Month: June 2018

Responsive design: the “must” requirement your digital publication needs

Posted on by Raquel Sanchidrián

digital responsive publication

 

Responsive web design is a web design technique that allows the correct visualization of a page in different devices: computers, tablets and smartphones. This optimization of the website contributes greatly to a good user experience regardless of the used device.

Nowadays, there are many options to access to content. According to whether we are at home or outdoors, or depending on the used device, we can use either a computer, a tablet or a mobile phone interchangeably. For this reason, it is completely essential that a website is attractive in all possible channels.

While creating a digital publication, the goal should always be the same. Which is the purpose of creating great content if it is not optimized for all devices afterwards? It would be a big mistake not to do it, because we would be hindering the success of our product.

A plugin for designing is the perfect tool to get around this problem, as long as it allows creating publications for iOS, Android and web. It is also convenient that we don’t need programming knowledge nor advanced knowledge to use it. This working context is the best to design, add interactivity and make our responsive digital publication come to live in a simple way.

Responsive design has four basic characteristics: the layouts and images are adapted to each screen; reducing the development time; avoiding duplicate content; increasing virality because content can be quickly and naturally shared.

Next, we explain the advantages of this type of design to prove that it is an essential technique to implement in any responsive website or digital responsive publication.

 

3 advantages of a digital responsive publication

 

  1. Visits

 

A publication adapted to all devices favours the increase of visits. Otherwise, a negative user experience does not invite to continue consuming certain content.

 

  1. Profits

 

This is a cyclic process. If the user experience is good, there will be more visits, which in turn will mean that the product will have more options to generate profits through subscriptions or advertising, depending on the business model we are looking for.

 

  1. Time and Costs

 

There is no point in worrying about adapting a digital publication individually in each of the different devices. We can not focus efforts, time and money to actions with unknown outcome; nor creating versions of the same content. The appropriate action is choosing the proper tool for digital responsive publications and forgetting the problem of how it will be displayed on each device.

With no doubt, responsive design is an issue that digital publications should not ignore. We don’t know in advance the device with which users will consume our publication, but we can offer an attractive design for all the available options they use.

 

Download Buttonpublish and start giving life to your digital magazines

Usability and user experience applied to design of digital magazines

Posted on by Raquel Sanchidrián

design of digital magazines

 

Usability is an essential parameter when designing digital magazines. A digital publication brings us the opportunity to use a large amount of multimedia resources such as images, sounds or videos. Although, we must use it properly. If a publication is full of graphic elements, the quality of the content will not improve but decrease it.

Multimedia resources used have to favour user experience. The proverb “less is more” is sometimes the best option. All the elements that we provide to our publication should have a clear objective: to reinforce the ideas that we want to transmit, to promote an effective interface, easy to use and to memorize, and to create an attractive image for the reader.

There are many issues that we must keep in mind while planning a digital publication. This is why we propose a series of aspects that you can’t forget when designing a digital magazine.

 

7 designing keys digital magazines

 

  1. Simplicity

 

A publication should avoid the saturation and meaningless placement of the elements because it could get readers confused. Our resources must support, help and guide.

 

  1. Clarity

 

We should facilitate users to find the information they want to consume. For this reason, information must be organized in a logical, hierarchical or thematic way.

 

  1. Predictability

 

The actions that users make within a publication must follow the same pattern so that the same actions generate the same results. For example, in an interactive publication we can’t afford to get users confused by setting different actions to consume the same content.

 

  1. Flexibility

 

The publication must be optimized for the most used browsers and platforms. It is also advisable to provide users the option to return to the starting point and the home page. Nor can we forget to provide the document in several formats such as PDF, DOC or TXT. This way, users can consume it in the way that is most comfortable for them.

 

  1. Consistency

 

Here we are talking about the similarity between the different sections of the publication. The main page is the only one that can present variations regarding the distribution of the elements; In all other sections, the text and graphic representation should have the same functionalities and organization.

 

  1. Intuition

 

There is nothing better for the user experience than an easy navigation. If users are able to effortless navigate without thinking and automatically lives a great experience. In fact, publications that favours actions instinctively executed increase users’ safety and comfort.

 

  1. Coherence

 

Graphics, colours and, in short, all the elements used, should be aligned with the content of the publication. It is the way to transmit to the user a clear idea of publication, and not a totality formed by independent and disconnected parts.

The best exercise we can do as designers of digital publications is to think like our users do. This way, we will be able to detect in advance the problems that may arise or the aspects that can be improved in order to solve them before final users has a bad experience.

Design of digital magazines always involves unforeseen events or certain circumstances that appear with the pass of time. Technological resources advance, media evolve, and society adapts to these changes. A plugin for design is be the best ally to easily create digital publications and avoiding all the problems we face when we use another tool.

 

Download Buttonpublish and start giving life to your digital magazines