I think about the early ATMs now and then. No one knew the “right” way to use them. I imagine a customer in the 1970s standing there, card in hand, squinting at this unfamiliar machine and hoping it would give something back; trying to decide if it really dispensed cash…or just ate cards for sport. That quick panic when the machine pulled the card in is an early version of the same confusion customers feel today in digital banking.

People were not afraid of machines. They were afraid of not understanding what the machine was doing with their money.

Banks solved it by teaching people how to trust the process. They added clear instructions, trained staff to guide customers, and repeated the same steps until the unfamiliar felt intuitive. 

However, the stakes and complexity are much higher now, and AI for financial product transparency is becoming essential to an optimized banking UX.

Today’s banking customer must navigate automated underwriting, digital identity checks, algorithmic risk models, hybrid blockchain components, and disclosures written in a language most people never use. Meanwhile, the average person is still struggling with basic money concepts.

FINRA reports that only 37% of U.S. adults can answer four out of five financial literacy questions (FINRA Foundation, 2022).

Pew Research finds that only about half of Americans understand key concepts like inflation and interest (Pew Research Center, 2024).

Financial institutions are starting to realize that clarity is not a content task or a customer service perk. It is structural. It affects conversion, compliance, risk, and trust. It shapes the entire digital experience. And AI is accelerating the pressure to treat clarity as infrastructure.

When customers don’t understand, they don’t convert. When they feel unsure, they abandon the flow. 

How AI is Improving UX in Banking (And Why Institutions Need it Now)

Financial institutions often assume customers will “figure it out.” They will Google a term, reread a disclosure, or call support if something is unclear. In reality, most customers simply exit the flow.

The CFPB shows that lower financial literacy leads to more mistakes, higher confusion, and weaker decision-making (CFPB, 2019). And when that confusion arises during a digital journey, customers quietly leave without resolving their questions.

This means every abandoned application costs money. Every misinterpreted term creates operational drag. Every unclear disclosure becomes a compliance liability. Institutions consistently point to misunderstanding as a major driver of complaints, errors, and churn (Lusardi et al., 2020).

Sometimes it feels like the industry built the digital bank faster than it built the explanation for it.

Where AI Makes the Difference

Many discussions about AI in financial services focus on automation or chatbots, but the real opportunity lies in real-time clarity. Clarity that improves financial product transparency and streamlines customer experience without creating extra steps.

In-context Explanations That Improve Understanding

Research in educational psychology shows people learn best when information appears the moment they need it. Mayer (2019) demonstrates that in-context explanations significantly boost comprehension. Instead of leaving the app to search unfamiliar terms, customers receive a clear, human explanation on the spot.

Consistency Across Channels

Language in banking is surprisingly inconsistent. Apps, websites, advisors, and support teams all use slightly different terms. Capgemini identifies cross-channel inconsistency as a major cause of digital frustration (Capgemini, 2023). A unified AI knowledge layer solves this by standardizing definitions across the system.

Predictive Clarity Powered by Behavioral Insight

Patterns like hesitation, backtracking, rapid clicking, or form abandonment often signal confusion. Behavioral economists note these patterns can predict drop-off before it happens (Loibl et al., 2021). AI can flag these friction points and help institutions fix them.

24/7 Clarity, Not 9–5 Support

Accenture reports that most digital banking interactions now occur outside of business hours (Accenture, 2023). AI allows institutions to provide accurate, transparent explanations anytime, without relying solely on support teams.

At its core, AI doesn’t simplify financial products. It translates them.

What Strong AI-Powered Customer Experience Looks Like

Onboarding that Explains Itself

• Mortgage flows with one-sentence escrow definitions.
• Credit card applications with visual explanations of usage.
  
• Hybrid products that show exactly what blockchain is doing behind the scenes. The CFPB shows that simpler, clearer formats directly improve decision quality (CFPB, 2020).

A Unified Dictionary Across Channels

The Federal Reserve emphasizes the importance of consistent terminology to help consumers make informed decisions (Federal Reserve Board, 2021). Some institutions now maintain a centralized term library that powers their entire ecosystem, creating a cohesive experience instead of fragmented messaging.

Personalization Based on User Behavior

Educational nudges, simplified paths, multilingual explanations. Research shows these interventions boost customer confidence (Kozup & Hogarth, 2008). 

Transparent Explanations for Hybrid or Blockchain-backed Products

Customers adopt new technology faster when they understand the mechanics behind it (University of Cambridge, 2021). AI can make complex automation and decentralized components understandable.

The Urgent Responsibilities That Come With This

GenAI can mislead customers without strong data governance and oversight. Poor training data, inconsistent terminology, or unmonitored AI systems create clarity gaps. That’s a problem because those gaps can become compliance issues. The Financial Stability Oversight Council warns that unmanaged AI introduces systemic risk (FSOC, 2023). The CFPB also emphasizes the need for compliant, accurate AI-generated content (CFPB, 2024).

Customers are also increasingly wary of data usage and privacy. Pew Research shows growing fear around how financial institutions use personal data (Pew Research Center, 2023). Trust requires transparency.

Clarity without governance is not clarity. It’s noise.

And institutions cannot afford noise.

What Institutions Should Build Right Now

To make clarity foundational to customer experience, financial institutions need to invest in:

• Modern data pipelines to improve accuracy
• Consistent terminology and UX layers across channels
• Responsible AI frameworks with human oversight
• Cross-functional collaboration between compliance, design, product, and analytics
• Scalable architecture for automated and decentralized product components
• Human-plus-AI support models that enhance, not replace, advisors

When clarity becomes structural, trust becomes scalable.

Why This Moment Matters

I keep coming back to the ATM because it perfectly shows what happens when technology outruns customer understanding. The machine wasn’t the problem. The knowledge gap was. Financial services are reliving that moment today.

Customers cannot trust what they do not understand.

And institutions cannot scale what customers do not trust.

GenAI gives financial organizations a second chance to rebuild the clarity layer the industry has lacked for decades, and not as marketing. Clarity, in this new landscape, truly is infrastructure.

Related Reading

• The Personalization Gap Is Hurting Financial Services, Here’s How to Close It: A discussion of how personalization shortfalls are holding back financial services from meeting customer expectations. 

• Closing the Gap Between Expectations and Experience in Financial Services: Analysis of rising customer expectations and why legacy systems struggle to keep up. 

• Trust Is the New Currency in Financial Services and Customers Are Setting the Terms: A look at how trust, speed, transparency, and control are reshaping what customers expect from their institutions. 

References 

• Accenture. (2023). Banking top trends 2023. https://www.accenture.com
• Capgemini. (2023). World retail banking report 2023. https://www.capgemini.com
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2019). Financial well-being in America. https://www.consumerfinance.gov
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2020). Improving the clarity of mortgage disclosures. https://www.consumerfinance.gov
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2024). Supervisory highlights: Issue 30. https://www.consumerfinance.gov
• Federal Reserve Board. (2021). Consumers and mobile financial services. https://www.federalreserve.gov
• FINRA Investor Education Foundation. (2022). National financial capability study. https://www.finrafoundation.org
• Financial Stability Oversight Council. (2023). Annual report. https://home.treasury.gov
• Kozup, J., & Hogarth, J. (2008). Financial literacy, public policy, and consumers’ self-protection. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 42(2), 263–270.
• Loibl, C., Grinstein-Weiss, M., & Koeninger, J. (2021). Consumer financial behavior in digital environments. Journal of Economic Psychology, 87, 102438.
• Lusardi, A., Mitchell, O. S., & Oggero, N. (2020). The changing face of financial literacy. University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.
• Mayer, R. (2019). The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. Cambridge University Press.
• Pew Research Center. (2023). Americans and data privacy. https://www.pewresearch.org
• Pew Research Center. (2024). Americans and financial knowledge. https://www.pewresearch.org
• University of Cambridge. (2021). Global blockchain benchmarking study. https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. Every month brings new features promising “deeper thinking” and “agentic processes.” Tech titans are locked in trillion-dollar battles. Headlines scream about business, economic, and societal concerns. Skim the news and you’re left excited and terrified!

Here’s the thing: we’re still human – virtues, flaws, quirks, and all. We’ve always had our agency, collectively shaping our future. Even now, while embracing AI, we need to keep building for us.

We Fear What We Do Not Know

“AI this… AI that…” Even tech leaders admit they don’t fully understand it. Sci-fi stories warn us with cautionary tales. News cycles fuel anxiety about job loss, disconnected human relationships, and cognitive decline.

Luckily, this round of innovation is surprisingly transparent. You can read the Attention is All You Need paper (2017) that started it all. You can even build your own AI if you want! This isn’t locked behind a walled garden. That’s a good thing.

What the Past Can Tell Us

I like to look at the past to gauge what we can expect from the future. Humans have feared every major invention and technological breakthrough. We expect the worst, but most have proven to improve life.

We’ve always had distractions from books, movies, games, to TikTok brain-rot. Some get addicted and go too deep, while others thrive. People favor entertainment and leisure activities – this is nothing new – so I don’t feel like cognitive decline is anything to worry about. Humanity has overcome all of it before and will continue to do so.

.

Humans are Simple (and Complicated) Creatures

We look for simplicity and speed. Easy to understand, easy to look at, easy to interact with, easy to buy from. We skim read, we skip video segments, we miss that big red CTA button. The TL;DR culture rules. Even so, I don’t think we’re at risk of the future from Idiocracy (2006).

That’s not to say that we don’t overcomplicate things. The Gods Must Be Crazy movie (1980) has a line that resonates, “The more [we] improved [our] surroundings to make life easier, the more complicated [we] made it.” We bury our users (our customers) in detail when they just want to skim, skip, and bounce.

Building for Computers

The computer revolution (1950s-1980s) started with machines serving humans. Then came automation. And eventually, systems talking to systems.

Fast-forward to the 2010s, where marketers gamed the algorithms to win at SEO, SEM, and social networking. Content was created for computers, not humans. Now we have the dead internet theory. We were building without humans in mind.

We will still have to build for systems to talk to systems. That won’t change. APIs are more important than ever, and agentic AI relies on them. Because of this, it is crucial to make sure what you are building “plays well with others”. But AIs and APIs are tools, not the audience.

Building for Humans

Google used to tell us all to build what people want, as opposed to gaming their systems. I love that advice. However, at first it felt unrealistic…gaming the system worked. Then after many updates, for a short bit, it felt like Google was getting there! Then it got worse and feels like pay-to-play recently.

Now AI is reshaping search and everything else. You can notice the gap between search results and AI recommendations. They don’t match. AI assistants aim to please humans, which is great, until it inevitably changes.

Digital teams must build for AI ingestion, but if you neglect the human aspect and the end user experience, then you will only see short-term wins.

Examples of Building for Humans

• Make it intuitive and easy. Simple for end users means a lot of work for builders, but it is worth it! Reduce their cognitive load.
• Build with empathy. Appeal to real people, not just personas and bots. Include feedback loops so they can feel heard.
• Get to the point. Don’t overwhelm users, instead help them take action! Delight your customers by saving them time.
• Add humor when appropriate. Don’t be afraid to be funny, weird, or real…it connects on a human level.
• Consider human bias. Unlike bots and crawlers, humans aren’t always logical. Design for human biases.
• Watch your users. Focus groups or digital tracking tools are great for observing. Learn from real users and iterate.

Conclusion

Building for humans never goes out of style. Whatever comes after AI will still need to serve people. So as tech evolves, let’s keep honing systems that work with and around our human nature.

……

If you are looking for that extra human touch (built with AI), reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

As a Drupal developer with over four years of experience, I’ve worked on numerous projects where accessibility was a priority. Ensuring websites are accessible to people with disabilities is not only a best practice but also often a legal requirement. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a framework for achieving this, and tools like UserWay can streamline the process. In this post, I’ll explain WCAG compliance in clear terms, its importance for Drupal sites, and how UserWay can assist, based on my professional experience.

Understanding WCAG

WCAG, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, is a set of standards designed to make websites accessible to individuals with disabilities, including those with visual or motor impairments. Most organizations target WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which strikes a balance between practicality and meaningful accessibility improvements. Compliance ensures that users can navigate and interact with your site using tools such as screen readers or keyboards.

WCAG compliance is essential for legal compliance, such as adhering to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US or European accessibility regulations. In my work, I’ve seen clients prioritize WCAG to avoid legal risks, especially for public-facing sites like those for nonprofits or government organizations.

Core Principles of WCAG

WCAG is built on four principles, often referred to as POUR:

• Perceivable: Content must be accessible through sight or sound. For example, images need text descriptions for screen readers, and text must have sufficient contrast.
• Operable: Users should be able to navigate the site using a keyboard or other assistive devices, not just a mouse.
• Understandable: The site’s interface and content should be clear, with intuitive navigation and straightforward error messages.
• Robust: The site must function across various assistive technologies and devices, including older browsers.

These principles guide all accessibility efforts on Drupal projects.

Importance of WCAG for Drupal Sites

Drupal is a powerful platform for building flexible websites, but accessibility requires deliberate effort. WCAG compliance offers several benefits:

• Inclusivity: Ensures all users, regardless of ability, can access your content.
• Legal Protection: Reduces the risk of lawsuits, a concern I’ve encountered with clients in regulated industries.
• SEO Benefits: Accessible sites often rank better in search engines due to cleaner structure and content.
• Future-Readiness: Compliant sites are more compatible with emerging technologies.

In one project, a client’s Drupal site had an event calendar that was visually appealing but inaccessible to screen readers. Addressing WCAG requirements improved usability for all users, not just those with disabilities.

Practical Steps for WCAG Compliance

Here are the key steps I follow to achieve WCAG compliance on Drupal sites:

• Image Descriptions: Add alt text to images to describe them for screen readers. Drupal’s CKEditor prompts editors to include alt text during image uploads.
• Color Contrast: Ensure text is readable against its background. I use tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to verify a 4.5:1 contrast ratio, as required by WCAG.
• Keyboard Navigation: Test the site using the Tab key to confirm that all links, buttons, and forms are accessible without the use of a mouse. Drupal’s Olivero theme supports this well.
• Clear Form Labels: Ensure every form field has a descriptive label, such as “Email Address.” Drupal’s Form API handles this effectively, but custom forms need review.
• Accessibility Testing: Use tools like WAVE or Lighthouse to identify issues, such as missing labels or low contrast, before launching the site.

These steps address WCAG’s core principles and are manageable within most Drupal workflows.

Using UserWay to Support Compliance

UserWay is a tool I use to simplify WCAG compliance. It’s a JavaScript widget that enhances accessibility by adjusting contrast, enabling screen reader support, and allowing users to increase text size. To integrate UserWay, I sign up at userway.org, obtain the provided JavaScript code, and add it to the Drupal theme’s settings (Appearance > Settings > Your Theme > Custom JavaScript). The process takes about 15 minutes, and the widget immediately improves accessibility.

UserWay also includes a scanning tool that identifies WCAG-related issues, such as missing alt text, and provides a report for manual fixes. In a recent project, UserWay’s scanner helped us address accessibility gaps on a content-heavy site, saving significant development time. Pricing starts at approximately $49/month per site, which is reasonable for many projects.

Considerations

While UserWay automates many accessibility features, it’s not a complete solution. Manual tasks, like writing accurate alt text or testing custom functionality, are still necessary. Additionally, the cost may add up for developers managing multiple sites. In my experience, combining UserWay with manual checks ensures robust compliance with WCAG.

Conclusion

Achieving WCAG compliance on Drupal sites is crucial for ensuring inclusivity, meeting legal requirements, and enhancing user experience. By following straightforward steps, including adding alt text, ensuring keyboard navigation, and thoroughly testing, you can effectively meet WCAG standards. UserWay supports this process by automating key adjustments and providing actionable insights. Based on my work, these efforts create better, more accessible Drupal sites.

In this era of Web development, Next.JS and Vercel is the powerful couple. Next.JS offers performance, scalability and flexibility in building web applications whereas Vercel provides the easy and smooth deployment experience tailored for it.

Today, in this blog, we will cover the step-by-step process of deploying a Next.JS app on Vercel. We will also cover some best practices and key configurations to ensure the optimal performance in production.

 Why Vercel + Next.js?

• Zero config deployment for Next.js projects
• Support for ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) is built in
• First-class serverless function support
• CDN-backed global edge network for fast delivery
• Automatic scaling without infrastructure headaches

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have:

• A working Next.js project (npx create-next-app@latest if you want to create one)
• A GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket account
• A account of Vercel (sign up at vercel.com)

Step 1: Add and push Your Next.js App to Git

Make sure your Next.js code is version-controlled and hosted on a Git provider like GitHub.

git init

git add .

git commit -m "Initial commit"

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo.git

git push -u origin main

Step 2: Connect to Vercel

1. Visit https://vercel.com
2. Click “New Project”
3. Connect your GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket account (if not already done)
4. Now Select the repository that contains the Next.js app
5. Vercel will auto-detect it’s a js project. No extra configuration needed.

Below is the screenshot which you will get after these steps:

Step 3: Configure Build Settings (Optional)

Vercel sets default settings for Next.js automatically:

• Framework Preset: Next.js
• Build Command: next build
• Output Directory: .next

You can override these as needed. You can also define environment variables under the Environment Variables section (e.g., for API keys). After clicking on the project which you want to import, you can see this:

Step 4: Deploy!

Click “Deploy” and let Vercel take care of the rest.

• Within seconds or minutes, your app will be live at a .vercel.app domain.
• Every commit you push to the connected branch will automatically trigger a new deployment.

You will see the below dashboard in which the details will be mentioned.

And this is how the vercel-hosted site will look on browser.

Step 5: Set Up a Custom Domain

You can add your own domain:

1. Go to the project dashboard → Settings → Domains
2. Enter your domain name and follow the DNS instructions
3. Enable HTTPS with a free Vercel-managed SSL certificate

Scaling with Vercel

Vercel auto-scales with traffic using serverless functions and edge caching, but here are a few tips for scaling smartly:

• Use next/image for optimized image loading
• Prefer static generation where possible
• Use middleware and edge functions for routing and auth at the edge
• Utilize analytics and performance monitoring via Vercel integrations

 Key Benefits Recap

Final Thoughts

Deploying the scalable Next.JS app on Vercel is an easy and smooth process. Whether you are giving the shot to a blog or a site, Vercel ensures optimal performance with zero-config deployments.

So, what are you waiting for? Push and deploy your code to Vercel and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with this modern approach.

TypeScript offers powerful type manipulation capabilities that allow developers to create more flexible and maintainable code. Three key features that enable this are keyof, typeof, and Mapped Types. Let’s explore each of them with examples.

keyof: The keyof operator takes an object type and produces a string or numeric literal union of its keys.

Example:

This is useful for creating dynamic and type-safe property accessors:

Here, TypeScript ensures that key must be a valid property of User.

typeof: Inferring Types from Values

The typeof operator allows us to extract the type of a variable or property.

Example:

Now, UserType will have the same structure as user, which is useful when working with dynamically created objects.

Another use case is inferring function return types:

Mapped Types: Transforming Types Dynamically

Mapped Types allow you to create new types based on existing ones by iterating over keys.

Example: Making Properties Optional

Now, PartialUser has all properties of User, but they are optional.

Example: Making Properties Readonly

Now, ReadonlyUser prevents any modification to its properties.

Example: Creating a Record Type

Here, UserPermissions will be an object with keys from UserRoles and boolean values:

Conclusion

By leveraging keyof, typeof, and Mapped Types, TypeScript allows developers to write more flexible and type-safe code. These advanced features help in dynamically generating types, ensuring correctness, and reducing redundancy in type definitions.

Nowadays, TypeScript has become the first choice for building scalable and maintainable React applications. By combining the approaches for static typing with dynamic capabilities of React, TypeScript enhances productivity, improves the readability of code and reduces the runtime errors. In this blog, we will explore best practices for using TypeScript in React projects, covering type safety, event handling, configuration, and utility types

1. Configuring TypeScript in a React Project
To start with TypeScript in a React project, one need to set up the configurations of TypeScript correctly. Configure tsconfig.json appropriately. The tsconfig.json file is essential for defining TypeScript rules and compiler options. Below is a basic configuration for a React project:

2. Strict Type Checking
Enforce strict Mode
Enable strict mode in your tsconfig.json to ensure stricter type checking and improved error detection. It activates several useful checks, including:
• noImplicitAny: Prevents TypeScript from inferring any type implicitly, enforcing explicit type annotations.
• strictNullChecks: Ensures variables cannot be assigned null or undefined unless explicitly declared.

This setting activates a suite of checks like noImplicitAny, strictNullChecks, and more, ensuring your code adheres to TypeScript’s rigorous standards.

Example
Without strict mode

With strict mode:

3. Typing Props and State
Use interface or type for Props
Define prop types explicitly for better clarity and IDE support. Instead of relying on PropTypes, use TypeScript interfaces or type aliases:

For components with dynamic keys:

Typing State
Use the useState hook with a type to define state. It ensures the predictable state values:

4. Using TypeScript with Events
React events can be strongly typed with TypeScript to ensure correctness and handle incorrect event handling.
Example: Handling Form Events

5. Default Props and Optional Props
Setting Default Props
You can provide default values for props:
Providing default values to props ensures that the component functions correctly even if a prop is not provided.

Optional Props
Make props optional by adding a ‘?’ , which allows flexibility in component usage:

6. Utility Types
TypeScript provides utility types to simplify common tasks.
Examples
Partial
Make all property optional:

Pick
Pick specific properties from a type:

Conclusion
TypeScript offers an improved type of safety and better developer experience which makes it the valuable addition to React development. We can build more reliable and maintainable React applications by applying their learning and practices.

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, choosing the right framework can significantly impact the performance and user experience of your applications. Two of the most prominent frameworks in the React ecosystem today are Remix and Next.js. Both are designed to enhance web development efficiency and performance, but they cater to different needs and use cases. In this blog, we’ll explore the strengths, features, and considerations of each framework to help you make an informed decision.

What is Remix?

Remix is an edge-native, full-stack JavaScript framework that focuses on building modern, fast, and resilient user experiences. It acts primarily as a compiler, development server, and a lightweight server runtime for react-router. This unique architecture allows Remix to deliver dynamic content efficiently, making it particularly well-suited for applications that require real-time updates and high interactivity.

Key Features of Remix:

• Dynamic Content Delivery: Remix excels in delivering dynamic content, ensuring that users receive the most up-to-date information quickly.
• Faster Build Times: The framework is designed for speed, allowing developers to build and deploy applications more efficiently.
• Full-Stack Capabilities: Remix supports both client-side and server-side rendering, providing flexibility in how applications are structured.
• Nested Routes: Remix uses a hierarchical routing system where routes can be nested inside each other. Each route can have its own loader (data fetching) and layout, making UI updates more efficient.
• Enhanced Data Fetching: Remix loads data on the server before rendering the page. Uses loader functions to fetch data in parallel, reducing wait times. Unlike React, data fetching happens at the route level, avoiding unnecessary API calls.
• Progressive Enhancement: Remix prioritizes basic functionality first and enhances it for better UX. Pages work even without JavaScript, making them faster and more accessible. Improves SEO, performance, and user experience on slow networks.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a widely used React framework that offers a robust set of features for building interactive applications. It is known for its strong support for server-side rendering (SSR) and routing, making it a popular choice among developers looking to create SEO-friendly applications.

Key Features of Next.js:

• Server-Side Rendering: Next.js provides built-in support for SSR, which can improve performance and SEO by rendering pages on the server before sending them to the client.
• Extensive Community Support: With over 120,000 GitHub stars, Next.js boasts a large and active community, offering a wealth of resources, plugins, and third-party integrations.
• Automatic Static Optimization: Next.js automatically pre-renders pages as static HTML if no server-side logic is used. This improves performance by serving static files via CDN. Pages using getStaticProps (SSG) benefit the most.
• Built-in API Routes: Next.js allows you to create serverless API endpoints inside the pages/api/ directory. No need for a separate backend, it runs as a serverless function.
• Fast Refresh: Next.js Fast Refresh allows instant updates without losing component state. Edits to React components update instantly without a full reload.  Preserves state in functional components during development.
• Rich Ecosystem: The framework includes a variety of features such as static site generation (SSG), API routes, and image optimization, making it a versatile choice for many projects.

Setting Up a Simple Page

Remix Example

In Remix, you define routes based on the file structure in your app/routes directory. Here’s how you would create a simple page that fetches data from an API:

File Structure:

app/  
  └── routes/  
      └── index.tsx  

index.tsx

import { json, LoaderFunction } from '@remix-run/node';
import { useLoaderData } from "@remix-run/react";

type Item = {
  id: number;
  name: string;
};
type LoaderData = Item[];

export let loader: LoaderFunction = async () => {  
  const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com/data');  
  const data: LoaderData = await res.json();  
  return json(data);  
};  

export default function Index() {  
  const data = useLoaderData<LoaderData>();  
  
  return (  
    <div>  
      <h1>Data from API</h1>  
      <ul>  
        {data.map((item: Item) => (  
          <li key={item.id}>{item.name}</li>  
        ))}  
      </ul>  
    </div>  
  );  
}

Next.js Example

In Next.js, you define pages in the pages directory. Here’s how you would set up a similar page:

File Structure

pages/  
  └── index.js  

index.jsx

export async function getServerSideProps() {
  const res = await fetch("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts");
  const posts = await res.json();

  return { props: { posts } }; // Pass posts array to the component
}

export default function Home({ posts }) {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>All Posts</h1>
      <ul>
        {posts.map((post) => (
          <li key={post.id}>
            <h2>{post.title}</h2>
            <p>{post.body}</p>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}

Comparing Remix and Next.js

Data Fetching Differences

Remix

• Uses loaders to fetch data before rendering the component.
• Data is available immediately in the component via useLoaderData.

Next.js

• Uses React’s useEffect hook to fetch data after the component mounts.
• Data fetching can be done using getStaticProps or getServerSideProps for static site generation or server-side rendering, respectively.

Caching Strategies

Next.js

Next.js primarily relies on Static Generation (SSG) and Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) for caching, while also allowing Server-Side Rendering (SSR) with per-request fetching.

Static Generation (SSG)

• Caches pages at build time and serves static HTML files via CDN.
• Uses getStaticProps() to prefetch data only once at build time.
• Best for: Blog posts, marketing pages, documentation.

Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)

• Rebuilds static pages in the background at set intervals (without a full redeploy).
• Uses revalidate to periodically refresh the cache.
• Best for: Product pages, news articles, dynamic content with occasional updates.

Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

• Does NOT cache the response, fetches fresh data for every request.
• Uses getServerSideProps() and runs on each request.
• Best for: User-specific pages, real-time data (stock prices, dashboards).

Remix

Remix treats caching as a fundamental concept by leveraging browser and CDN caching efficiently.

 Loader-Level Caching (Response Headers)

• Remix caches API responses at the browser or CDN level using Cache-Control headers.
• Uses loader() functions for server-side data fetching, allowing fine-grained caching control.
• Best for: Any dynamic or frequently updated data.

Full-Page Caching via Headers

• Unlike Next.js, which caches only static pages, Remix caches full page responses via CDN headers.
• This means faster loads even for dynamic pages.

Browser-Level Caching (Prefetching)

• Remix automatically prefetches links before the user clicks, making navigation feel instant.
• Uses <Link> components with automatic preloading.

Performance

While both frameworks are engineered for high performance, Remix tends to offer better dynamic content delivery and faster build times. This makes it ideal for applications that require real-time updates and high interactivity.

Developer Experience

Both frameworks aim to improve the developer experience, but they do so in different ways. Remix focuses on simplifying the development process by minimizing setup and configuration, while Next.js provides a more extensive set of built-in features, which can be beneficial for larger projects.

Community and Ecosystem

Next.js has a larger community presence, which can be advantageous for developers seeking support and resources. However, Remix is rapidly gaining traction and building its own dedicated community.

Conclusion

Choosing between Remix and Next.js ultimately depends on your specific project requirements and preferences If you are looking for dynamic content delivery and quick build time, Remix might be the better option for you. But, if you need strong server-side rendering features and a rich ecosystem of tools, Next.js could be the way to go.

Both frameworks are excellent choices for modern web development, and knowing their strengths and trade-offs will help you pick the right one for your next project. No matter whether you opt for Remix or Next.js, you’ll be set to build high-performance, user-friendly applications that can tackle the challenges of today’s web.

Informatica Power Center professionals transitioning to Informatica Intelligent Cloud Services (IICS) Cloud Data Integration (CDI) will find both exciting opportunities and new challenges. While core data integration principles remain, IICS’s cloud-native architecture requires a shift in mindset. This article outlines key differences, migration strategies, and best practices for a smooth transition.

Core Differences Between Power Center and IICS CDI:

• Architecture: Power Center is on-premise, while IICS CDI is a cloud-based iPaaS. Key architectural distinctions include:
  • Agent-Based Processing: IICS uses Secure Agents as a bridge between on-premise and cloud sources.
  • Cloud-Native Infrastructure: IICS leverages cloud elasticity for scalability, unlike Power Center’s server-based approach.
  • Microservices: IICS offers modular, independently scalable services.
• Development and UI: IICS uses a web-based UI, replacing Power Center’s thick client (Repository Manager, Designer, Workflow Manager, Monitor). IICS organizes objects into projects and folders (not repositories) and uses tasks, taskflows, and mappings (not workflows) for process execution.
• Connectivity and Deployment: IICS offers native cloud connectivity to services like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. It supports hybrid deployments and enhanced parameterization.

Migration Strategies:

1. Assessment: Thoroughly review existing Power Center workflows, mappings, and transformations to understand dependencies and complexity.
2. Automated Tools: Leverage Informatica’s migration tools, such as the Power Center to IICS Migration Utility, to convert mappings.
3. Optimization: Rebuild or optimize mappings as needed, taking advantage of IICS capabilities.

Best Practices for IICS CDI:

1. Secure Agent Efficiency: Deploy Secure Agents near data sources for optimal performance and reduced latency.
2. Reusable Components: Utilize reusable mappings and templates for standardization.
3. Performance Monitoring: Use Operational Insights to track execution, identify bottlenecks, and optimize pipelines.
4. Security: Implement robust security measures, including role-based access, encryption, and data masking.

Conclusion:

IICS CDI offers Power Center users a modern, scalable, and efficient cloud-based data integration platform. While adapting to the new UI and development paradigm requires learning, the fundamental data integration principles remain. By understanding the architectural differences, using migration tools, and following best practices, Power Center professionals can successfully transition to IICS CDI and harness the power of cloud-based data integration.

In the world of web development, we often store data on the client side for various purposes which could be to remember user-preferences or to maintain the application state. Here, JavaScript provides two key mechanisms for this, which are Local Storage and Session Storage. Both are part of Web Storage API; they have some unique differences in behavior and use-cases.

Here, we will explore and get to know the comparisons and contrasts between Local Storage and Session Storage.

What is Web Storage API?

It provides simple key-value storage in the browser. It is synchronous and allows developers to store data that persists either for the duration of the page session or beyond it. The two main storage types are:

1. Local Storage: Data is retained even after the browser is closed and opened back again.
2. Session Storage: Data is cleared as soon as the browser tab is closed.

Common Features of Local Storage and Session Storage

• Key-Value Storage: Both store data as string key-value pairs.
• Browser-Based: The data is accessible only within the browser that stored it.
• Same Origin Policy: Data is isolated by the origin (protocol, hostname, and port).
• Maximum Storage: Both typically support up to 5-10 MB of storage per origin (varied by browser).
• Synchronous API: Operations are blocked and executed immediately.

Local Storage

Characteristics:

1. Persistent Storage: Data persists until explicitly removed, even if the browser is closed.
2. Crosstab Sharing: Data can be accessed across different tabs and windows of the same browser.

Use Case:

• Storing user preferences (e.g., dark mode settings).

Example:

Considerations:

• Persistent data can lead to storage bloat if not managed carefully.
• Avoid storing sensitive data due to the lack of encryption.

Session Storage

Characteristics:

1. Temporary Storage: Data is cleared when the browser tab is closed.
2. Tab-Specific: Data is not shared across tabs or windows.

Use Case:

• Maintaining session-specific state (e.g., form data).

Example:

Key Considerations:

• Best suited for transient data that is session specific.
• Data does not persist if the user reloads or opens a new tab.

Security Considerations

1. No Encryption: Both Local Storage and Session Storage store data in plain text, making them unsuitable for sensitive information.
2. Accessible by JavaScript: Stored data can be accessed by any script of the same origin, making it vulnerable to XSS attacks.
3. Use Secure Alternatives: For sensitive data, consider using cookies with HttpOnly and Secure flags, or server-side sessions.

When to Use Local Storage vs. Session Storage?

• Use Local Storage:
  • To store user preferences or settings.
  • For data that needs to persist across sessions (e.g., app themes, saved articles).
• Use Session Storage:
  • For session-specific data, such as temporary form inputs.
  • When data should not persist across tabs or after the session ends.

Conclusion

Always evaluate the security and performance implications of storing data on the client side and avoid storing sensitive or confidential information in either storage mechanism.

Local Storage and Session Storage are both incredible tools for handling client-side data-handling in today’s world. But knowing them and then using them depends on the scope of functionality and persistence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exploded into the mainstream, largely through chatbots and agents powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). Users can now have real-time conversations with multimodal AI tools that understand your text, voice, and images – even documents! The progress has been mind blowing, and tech companies are racing to integrate AI features into their products.

AI features today are being released with obvious interfaces and promoted heavily. My prediction though is that the future of AI will increasingly lean toward hidden, unnoticeable improvements to our daily experiences.

Visible AI – Current State

In our haste to compete, most AI tools today share a similar experience: either a chatbot interface or a feature trigger. What started as fresh and magical is becoming repetitive and forced.

ChatGPT, Bard, Claude… They all share the same conversational interface, resembling many lackluster customer service chatbots. The great ones now offer multimodal capabilities like voice or video input, but the concept is the same – back-and-forth dialogue.

Meanwhile, operating systems, web browsers, word processors, and other apps are tacking on AI features. Typically, these are triggered through a cool new AI icon to generate, summarize, or improve your content.

Invisible Enhancements – Yesterday & Today

Machine Learning (ML), on the other hand, has typically been rolled out as behind-the-scenes improvements that exponentially raise user expectations. Most users don’t even realize what ML processes are at play! Nearly invisible algorithms have transformed industries.

Google revolutionized search with its deceptively simple interface – a single search box delivering surprisingly targeted results. YouTube and Netflix ushered in streaming video, but they gained more attention surrounding their advanced recommendation engines. No more wandering the aisles of the local video store and reading the back of DVD cases!

The banking industry’s automated fraud detection is another perfect example of unobtrusive features. Instead of combing through your bank statement, you are notified in real time that your bank card has been disabled and the funds returned.

AI Ubiquity – Future State

AI is not going away – it offers tremendous opportunities for both businesses and consumers. Like subscription services where businesses cut costs and increase revenue, while the consumers enjoy better experiences, convenience, and options.

However, as with subscription services (access vs ownership), there are trade-offs. AI introduces trust issues, ethical concerns, and bias. Even so, the benefits are likely to outweigh the downsides. AI will reduce cognitive load in your daily life and have a far more natural interaction with digital systems. With AI, exciting products and benefits will be introduced.

Industries like healthcare, finance, automotive, retail, and energy are already exploring AI applications. At first these will be noticeable additions, but over time, AI will become seamlessly integrated and nearly invisible.

Conclusion

There will be bumps along the way (we should learn from our past). Legal disputes and unethical practices are inevitable, but progress will continue. We’ll need to get through some of the bad to reap the benefits – in the same way that fire is crucial to society but can also be destructive – we learn from our mistakes and move forward. Human creativity and innovation have brought us this far, and now we will integrate AI to amplify our potential.

I’m excited to see what is yet to come! We humans get nervous about game-changing technologies, but history shows that we are adept at adding safeguards and correcting our course. I think we’re going to surprise ourselves.

……

If you are looking for a digital partner who is excited about the future of AI, reach out to your Perficient account manager or use our contact form to begin a conversation.

JavaScript is a loosely typed language which is very dynamic in nature. It has been very popular for its strong web development for decades. Indeed, it is a powerful tool, but it can sometimes lead to huge codebase and runtime errors, mainly in heavy applications. Now, speak about TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript, overcoming its technical challenges. Let’s know why the TypeScript is gaining the popularity and attention among high end developers.

What is TypeScript?

TypeScript, the hero programming language, is developed and maintained by Microsoft. It is built on top of JavaScript by adding various features such as interfaces, error detection capabilities, static typing. It helps developers to write the cleaner, neater and more flexible code. Since the TypeScript compiles to JavaScript, it goes very well in terms of compatibility with JavaScript libraries and frameworks

Key Advantages of TypeScript

1. Static Typing

Think about your last debugging session: Have you ever spent time tracking down a bug caused by a type mismatch? Let’s see how TypeScript solves this with static typing.

JavaScript Example:

What do you think happens when we use TypeScript?

TypeScript Example:

Static typing ensures that type mismatches are caught during the development phase, reducing bugs in production.

2. Error Detection and Debugging

TypeScript’s compile-time checks prevent common errors such as typos or incorrect property access.

JavaScript Example:

TypeScript Example:

3. Better Code Maintainability

Imagine working on a large project with multiple team members. How would you ensure everyone follows a consistent data structure? TypeScript helps with constructs like enums and interfaces.

Example:

Using enums and interfaces, developers can clearly define and enforce constraints within the codebase.

4. Backward Compatibility

TypeScript compiles to plain JavaScript, meaning you can gradually adopt TypeScript in existing projects without rewriting everything. This makes it an ideal choice for teams transitioning from JavaScript.

Common Misconceptions About TypeScript

“TypeScript is Too Verbose”

It might seem so at first glance, but have you considered how much time it saves during debugging? For example:

“It Slows Down Development”

The time spent defining types is often outweighed by the time saved debugging and refactoring.

When to Use TypeScript?

TypeScript is particularly beneficial for:

• Large-scale applications: It ensures maintainability as the project grows
• Collaborative projects: Static typing helps teams understand each other’s code more easily.
• Complex data structures: For simplification of complex data structures, TypeScript is a better approach.

Conclusion

While JavaScript comes as a handy and excellent language for many projects, TypeScript addresses its flaws by introducing static typing, improved tooling and better readability and maintainability. For developers looking to build a high scale application with error-resistant code, TypeScript would be a great choice.

In the realm of web development, SCSS and JavaScript often serve as two fundamental pillars, each responsible for distinct roles – styling and functionality respectively. However, the integration of SCSS with JavaScript offers a powerful approach to creating dynamic, responsive, and interactive web experiences. In this advanced guide, we’ll dive into techniques and best practices for this integration.

Introduction to SCSS:

A preprocessor that adds powerful features like variables, nesting, and mixins to CSS. It allows developers to write more organized and maintainable stylesheets.

Why Integrate SCSS with JavaScript?

By linking SCSS and JavaScript, developers can leverage dynamic styling capabilities based on user actions, data changes, or other interactions. This extends beyond simple class toggles to involve dynamically altering styles.

Setting up the Environment:

Before integrating, you need to set up your project to compile SCSS into CSS:

• Install Node.js.
• Use npm to install Sass: npm install -g sass.
• Compile your SCSS: sass input.scss output.css.

Dynamic SCSS Variables using JavaScript:

Here’s where the magic happens. By using CSS custom properties (often called CSS variables), we can bridge the SCSS and JavaScript worlds:

This changes the primary color from blue to red, affecting any element styled with –primary-color variable.

Using JavaScript to Manage SCSS Mixins:

While direct integration isn’t possible, you can simulate behavior by creating various classes corresponding to mixins and then toggling them with JS:

SCSS Maps and JavaScript:

Maps can store theme configurations, breakpoints, or any other set of values. While you can’t access them directly in JS, you can output them as CSS custom properties:

Event-driven Styling:

By adding event listeners in JS, you can alter styles based on user interactions:

Conclusion:

Integrating Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets with JavaScript broadens the horizons for web developers, enabling styles to be as dynamic and data driven as the content they represent. While there are inherent boundaries between styling and scripting, the techniques outlined above blur these lines, offering unparalleled control over the user interface and experience.