Mobile Distribution Platforms to distribute, access and engage information

Smartphones, iPads, and tablets are rapidly becoming the most important items of technology in an individual’s life today. These are the devices that people have all the time with them. And these devices can now perform a number of tasks far beyond simply making a call.  They are used to connect with the world via the Internet. People use them for paying for things, searching information and many other things. But a new use of these devices is on the increase, which is education via a mobile digital publishing platform.

Mobile distribution platform have brought a revolution in the education industry. Researchers, teachers, professors  and others  in the field of science, medical and technical community have found this new technology quite useful. This new innovation allows them to share studies and findings, and collaborate and develop new ideas faster than any other methods.  The students are also leveraging the benefits.

Mobile distribution platforms are emerging with time as there are many benefits of mobile learning.  The top most benefit is portability. You can access content or information easily through a tablet or a smartphone while you are on move. The content for mobile learning is also highly targeted. You can learn or access information on your own pace at a minimal cost. All these reasons will continue to push the popularity of mobile distribution platforms in the coming years.

You need good technology skills in order to leverage  the benefits of these user-friendly platforms. Get in touch with a firm that provides custom technology solutions  to learn more about them. 

Digital Publishing Platforms Proves valuable for a Publisher’s time and Money

Creating and distributing content requires a specific strategy and a well-thought plan.  However, there are many content creators and publishers who are creating or delivering content, paying little mind to taking a systematic approach. They are not leveraging the available technologies and tools including the digital publishing platform. And this is preventing them to keep an edge in the publishing industry. 

Transitioning to digital publishing platforms offers an array of opportunities for content publishers and content producers. It is a cost-effective publishing solution to traditional publishing methods. By producing digital versions of your content, you can substantially cut printing costs. This will leave you with more budget for your other business activities. Digital publishing platforms are sustainable solutions. They help you reach a wider audience immediately without any hassle on Smartphones,iPads and other devices. Not to mention, access is quick, easy, cost-effective and friendlier. 

As a flourishing content producer, you can use digital publishing to create, distribute or sell your content. You will be successful in informing, updating and engaging readers while maintaining costs and ensuring production flexibility and adaptability. You must utilize the services of an expert company that excels in providing consulting, platforms and rich interactive content and technology applications.

Why are Digital Publishing Platforms gaining so much importance?

In the age of stunning displays, fast speed Internet and fast speed processing capabilities, digital publishing platforms have been able to connect audiences at a speed that traditional publishing mediums could never hope to. Studies show that students all over the world spend at least 4 to 5 hours every day on the Internet. They are accessing the Internet to find information relevant to their courses and knowledge enrichment.

The digital publishing platform allow content developers and publishers to combine engaging content and technology to ensure relevant information is provided to the right audience at the right time. They provide limitless opportunities to engage audiences and are far more cost-effective than traditional methods. 

Content publishers are faced with many choices when mapping out their digital publishing strategy. But they have to keep a few trends in mind if they want to reap the real benefits of publishing their content on a digital marketing platform.  If done right, digital publishing can bring you great returns. You need to make sure your content is rich because audiences are looking for content that will add value to the reading and learning experiences. You should introduce content that includes videos, appealing animations, interactive diagrams and illustrations. Premium educational content will be more effective, helping you build a robust online audience.  

The important message to remember is digital publishing market will continue to evolve. You need to stay abreast with the latest updates in this arena if you want to have an edge in your target market.

Software with Universal Design for high Quality Accessibility

Accessibility is an important quality attribute of software and web apps. Unfortunately it is often get neglected when we do system architecture, design and implementation.

In a 2001 survey which evaluated products of 25 award winning companies which produce pre college instructional software, only two companies were aware about accessibility issues. There is lot changed in past 15 years, but still miles to go before we reach at satisfactory level for accessibility issues.

It is a general practice to develop web or normal app by keeping average user's characteristics in mind. But when we design software which satisfy the need of people with wide range of disabilities and abilities, it is called universal design for software.

Universal design are bunch of ideas which can apply in product, building and environment, so they can be easily accessible by older people and people with/without disabilities.

Here we will put light on the process and principle of universal design in context to web apps and general software development. We believe following it will help in increasing our horizon of building better and accessible software.

Universal Software Design Process

 

Process of universal design for software involves high level view of software as well as its components. Few important steps of the process listed below:

(1) Understand Software - Understanding of the application where we wanted to apply the universal design is key for its success.

(2) Define Universe - We should describe the overall population (e.g., users of software), and then describe the diverse characteristics of potential members of the population for which the application is designed (e.g., students, faculty, and staff with diverse characteristics with respect to gender; age; size; ethnicity and race; native language; learning style; and abilities to see, hear, manipulate objects, read, and communicate).

(3) Involve End users - Consider and involve people with diverse characteristics (as identified in Step 2) in all phases of the development, implementation, and evaluation of the application. Also gain perspectives through diversity programs, such as special disability help and support centre. Make these processes known with appropriate signage, publications, and websites.

(4) Identify guidelines & standards - Create or select existing universal design guidelines/standards for web and native app development. Integrate them with other best practices. In some countries following accessibility standard is legal obligation For e.g.. if we are building web application we should follow WAG (Web Accessibility Guideline) and other standards.

(5) Apply guidelines or standards - Apply universal design in software with best practices within the application, as identified in Step 4, to the overall design of the application, all subcomponents of the application, and all ongoing operations (e.g., staff training) to maximize the benefit of the application to individuals with the wide variety of characteristics identified in Step 2.

(6) Plan for accommodations - When we implement software we should provide facility to address accommodation requests (e.g., purchase of assistive technology, arrangement for Braille printers) from individuals for whom the design of the application does not automatically provide access.

(7) Train & Support - Tailor and deliver ongoing training and support to stakeholders  with emphasis on accessibility features.

(8) Evaluate - We should periodically evaluate the implementation of universal design measures. We should involve diverse group of users, and make modifications based on feedback. We should place ways to collect input from users.

  

Universal Software Design Principles

 

Universal design principles for software guide in designing accessible software. Few of the important design principles are listed below:

(1) Equitable use - The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. For example, a website that is designed to be accessible to everyone, including people who are blind and use screen reader technology, employs this principle.

(2) Flexibility in use - The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. For e.g. Video with flexibility to display caption can enable user to listen or read audio.

(3) Simple and Intuitive - Use of the design is easy to understand software, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. For e.g. simple and intuitive control buttons/links in a audio player web app.

(4) Fault Tolerance - The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. An e.g. Software applications that provide guidance when the user makes an inappropriate selection for all kind of users.

We have left out three universal design principles like Perceptible information, low physical effort and size and space for approach and usage. These principals are more suitable to physical products.

Conclusion

Why we are very far from reality in building software which should be accessible to all different kinds of end user?  It is not the lack of theories, principles or standards but it lack of consciences to incorporate those in software development process. Once we will start using design principles like Universal Design we will able to produce better accessible software for differently enabled people.

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