I got into a lively usability debate the other day with a mobile vendor over the iPad. It seems some mobile vendors will insist that they know all the standards for iPad and are already settling into a set of rules based on user behaviour. This is because they have been developing for iPhone for the last couple of years and well …it stands to reason that the user’s behaviour will be similar –right?

I am putting this in the context of a digital publication. The iPad is fast becoming a powerful platform for magazines and newspapers.  The argument made by the vendor was somewhat flimsy, as they tried to tell me that iPad users don’t want a globally accessible menu. They asserted that the users prefer to back-track to the beginning of an experience to find a menu rather than jump to where they want to go next.  When I can pick up a newspaper or a magazine and flip through at my leisure to whatever section I want, I asked myself – why would an iPad user want a more onerous experience than what they get on paper?  The rationale from the vendor didn’t stand-up.

Notwithstanding that almost every publication app comes with a persistent menu that can be engaged at any time. Apps such as Wired magazine, Flipboard (timeline) and the Apple-endorsed Maclife all use persistent menus.  The point I’m trying to make in all of this is that the iPad is a new frontier, and though application development is a similar process between iPad and iPhone, the user experience deserves a different approach.  Mobile vendors must realize that we are all new to this and are still getting a sense for the possibilities while trying to establish key usability standards.

The rules aren’t written yet but be wary of any mobile developer that claims to be an expert at usability on the ipad. The possibilities in using HTML 5 will level the playing field even further. Unlike iPhone, where mobile optimized experiences tend to be watered-down, we can build a number of robust HTML 5 applications for iPad.  Regardless of the possibilities in this new frontier, good usability is good usability and applying the solid design thinking that we’ve learned over the last ten years is the best place to start.

Obviously I am a big fan of WordPress, seeing as this site uses it. I have been using WordPress since its early days as a blog platform. It has always just taken me mere days to design and launch a site using it. Customizing page elements has never been too much of problem, although I know enough PHP to be dangerous. In the past couple of years, the CMS admin system has become more and more robust. I find that with all the controls and features now found in the system, I hardly have to touch the PHP files at all.  Since version 3 of WordPress, it has really grown up to be more than just an open source blogging platform. It is now a fully fledged CMS, capable of providing the backbone for any website.

The design layer has become more flexible and with such a large community of designers supporting it, having a custom theme is quite cost effective.  In the past year or so, I’m seeing larger brand names and publications turn to WordPress for an enterprise solution.  You might ask – What about secure hosting for enterprise sites? Well, now that there are services like WordPress VIP, security is no longer the big concern it once was.

The attitude towards open source platforms has really changed in the last three years. Enterprise vendors are embracing open source products such as Drupal and WordPress and offering it as the other half of their custom business solutions.

Serious news publications are starting to find out how easy it is to use the CMS compared to what they’ve been struggling with on their legacy systems.  Most importantly, businesses are learning that using open source platforms will save them time and money in the development and deployment of web products. Web products have always depended on a speed-to-market strategy. Because you’re only making money while you’re the flavour of the month, products have to constantly offer newer and better features to stay competitive.  It is now becoming apparent that you can do more with a smaller web team and get to market faster than ever before.

Here are some great resources and articles from the WordPress community:

Designing your own themes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crWNonVaHKM

http://psd2cssonline.com/

Word Press VIP Hosting: http://vip.wordpress.com/

Popular Brands Using WordPress: http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/21-popular-brands-that-are-using-wordpress/

While the News publishing industry is still trying to figure out how it will monetize content online, the comic book industry, in the form of a new online digital format, is moving ahead.  Marvel Comics has had a free iPhone and iPad app since April and now DC comics is trailing close behind with their own apps. With digital comic books selling anywhere from $0.99 to $2.99, this format is taking off and users want more of it.  I imagine graphic novels will soon follow.

I know first-hand from reading a comic book on the iPad that the experience is visually stunning. The ability to zoom-in and pan on image blocks makes it even more appealing than the print equivalent. Though I suspect there will always be a limited edition print product for years to come. After all, you can’t really call the digital edition a collectible.

Perhaps the rest of the publishing industry can learn something here. Readers want options and they like to consume content that is visually appealing. Maybe the news industry can take a page from the comics (no pun intended) and allow users to consume content in a more visually interesting manner. One of the things Newspapers aren’t doing enough of is leveraging their archives to bring a more cohesive content offering to the table. This, coupled with a better digital format, perhaps scrap-booked around topics, would make for a very powerful online product. Another thing to keep an eye on is Marvel’s Xbox Live-style subscription model. They offer an annual plan for $60.00 per year. This makes it affordable to pretty much anyone.

The difference here is that comics are for a wider audience and newspapers are traditionally meant for a local audience. While most metro dailies are still looking for that local market to go online, maybe it’s time to start broadening the market to a wider web audience.  At any rate, we should keep a closer eye on what the comic books are doing digitally to monetize their product – there is something to be learned here.

Check out the digital editions for comic books:

http://www.comixology.com/

http://marvel.com/digitalcomics/