Accessible, Usable, Electronic Forms Solutions in 30 Minutes€¦ · Accessible, Usable, Electronic...

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Introduction

Accessible, Usable, Electronic Forms Solutions in 30 Minutes

Welcome!

Agenda: Introduction Defining your forms requirements Platforms overview Platforms in detail (advantages and considerations) Summary, Q&A


Introduction


Eliquo: Who are we?• Training Centre

■ In-class, on-site, remote training ■ Digital Media and Digital Marketing ■ Software, Standards, Theory, Accessibility ■ First training facility in Canada to be both Adobe and Apple Certified ■ Full-time, Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft certified instructors

• Production and Solutions Provider ■ Production services for producing and testing accessible digital solutions ■ Clients: Federal, State/Provincial, Local/Municipal, NGO, Education,

Public/Private Sector


Introduction


Michael Cooper: Who am I?• Director of Training and Development

■ Background in graphic design and digital media ■ 15 years as a formal, full-time instructor (11 with Eliquo) ■ Oversee all curriculum development ■ Resident accessibility, usability, and forms expert ■ Leveraged by Adobe and GOC for training and seminar delivery ■ Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) and

Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign

• Director of Production ■ Manage all production contracts and contractors ■ Execute a significant amount of the production


Defining your forms requirements


Ad-hoc vs. versioned forms• Ad-hoc

■ “One-offs” ■ No requirement for updates and/or maintenance ■ Example: Customer Survey

• Versioned ■ Ongoing requirements for updates and maintenance ■ Example: Annual Program Funding Application

• Localization ■ Updates and maintenance of multiple languages

Why is this a consideration?When costing, Ad-hoc forms may be more cost-effective when outsourced rather than being produced in-house depending on other form requirements such as software and training.

Of course, it depends on how many Ad-hoc forms you will be creating in the near future.




Accessibility requirements• Compliance (legislation, standards, and specifications)

■ Section 508, Standard on Web Accessibility, AODA, etc. ■ WCAG ■ PDF/UA, HTML5

• Functional Accessibility ■ Can users of AT have a successful completion? ■ Comparison to a control group of users without AT

Why is this a consideration?Knowing your applicable legislation (Federal, State/Provincial, Local/Municipal), Standards (WCAG), and Specifications (PDF/UA, HTML5) will help you identify potential forms solutions that will comply with your governing legislation. Functional Accessibility, however, can only be discovered through user testing. Both compliance and functional accessibility testing requires time, resources, and documentation.




Deployment• Web-browser• E-mail/Download• Mobile• Offline/saving capabilities• User Agent/Reader availability/ubiquitousness

Why is this a consideration?Recognizing how your users will consume your form is vital to choosing a platform. Can you rely on your users to have the required software/user agent? And, if they don’t, will they be able to easily download and install it?




Data Collection and Management• Pre-print/Pre-submit validation• Submission options (e-mail, http)• Data extraction• Data importing• Database integration

Why is this a consideration?Most form collection doesn’t end with the submission. The nature of the data collected and the life cycle of that data will impact the forms solution that can meet your needs effectively and efficiently.




Security• Submission options (e-mail, http)• Password protection• Login credentials• Digital signatures

Why is this a consideration?If your forms are collecting personal information your users will expect proper measures have been implemented to secure their information.

If required, the amount of effort required on your users’ part to ensure safe and secure form submissions will be a determining factor in your forms solution.




Design• Colour, layout, and font options• Printing options• Reflow/responsiveness• User control

Why is this a consideration?The aesthetic qualities of your form can enhance or detract from the functionality, usability, and accessibility of the form.

The software’s ability to create aesthetically pleasing forms and the deployment method and user agents used to view (and possibly print) the form may be a factor in your solution.


Platforms overview


HTML and HTML5• By hand/using an HTML editor• Bootstrap/WET• Turn-key solutions (online creation, deployment, and collection via a service)

PDF• AcroForms

■ created in any layout program, exported to PDF, form fields added in Acrobat Pro ■ created in PDF Forms software or service

• XFA forms ■ Created in LiveCycle Designer

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Adaptive Forms• Author once, publish many (supports simultaneous HTML5, XFA-PDF, and adaptive

forms deployment)


Platforms in detail: HTML5 by hand


Accessibility• Compliance: Fully WCAG and legislatively compliant• Functional Accessibility: Very well supported by ATs

Creation, Updates, Maintenance• Software: HTML editor, possibly testing tools• Internal: Relies heavily on internal expertise but can be

extremely efficient• Outsource: Highly competitive

Deployment• Most widely supported platform with least user requirements• Web/mobile is fully supported

User interaction• Fill, print (limited), submit• Working offline: Practically non-existent• Saving: Requires login or session variables (and/or local storage on devices)




Validation• Some built-in support and feedback• Advanced validation requires scripting

Data collection and integration• Submission via HTTP/SSL/TLS• Integration with numerous back-end systems directly and

through web services

Security• HTTP/SSL/TLS allows secure submissions• Signing/certificates and/or user login credentials can be used to verify user-signed data

Design• Reusable components and styles• Reflow, user-controlled styles, show/hide/expand/add/remove• Looks great on the web, needs work to look good when printed




Learning curve• Basic creation and submission: Moderate (5-10 days training)• Advanced validation, security, and data management:

Steep (15-20 days training, coordination with IT and data managers)


Platforms in detail: HTML5 Bootstrap/WET



Creation, Updates, Maintenance• Software: HTML editor, possibly testing tools• Internal: Relies heavily on internal expertise but can be extremely efficient• Outsource: Moderately to conservatively competitive (especially WET)






Validation• More built-in support and feedback than by hand• Advanced validation still requires scripting

Data collection and integration• Submission via HTTP/SSL/TLS• Integration with numerous back-end systems directly and through web services

Security• HTTP/SSL/TLS allows secure submissions• Signing/certificates and/or user login credentials can be used to verify user-signed data

Design• Preset (and customizable/reusable) components and styles• Reflow, user-controlled styles, show/hide/expand/add/remove• Looks great on the web, needs work to look good when printed




Learning curve• Basic creation and submission:

Moderate (3-5 days training)• Advanced validation, security, and data management:

Steep (15-20 days training, coordination with IT and data managers)


Platforms in detail: HTML5 Turn-key solutions


http://www.capterra.com/forms-automation-software/


Creation, Updates, Maintenance• Software: None• Internal: Minimal experience necessary, can be extremely

efficient, may require up-front production• Outsource: Provided by service







Validation• Turn-key validation available from most services

Data collection and integration• Submission via HTTP/SSL/TLS• Integration with numerous back-end systems directly and

through web services• NOTE: Many services host your data, this may not be an

option for you

Security• HTTP/SSL/TLS allows secure submissions• Turn-key security add-ons usually available from provider

Design• Preset (and customizable/reusable) components and styles (drag-and-drop)• Reflow, user-controlled styles, show/hide/expand/add/remove• Looks great on the web, needs work to look good when printed





Learning curve• Moderate (usually 3-5 days training, but may need to

include production services from provider)


Platforms in detail: PDF AcroForms


Accessibility• Compliance: Fully WCAG, PDF/UA and legislatively compliant• Functional Accessibility: Very well supported by ATs

Creation, Updates, Maintenance• Software: Design (Word, InDesign), form fields (Acrobat Pro)• Internal: Reasonably efficient workflow• Outsource: Moderately competitive

Deployment• Widely supported platform with minimal user requirements• Web/mobile is reasonably supported (minimal support for in-browser, reasonably

supported on specific apps)

User interaction• Fill, print, submit• Working offline: Fully supported• Saving: Fully supported





Data collection and integration• Submission via e-mail, HTTP/SSL/TLS• Data collection, extraction and correlation using Adobe

services (may not be an option) and locally (may require IT support)

• Minimal manual data extraction (.FDF files)• Integration with back-end systems through web services via HTTP

Security• HTTP/SSL/TLS allows secure submissions• Signing/certificates fully supported (digital signatures, scribble signatures)




Design• Reusable templates, components and styles• Reflow, user controlled styles• Show/hide/expand/add/remove not supported• Looks good on screen and in print

Learning curve• Moderate (5-10 days training)


Platforms in detail: PDF XFA Forms


Accessibility• Compliance: Almost fully WCAG, and legislatively compliant, not PDF/UA complaint

• Functional Accessibility: Well supported by ATs

Creation, Updates, Maintenance• Software: LiveCycle Designer• Internal: Extremely efficient workflow• Outsource: Relatively few vendors (especially for accessibility)

Deployment• Only suitable for controlled deployment and/or e-mail/download deployment• Very limited support for in-browser deployment, no support for mobile deployment






Data collection and integration• Submission via e-mail, HTTP/SSL/TLS• Data collection, extraction and correlation using Adobe

services (may not be an option) and locally (may require IT support)

• Exceptional manual data extraction (.XML files)• Integration with back-end systems through web services via HTTP

Security• HTTP/SSL/TLS allows secure submissions• Signing/certificates fully supported (digital signatures on desktop and laptop)




Design• Reusable templates, components and styles• User controlled styles, show/hide/expand/add/remove• Reflow is not supported• Looks good on screen and in print



Platforms in detail: Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Adaptive Forms


Accessibility• Compliance: Fully WCAG, and legislatively compliant• Functional Accessibility: Very well supported by ATs

Creation, Updates, Maintenance• Software: Component and add-on based solution• Internal: Extremely efficient workflow• Outsource: Relatively few vendors

Deployment• Author once, publish many• Forms will adapt to the device and user agent



Platforms in detail: Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Adaptive Forms



Data collection and integration• Fully implemented integrated system• Can be configured to fully integrate with an existing system

Security• HTTP/SSL/TLS, signing/certificates fully supported

Design• Reusable templates, components and styles• User controlled styles, reflow, show/hide/expand/add/remove• Looks good on screen and in print



Summary, Q&A


In very general terms:• All platforms have good to great compliance and accessibility• All platforms have at least some systems integration

(AcroForms is the least compatible)• For web/mobile, XFA is not an option• For working offline and/or printing, PDF and XFA are likely best• For dynamic forms, AcroForms are not an option• For end-to-end solutions, AEM Adaptive Forms is likely best

Sometimes answers create more questions• Define your criteria• Review options• Execute a cost analysis (short-term and long-term)

We’re here to help• Contact Eliquo for an in-depth consultation

888.484.2933 | [email protected] | www.eliquo.ca

Date post:	16-Jul-2020
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Accessible, Usable, Electronic Forms Solutions in 30 Minutes€¦ · Accessible, Usable, Electronic...

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