If you want AI, you need to API

Welcome back to Now & Next, your monthly dose of news, insights, and trends exploring where digital is now, and where it’s going next. For September, we’re going back to basics to focus on an essential part of your innovation toolkit, APIs — and how they power digital transformation.

September is back-to-school season, and while many organizations are deep in planning their digital priorities for next year, we’re going back to basics. We’re talking about APIs — application programming interfaces — the essential conduits between your company’s data and consumers of that data.

APIs are now even more important connective tissue for organizations that want to leverage large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI in their processes and services. Increasing API utilization all comes down to your businesses’ needs and goals — considerations for performance, efficiency, security, and governance are crucial to API management.

We break down the benefits of an API-first innovation strategy →

Tune in

ICYMI: Digital Inclusion for the Visually Impaired

Globally, more than 2 billion people are blind or visually impaired, according to the World Health Organization. And yet, only 10 percent of websites are fully accessible. Organizations with digital experiences lacking in accessibility and usability risk missed opportunities — or worse, compliance issues.

While technology such as AI has made advancements in improving accessibility, authentic inclusion starts with understanding people’s needs. In our recent webinar, we spoke with Julie Grutzmacher and Aaron Linson CPACC , advocates from Prevent Blindness , the nation’s leading organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight, about the digital inclusion landscape.

So, what can you do if your site isn’t meeting user expectations for everyone? The good news is there are a lot of small steps that you can take to start trending in the right direction.

What to do about digital accessibility now:

Invite community stakeholders to your process. It can be difficult for sighted individuals to fully understand the range of challenges faced by the visually impaired population. That’s why programs like Prevent Blindness’ ASPECT that bring the voice of the impacted users to the table are so impactful.

• Consider user interviews, product testing, and co-design workshops to help teams build empathy.

Incorporate accessibility and usability standards into the design and development of your project. Assess the current state of your site’s structure, navigation, design, and content through the lens of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the American Disability Act.

• Start with a usability and accessibility audit . Is your website in compliance with industry standards?
• Is your website intuitive, helpful, and free of errors?

What to do next:

Prioritize fixes. There’s no reason to delay action.

• From updated image descriptions so that screen readers can accurately share information to adding captions to your videos, there are small ways to make a big impact in closing the digital divide.
• Consider AI-powered assistive technologies, such as image and speech recognition and content simplification, but tread cautiously — many of these tools require human oversight for accuracy and effectiveness.

Watch the full webinar →

Modus happenings

We’ll be at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival

Heading to the Fast Company Innovation Festival in NYC next week? We’ll be there alongside our client, NAF, to celebrate our work to create KnoPro , recognized in the 2024 Innovation by Design Awards in the Learning category .

KnoPro, a free digital platform for high schoolers to complete real-world projects to win prizes, is currently used by thousands of students and teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

“This work is making a difference for the next generation,” said Graham Ericksen , Chief Strategy Officer, Modus. “We’re proud to partner with NAF to help close the STEM talent gap.”

Learn more about this event →

Reading material to keep up with what's next

How Gen Z can use AI in the workplace

Gen Z is the most tech-savvy generation, but the world of work has changed dramatically. So how can they confidently navigate entry-level jobs disrupted by AI? We share proactive strategies for early-career workers to bring impact to the digital workplace.

The future is bright →

The New Innovation Blueprint for the Enterprise

Planning to leverage AI and other emerging tech in 2025? Then you can’t afford to neglect a healthy innovation culture, or you’ll risk introducing chaos for your team.?

A sustainable roadmap starts here →?

Did you know?

Among Apple’s product unveilings earlier this week , which included the iPhone 16, the company teased a major announcement for one of its flagship devices, Apple’s AirPods. Upon receiving FDA approval , the AirPods Pro 2 will get a free software update that will provide “clinical grade” hearing aid capabilities.

Instead of needing to see a doctor to get hearing aids, people can take Apple’s five-minute hearing test on their own and unlock personalized sound-boosting and hearing protection based on surrounding noise. Sumbul A. Desai, Apple’s vice president of health, says this feature is expected to help more than 1 billion people living with mild to moderate hearing loss. At $249, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are significantly less expensive than other OTC options, like Sony’s $1,099 CRE-E10 self-fitting hearing aids. So, what’s the catch? Users will need an iPhone equipped with iOS 18, rolling out later this fall, for the new features to work. Overall, even if users need to purchase a new phone to access this option, it will be cheaper than prescription hearing aids, which typically cost over $2,000.

Thanks for reading this edition of Now & Next. Looking for a digital partner with expertise in the full product lifecycle? Learn more about services from Modus today. Want to go deeper? We'd love to chat !