As we awake this morning, we reflect on how our lives were so much different a year ago. Still apprehensive about this “mystery virus” and if it would even affect us, the little things like waking up, taking public transportation, walking on crowded sidewalks, going into the office and heading to a bar for happy hour – without a mask – was a very common routine for a typical American. That routine was quickly taken for granted without a thought that today would be a historical moment in time.
On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 a global pandemic. Panic began to arise with people fleeing to the grocery store stocking up on toilet paper and cleaning products- wiping the shelves out for months to come. People began to shelter, the work from home era began and social plans came to a screeching halt- waiting for this to blow over in a few weeks. Little did we know we were in this for the long run.
As the virus began to quickly spread, safety precautions had to be taken and people had to alter their lives. What used to be the “keys, phone, wallet” check was now the “mask and hand sanitizer” check as you left your house. With Americans scrambling to protect themselves with information and recommendations slowly trickling from the CDC, we began to adapt.
Protect vs disinfect, proactive vs reactive- there was a lot of trial and error over the last year on what to do to protect ourselves from this virus, and what we can do to destroy it. We as a country have seen tremendous shifts in technological and scientific advances. From research on the virus to how it acts and how it spreads, to the miraculous development of a vaccine within a year and even advancing our technology, this has truly been a year to remember.
2020 was the year of touch-free – one of the largest emerging trends we are seeing. America is known to be behind in many aspects of technology, including simple things such as public interactions. When we think about ordering and purchasing goods, it’s not so black and white anymore. People were hesitant to shop in-store because of our lack of technological advancements in payments and nobody wanted to touch public surfaces without vigorously sanitizing and disinfecting. eCommerce options and popular apps such as Amazon, Insta-Cart, DoorDash etc. saw an increase in demand for groceries and consumer goods. Contactless payments acceptance and mobile ordering soared, including QR codes for menu scanning. For those who aren’t so tech-savvy with contactless payments options had to go down the traditional route of in-store purchasing and paying with cash or credit card. Solutions had to be created for this type of consumer too, with safety precautions such as curb-side pick up, limited store capacity, plexiglass barriers and even our very own touch-free stylus solution to eliminate touch interactions and enable a safe environment.
Once the country has been vaccinated and we have reached herd immunity, the barriers will come down, the masks will come off, but “touch-free” is here to stay. From in-store contactless acceptance and QR codes payments to new touch-free kiosks using artificial intelligence, “touch-free” will be the new norm. What other technological advances will we see in the future?