The traditional printed publication is still the way to go for many communication needs. It is portable and easier to read than a screen based publication and therefore lends itself to long works such as reports. Digital printing has added another dimension to the traditional offset and letterpress methods. It is now more economical to do short print runs and printing on demand.

‘Text on the screen is 25% slower to read.’ (’Designing Web Usability’ by Jakob Neilson 2000)

Some publications are posted on web sites as PDF (portable document format) files that can be downloaded and printed as required.

Electronic publication offers a combination of text, graphics, audio-visual components and interactivity that allows users to watch animations, listen to sound files, link to other materials and web sites and respond directly to the material presented. It has the advantage of being able to be quickly updated and does not require printing and distribution, which can be time consuming and costly.

Designing on-screen publications requires a different design approach and additional skills. Designers need to understand the characteristics of on screen reading patterns and the use of navigation aids, labelling systems and accessibility standards. The Australian Government has extensive guidelines for the production of electronic materials.

Info Focus has people skilled in designing screen-based materials, information architecture and content management systems. They have a thorough knowledge of the Australian Government information standards and keep up-to-date with industry standards and emerging technology. They can also create tailored testing programs to check the usability of your electronic materials.

Spending 10% of a design project’s budget on usability doubles a web site's desired metrics (reference Jakob Neilson, 2003) which could translate into a doubling of sales or client satisfaction.