In today’s digital-first economy, user experience defines the success of nearly every product and platform. Recognizing this shift, Mujo Learning Systems, a leading independent publisher of business, AI, and digital marketing curriculum, has launched “User Interface & User Experience Design” a practical, portfolio-driven textbook designed for business, marketing, and technology students aiming to master modern UI/UX design.

This release is more than just a new title it’s a timely solution for a widening digital skills gap in the classroom, giving students the tools to thrive in high-demand roles across design, product development, and digital strategy.

1. The Need for Practical UI/UX Education

• Digital Expectations Are Rising: From startups to Fortune 500 firms, the ability to craft intuitive and inclusive digital experiences is now essential—not optional.

• Employers Demand Real-World Skills: Academic institutions often struggle to match the pace of technological change, leaving students underprepared for roles that require working knowledge of tools like Figma, Adobe XD, prototyping systems, and responsive design best practices.

• Mujo’s Answer: A hands-on, project-based UI/UX curriculum that aligns academic outcomes with industry expectations.

2. Features of the Textbook

a. Industry-Relevant Curriculum

• Covers modern UI/UX principles, including usability heuristics, responsive design, information architecture, and mobile-first strategies.

• Keeps pace with current tools and trends used by professional designers.

b. Project-Based Learning

• Students work on practical assignments, from wireframes and prototypes to full design briefs.

• Encourages portfolio creation to showcase skills to future employers.

c. Empathy-Driven Design Philosophy

• Emphasizes accessibility and inclusivity—critical components of today’s UX standards.

• Trains students to understand the user’s perspective and design with purpose.

d. Flexible Delivery Format

• Suitable for in-person, online, or hybrid learning environments.

• Adaptable for college, university, or continuing education settings.

3. Benefits for Instructors

Educators gain turnkey teaching support via Mujo’s Teacher Resource Cloud, which includes:

• Editable lecture slides for seamless course planning.

• Self-marking quizzes and test banks to reduce grading time.

• Project templates and real-world case studies to enrich classroom discussion.

• LMS-ready digital courseware to easily integrate into Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, etc.

• Pacing guides and lesson plans to streamline curriculum delivery.

These resources help instructors deliver high-quality content efficiently, whether they’re seasoned educators or new to teaching UI/UX.

4. Bridging Theory and Practice for Future-Ready Students

Mujo’s textbook helps students not just learn UI/UX principles, but also apply them in meaningful ways:

• Build Professional Portfolios: Each chapter includes practical projects that result in tangible work samples.

• Develop Design Thinking: Students learn to empathize, ideate, prototype, and iterate—mirroring the professional product development process.

• Collaborate Like Pros: Exercises simulate team-based design challenges, preparing students for cross-functional roles in real-world settings.

5. Why This Matters Now

• UI/UX is a Top Emerging Field: LinkedIn and Glassdoor consistently list UX roles among the most in-demand tech jobs.

• Companies Seek Cross-Disciplinary Designers: As design becomes more integral to marketing, business strategy, and customer experience, professionals with both creative and analytical skills are highly valued.

• Colleges Are Under Pressure to Modernize: This resource provides a timely and robust way to keep curriculum current, competitive, and career-aligned.

Mujo Learning Systems' “User Interface & User Experience Design” textbook represents a strategic step forward in aligning academic training with digital industry needs. By combining hands-on learning, modern design theory, and turnkey instructor support, this resource ensures that students are not only learning about UI/UX—they’re preparing to lead in it.

As digital experiences become the battleground for consumer attention, Mujo is equipping the next generation of designers, marketers, and innovators with the tools they need to thrive.

In an era where passive advertising no longer captures consumer attention, Flam is pioneering a new frontier in marketing: transforming static ads into interactive, app-free digital and 3D experiences. The company recently secured $14 million in Series A funding, led by RTP Global with participation from Dovetail and existing investors, bringing total funding to $22 million. This capital injection will scale Flam’s cutting-edge AI infrastructure to empower brands to create immersive experiences that drive engagement and measurable impact.

1. The Problem: Passive Marketing in a Demanding Landscape

Most marketing today remains a one-way street—consumers passively consume ads, leaving brands struggling to break through the noise. In a landscape where consumer attention is scarce and fleeting, marketers need innovative solutions that turn simple touchpoints into dynamic, personalized interactions.

2. Flam’s Vision: Interactive Experiences at Every Touchpoint

Flam’s technology revolutionizes advertising by turning traditional ads into interactive mixed reality (MR) experiences accessible via a simple QR code scan or link click. No app downloads required. This means consumers can instantly:

• Immerse themselves in 3D product demos

• Engage with brand stories and exclusive content

• Unlock deeper layers of brand interaction

This frictionless engagement happens on any device, any platform—whether digital ads, broadcast TV, retail packaging, out-of-home (OOH) displays, or even messaging apps like WhatsApp.

3. Powerful AI Infrastructure for Speed and Scale

At the core of Flam’s offering is its app-less GenAI infrastructure, engineered to deliver high-fidelity MR and 3D digital experiences in under 300 milliseconds on any smartphone. This ensures:

• Lightning-fast content loading

• Real-time personalization and interactivity

• Seamless integration across channels and devices

Currently, this infrastructure supports campaigns for industry giants such as Google, Samsung, Emirates, and hundreds of other global brands.

4. Market Impact and Proven Success

With over 100 global brands leveraging Flam’s platform, the company’s real-time MR campaigns have reached more than 380 million users worldwide. Use cases include:

• Transforming product packaging into shareable brand stories

• Activating interactive 3D demos on TV ads and billboards

• Delivering fan engagement experiences at stadiums and live events

These initiatives help brands deliver native, engaging experiences that resonate with today’s media consumption habits.

5. The Road Ahead: Expanding Capabilities and Partnerships

With Series A funding secured, Flam is accelerating development on multiple fronts, including:

• GenAI-driven 3D asset generation for rapid content creation

• Democratizing MR deployment at scale via an Enterprise Suite

• Expanding infrastructure for broadcasters and fan engagement platforms

• Growing the partner program for creative studios and global platforms to enable Fortune 500 brands’ rapid global rollouts

Co-founder and CEO Shourya Agarwal emphasizes, “We are laser-focused on delivering the GenAI tools brands have been yearning for, transforming every touchpoint into an engaging, measurable experience.”

6. Industry Leadership and Investor Confidence

RTP Global’s Nishit Garg praises Flam’s vision and execution:
“The time for MR is now — and Flam is uniquely positioned to lead this wave.”

Dovetail’s Amal Parikh adds,
“With limitless applications and strong execution, Flam is set to redefine how brands connect with consumers.”

7. Company Growth and Global Expansion

Currently employing 120+ people across engineering, AI, creative tech, and go-to-market teams, Flam plans to grow to 180+ employees by the end of 2025. Expansion efforts are underway across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, positioning Flam as a global leader in immersive marketing technology.

Flam’s Series A funding milestone marks a pivotal moment in marketing innovation. By harnessing AI-powered mixed reality to convert passive touchpoints into active, personalized experiences—without the friction of app downloads—Flam is redefining how brands engage consumers in a digitally fragmented world. As it scales rapidly and expands its enterprise offerings, Flam stands poised to lead the future of interactive marketing.

Highwire, a strategic marketing communications agency renowned for partnering with brands at the intersection of innovation and industry, has announced the appointment of Michael O’Brien as its new Chief Executive Officer. This leadership change aims to accelerate the agency’s growth and drive its evolution toward integrated services and impactful client programs.

1. Leadership with Proven Expertise

Michael O’Brien brings over 30 years of experience delivering growth and excellence for some of the world’s most iconic brands. His extensive career includes 23 years at Ketchum, where he served as Chief Client Officer for over a decade. During that tenure, he led efforts to:

• Transform client service models

• Focus on sustainable growth

• Reduce revenue attrition

• Implement purposeful client management strategies

O’Brien also spearheaded global business development and strategic planning initiatives.

2. Transition and Continuity

O’Brien succeeds Carol Carrubba, who served as interim CEO and will remain a key part of Highwire’s executive leadership team. Carrubba commented on the transition:
"Michael stood out in every way as a leader who shares our values and brings the scale, relationships, and experience to realize our vision. I am confident he will propel us into a new era while honoring our deep roots."

3. Building on Recent Success

O’Brien joins Highwire following a year of double-digit growth in 2024, showcasing the agency’s effectiveness in delivering integrated, insight-driven marketing programs. Highwire’s client base spans industries such as:

• B2B technology

• Cybersecurity

• Healthcare

• Financial services

• Energy and sustainability

The agency is also investing heavily in AI-backed tools and data expertise to enhance tailored communications and marketing strategies.

4. Vision for the Future

Michael O’Brien expressed enthusiasm for leading Highwire into its next phase:
"Highwire has an outstanding reputation as a strategic partner for influential brands and has emerged as an indispensable partner for companies prioritizing innovation. I’m honored to lead the organization and build on its entrepreneurial, inclusive, and bold spirit."

5. Board and Industry Support

Mike Wilkins, Highwire board member and Shamrock Capital partner, highlighted O’Brien’s fit for the role:
"Michael’s client-first philosophy and strategic insight align perfectly with Highwire’s ambitions as we scale. His reputation as a trusted advisor ensures we stay ahead of client needs and deliver greater value amid growing market challenges."

Michael O’Brien’s appointment signals a new chapter for Highwire, with a leadership team poised to deepen client partnerships and expand the agency’s impact. As Highwire continues to innovate in strategic communications and embrace advanced technologies, its clients stand to benefit from heightened agility and effectiveness in a complex business landscape.

Google Cloud has announced a strategic collaboration with Philips Personal Health Business to modernize Philips’ global image library and content marketing systems. Leveraging Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform, Philips has built a cutting-edge solution that accelerates asset management with unmatched speed, scale, and efficiency, while reducing costs and enhancing brand consistency.

1. The Challenge: Managing a Vast Asset Portfolio

Philips faced increasing complexity in managing thousands of marketing assets across its broad product portfolio and expanding digital presence. The legacy processes were time-intensive, difficult to scale, and prone to inconsistencies challenges that threatened brand coherence and operational agility.

2. AI-Powered Breakthrough with Vertex AI

By harnessing Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and advanced models from Model Garden, Philips processed and matched over 200,000 images into 8,000 unique, brand-aligned assets in just hours. This approach:

• Eliminated duplicate and outdated visuals

• Simplified asset governance drastically

• Ensured consistent and compliant brand representation

The custom algorithm intelligently recognizes visual similarities even when images are cropped, resized, or reformatted, enabling rapid and accurate asset curation.

3. Transforming Marketing Operations and Brand Experience

Claudia Calori, Head of Marketing Excellence, Personal Health at Philips, said:
"Powered by Google's AI, this breakthrough is transforming how we work. It helps us maintain brand consistency, compliance, and accuracy while freeing time to focus on true innovation and creating deeper consumer connections."

The solution accelerates Philips' asset lifecycle management strategy, ensuring consumers always see up-to-date product visuals and messaging, reducing compliance risks, and maximizing marketing impact.

4. Unlocking New Marketing Capabilities

Beyond operational efficiency, this collaboration unlocks new marketing opportunities for Philips, including:

• Rapid visual similarity searches to accelerate A/B testing

• Curated, up-to-date asset selections for campaign managers

• Reduced manual workload in asset governance across channels

5. Google Cloud’s Perspective

Joost Smit, Head of Google Cloud, Benelux, commented:
"This collaboration leverages our advanced AI to fundamentally transform Philips' content management, setting new benchmarks for operational efficiency, marketing innovation, and scalable digital asset deployment."

The partnership between Google Cloud and Philips exemplifies how AI-driven innovation can transform marketing operations at scale, delivering greater efficiency, stronger brand consistency, and enhanced agility. This project not only addresses current challenges but also paves the way for future automation and smarter asset lifecycle management.

G2A.COM, the world’s largest marketplace for digital entertainment, has unveiled its latest brand awareness campaign, “Best Gate 2 Play.” This campaign builds on the success of its recent Gate Ready initiative, reinforcing G2A.COM’s Gate 2 Adventure positioning and solidifying its leadership in the digital entertainment space.

Spotlight on G2A.COM’s Vast Digital Offerings

The Best Gate 2 Play campaign highlights G2A.COM’s unmatched range of digital products including:

• Video games

• Gaming subscriptions

• Points for PC & mobile games

• DLCs and more

It emphasizes the marketplace’s core advantages: a vast catalog, instant digital delivery, competitive pricing, a seamless experience through the G2A App, and exciting benefits via G2A Plus, the loyalty program with Free and Premium plans designed to let users pay less and gain more.

AI-Driven Innovation at the Core

A standout feature of the campaign is its innovative use of AI-generated videos created in collaboration with creative agency PRO/PORCJA. The campaign leverages multiple advanced AI tools and platforms to craft hyper-realistic, immersive video content, including:

• ComfyUI for model training

• LLaMa Florence 2 for text-to-visual generation

• Flux Ultra for high-speed text-based video creation

• Visual enhancement tools like Sora, Kling AI, Fal, Krea, and MidJourney

This cutting-edge approach showcases G2A.COM’s commitment to integrating AI to enhance creativity and personalize the gamer journey.

Commitment to Digital Ethics and Consumer Trust

Mona Kinal, Chief Marketing Officer at G2A.COM, emphasized the balance between innovation and responsibility:
"The future of digital entertainment is driven by innovation and AI. With 'Best Gate 2 Play,' we're amplifying creativity and engagement while staying mindful of digital ethics and consumer trust."

G2A.COM

Founded in 2010 in Poland by Bartosz Skwarczek and a visionary team, G2A.COM evolved from a physical game distributor into the world’s largest digital marketplace by 2014. Today, it offers a broad spectrum of digital entertainment products, including games, gift cards, software, and e-learning, supporting multiple global and local payment options for a secure, seamless purchasing experience.

Campaign Duration

The Best Gate 2 Play campaign will run through the end of the year, delivering a series of AI-generated videos spotlighting various digital categories available on G2A.COM.

A recent Gartner, Inc. survey reveals that 47% of U.S. consumers expect to buy more American-made products in 2025, reflecting a growing preference for domestic goods amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

Conducted in March 2025 among 212 U.S. consumers, the Gartner Consumer Community survey also uncovered significant shifts in purchasing behavior. Notably, 42% of consumers reported delaying major purchases, a sharp rise from 28% in 2024. Gartner predicts that by Q3 2025, this will increase to 60% of consumers postponing major expenditures.

Moreover, by the end of 2025, Gartner forecasts that 60% of consumers will increasingly rely on secondhand and peer-to-peer marketplaces for their purchases, signaling a move toward more budget-conscious shopping strategies.

Economic Uncertainty Driving Deliberate Consumer Behavior

Kate Muhl, VP Analyst at Gartner Marketing, emphasized the shift:
"The current wave of economic uncertainty is reshaping consumer behavior in profound ways. There is a clear move toward more deliberate purchasing decisions and budget-conscious strategies as consumers prioritize financial stability over immediate gratification."

She added that marketing leaders who strengthen brand value and consistently deliver on core promises are better positioned to thrive in this evolving landscape.

Consumer Preferences on Brand Stance and Consistency

The survey also revealed nuanced views on brand activism:

• 68% of consumers prefer brands to remain neutral on social or political issues at this time.

• However, 55% lose trust in brands that reverse their stance on such issues.

• Among those who distrust brands for changing course, one-third reported boycotting a brand in the past year, compared to just 20% among those indifferent to brand reversals.

Muhl advises marketers to navigate brand activism carefully:

"Marketers must balance brand activism with consumer sentiment, especially when altering existing positions, to avoid alienating customers."

Expedia Group announced a significant expansion of its B2B technology platform with new APIs and advertising solutions designed to empower travel partners and enhance traveler experiences. These updates, revealed at Expedia Group’s EXPLORE™ event, include GenAI-powered discovery tools, advanced automation, and deeper integrations with leading AI platforms.

Smarter Connections with New B2B APIs

Expedia Group is scaling its Private Label Solutions by launching next-generation APIs that give partners access to expanded travel inventory and capabilities:

• Car API: Inventory from 110+ brands across 190 countries, including exclusive providers

• Activities API: Over 170,000 bookable experiences worldwide

• Insurance API: Trip protection integration, starting on Expedia TAAP for travel agents

• Air API: Soon enabling seamless combination of flights with lodging and car rentals

Alfonso Paredes, President of Private Label Solutions, highlights the platform’s growth:
"We delivered over 135 million room nights globally in 2024, and these new APIs will further deepen partner engagement, loyalty, and revenue."

Streamlined Hotel Operations with Reservation Management API

Expedia Group introduced a Reservation Management API with 15 new features, built on GraphQL, aimed at reducing operational costs by automating workflows. This tool enables hoteliers to efficiently manage bookings, payments, and data recovery, freeing up resources for higher-impact tasks. The solution addresses an estimated $120 million annual cost from manual operations.

GenAI Redefines Travel Discovery

Leveraging GenAI, Expedia Group launches innovative traveler experiences:

• Expedia Trip Matching: A first-of-its-kind feature turning Instagram reels into personalized travel recommendations, available for beta in June. Travelers can share reels and receive AI-generated itineraries and tips.

• AI Agent on Hotels.com: Integrates conversational discovery and servicing, offering real-time, personalized recommendations and booking assistance.

• OpenAI Operator and Microsoft Copilot Actions: Integrations bridging the gap between AI travel conversations and bookings, ensuring Expedia brands meet travelers across emerging AI platforms.

Enhanced Advertising Solutions for Travel Partners

Expedia Group Advertising delivers new tools for reaching travelers earlier in their journey:

• Creative collaboration with Beautiful Destinations: Partners co-create viral, shoppable content reaching 50 million+ followers.

• Offsite targeting via The Trade Desk: Precise, privacy-first audience targeting using Expedia’s first-party data.

• Advertiser-Funded Loyalty: DMOs can sponsor bonus rewards to drive bookings and loyalty through OneKeyCash incentives.

Rob Torres, SVP of Expedia Group Advertising, remarks:

"Our expanded media network and loyalty offerings help partners connect with high-intent travelers with relevant messaging at the right time."

Pricefx, the global leader in AI-powered, cloud-native pricing software, announced the release of its next-generation pricing AI platform with expanded capabilities designed to speed up deployment and enhance pricing decision-making. The platform improvements include advanced agentic AI, strengthened data foundations through PricingAI by Pricefx™, and new productized price optimization use cases tailored for complex B2B environments.

Accelerating Pricing Transformation in Volatile Markets

In today’s volatile market landscape, shaped by tariff fluctuations, supply chain disruptions, and unpredictable costs, pricing agility is critical. Traditional manual pricing processes are often too slow and risky, especially for companies managing thousands of products and complex pricing tiers. Pricefx’s enhanced AI platform empowers businesses to move from spreadsheet-driven, intuition-based pricing toward dynamic, data-driven strategies.

Benefits of Pricefx’s AI Platform

• Faster Pricing Decisions: Pricing experts can reduce decision times from weeks to minutes, with some processes fully automated.

• Greater Pricing Clarity: Improved insights into customer willingness to pay and demand forecasting enable fair and market-aligned price setting.

• Scalable Confidence: Sales and business leaders gain comprehensive visibility and confidence in consistent, profitable pricing at scale.

These advancements come on the heels of Pricefx’s recent recognition with a Gold Globee award for best AI-powered pricing optimization solution and as a finalist for SAP’s Pinnacle award in AI application.