The Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) is intended to ultimately lead to fewer invasions of exotic species, less harmful runoff from farms and cities, and reduced air and water pollution. This team launched an innovation platform called “GLIN Labs” that will create software, help users create new information products, and host a small set of strategy experiments for what GLIN should become. The team is upgrading how data is made available and coordinating a series of design and piloting workshops for a re-energized GLIN.

The team discovered that most people use GLIN for its daily news and email list services. Team members are hoping to build on these strengths with GLIN Labs. The team researched, customized and piloted a series of tools via GLIN Labs; including a video search application, a customized Google Map generator, and a text alert sign-up (which could send brief news updates via text messages). An advisory panel provided advice on resource management and technology, and how to customize GLIN Labs for maximum user benefit.

A list of recommended applications can be found at: labs.glin.net/tools/recommended_apps. The new website was launched on September 1st, 2009 (labs.glin.net), and the team is now building GLINv2.0, incorporating what it learned in this project.