” to occur.

After the screening we enjoyed some mingling and snacks with the attendees. We ended the evening with a discussion about how design leaders from our own organizations here in the Midwest could leverage our resources to potentially disrupt industries through design.

Does where we are located regionally give us the ability to compete with the giants of silicon valley? Perhaps not, but we do enjoy unique advantages which those in coastal areas do not.

For instance, the Midwest has a far lower average cost of living, which naturally translates to the ability to pay lower wages. This creates a greater likelihood of breaking-even and even profiting, and reduces the failure rate of startup investments as well.

On top of economic edges, we also have a better understanding of certain industries (e.g. agriculture and farming), and our region has one of the largest concentrations of respected universities and engineering talent in the entire country.

All in all, the evening was a great networking event and those who attended left feeling inspired.

Our team at Level Up are thrilled to be working among the talent and expertise that we do, and we look forward to exploring new product innovation strategies as we continue to work towards finding ways to bring the latest in product innovation strategies to the Midwest.

Special thanks to InvisionApp for creating such a well-produced and informative film.

Originally published at medium.com on January 3, 2018.

Recap: “Design Disruptors” for Indianapolis IXDA was originally published in Level Up Development on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The event was hosted by Indiana’s chapter of the Interaction Design Association (IXDA), and produced by one of Level Up’s UX Designer’s, S. Poppe, a co-leader of the organization.

Our friends at Launch Indy were kind enough to lend us their space for the evening.

About 15 local professionals were curious enough to come out for the event. The audience members, many consisting of individuals with design backgrounds themselves from startups to more established companies, were able to hear perspectives on the importance of design from many of the tech industry’s most significant companies of our time.

The film featured candid and insightful interviews with leading designers from some of the world’s most recognized brands such as Google, Apple, Netflix, Facebook, AirBnB, Mailchimp, DropBox, and Lyft — just to name a few.

The audience was able to get a peek inside some of the personal philosophies of these corporations, and also see first-hand what the process of creating digital design solutions is like for many of the companies whose products and services have become essential tools of our daily lives.

The interviews in the film contained a variety of inspirational messages, insightful conceptual information, and interesting explanations about the important relationship between design and “disruption.”

The following are some of the most essential takeaway topics from the film:

• The Process of Product Development: How do ideas come to life from concept to completion? This is the process: come up with idea; engineer that idea; launch that idea; and then measure it by examining feedback from consistent iteration and prototyping.
• Art vs. Design: Art has no requirement to make sense, and even, in fact, intentionally “makes questions,” as MIT Media Lab’s John Maeda points out in the film. When it comes to Design, the opposite is true. Design happens when computers and art come together for the purpose of creating solutions to complex problems in innovative and technological ways. Design, therefore, must make sense. Design is pointed out to be analogous to a bridge in this regard, because it is the precise component which connects technological complexity to average people.
• Designers are Finally Starting to be Appreciated: Design is in a unique position in the tech industry as opposed to even only 3 to 5 years ago. Designers have gone from feeling as though they have been under-appreciated and under-noticed, to now feeling invaluable and forever-needed.

“I believe art and design are poised to transform our economy in the 21st century like science and technology did in the last century.” — John Maeda

This sentiment bolsters ideas that designers already have about themselves, and it is also an inspiring message for those pursuing futures in design.

• The Importance of Simplicity: New users find complexity daunting. The film points out that subtractions are often times the best additions to products (“less is more”). The reason why erasing certain aspects of the product is so important is because when there are too many components of a design competing for one’s attention, it detracts from the value of other parts of the product.
• The Importance of an Easy and Enjoyable UX: The necessity of creating a “frictionless” user experience is the most important challenge for the designer. The goal is to make the experience of using a product enjoyable without the user even being conscious of it. This means making a product seem simple, even if its complex- especially through aesthetically pleasing means. An easy user experience is also the best defense against competition when it comes to two or more similar products, and this vital aspect underscores the elevated role of the designer.
• The Importance of Empathy: We commonly make the mistake of only considering ourselves when when discussing experiences with using certain products, and this explains why we are often times so wrong about how we think humans will use such products. Inevitably, there will be many different ways in which individuals think, feel, and act during the process of using products. Designers must therefore know how to adequately put themselves in the shoes of those in their diverse target market when creating product solutions.

One interesting example from the film shows how employees at Facebook switch their phones from a 4G to 2G internet connection on Tuesdays (“2G Tuesdays”) in order to help them better understand user experiences of individuals from other parts of the world.

• Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things: The film mentions the importance of trying ideas that might even seem like bad ideas on the surface, because sometimes the mere process of brainstorming ends up producing things of value. This notion is epitomized in David Kelley’s quote in the film “Fail fast, succeed sooner.”
• Disruption: We may think about “design” exclusively in terms of aesthetics, when in reality design is much more so about solving problems. The idea of “disruption” is about destroying paradigms. The goals of disruptors are to solve problems in creative and innovative ways. Pretty visuals are usually more of a bi-product of designers coming up with new solutions to obsolete paradigms, rather than the initial focus.
• Anyone Can be a Disruptor: Not very long ago, only a few of the more initiated types had the means to “disrupt.” Nowadays, barriers to entry are almost completely non-existent, thanks to the advancement of the internet and mobile technology applications which have enabled even “nobodies” to have the potential to create the next great digital product.

Because environments are constantly evolving, all it takes is for an individual to see an opportunity for a solution to a problem that has never been solved before within these environments. If a groundbreaking solution is created, it is usually only a matter of time before it catches on and lots of people begin using the product. This is what causes “disruption” to occur.

After the screening we enjoyed some mingling and snacks with the attendees. We ended the evening with a discussion about how design leaders from our own organizations here in the Midwest could leverage our resources to potentially disrupt industries through design.

Does where we are located regionally give us the ability to compete with the giants of silicon valley? Perhaps not, but we do enjoy unique advantages which those in coastal areas do not.

For instance, the Midwest has a far lower average cost of living, which naturally translates to the ability to pay lower wages. This creates a greater likelihood of breaking-even and even profiting, and reduces the failure rate of startup investments as well.

On top of economic edges, we also have a better understanding of certain industries (e.g. agriculture and farming), and our region has one of the largest concentrations of respected universities and engineering talent in the entire country.

All in all, the evening was a great networking event and those who attended left feeling inspired.

Our team at Level Up are thrilled to be working among the talent and expertise that we do, and we look forward to exploring new product innovation strategies as we continue to work towards finding ways to bring the latest in product innovation strategies to the Midwest.

Special thanks to InvisionApp for creating such a well-produced and informative film.