Category: Design

Accessible design is a design process in which the needs of people with disabilities are specifically considered. Accessibility sometimes refers to the characteristic that products, services, and facilities can be independently used by people with a variety of disabilities. Accessible design, usable design, and universal design are all approaches to design that can result in products that are easier for everyone to use, including people with disabilities. These concepts apply to design of the built environment, of customer services, and the other products and environments, including information technologies such as hardware, software, multimedia, distance learning courses, websites, curriculum, and instruction.
(This definition is © 2015 DO-IT, University of Washington (UW) in materials provided under a Creative Commons License.)

Aries Systems Announces the Redesign of its Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® Workflow Solutions

Cynthia A. Lockley on

Press Release

Logo for Aries Systems

October 18, 2021 | North Andover, Massachusetts –

Aries Systems Corporation, a leading technology workflow solutions provider to the scholarly publishing community, announces the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) redesign initiative of its Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® workflow solutions.

Aries Systems is committed to delivering continuous product improvement and innovation to best meet the needs of our customers. The UX/UI redesign initiative is driven by Aries' dedication to delivering excellence and is in direct response to valued user feedback and evolving design and accessibility standards. These exciting new enhancements will focus on modernizing the look and feel of Aries' Editorial Manager (EM) and ProduXion Manager (PM) solutions while simplifying and improving the user experience by implementing design best practices. The redesign initiative will create a more valuable, user-centric, and responsive platform for all EM and PM users.

Aries' strategic approach to the initiative encompasses a multi-year, multi-phase evolution of EM and PM. As new UX/UI enhancements are delivered to specific areas of the systems during each phase, other areas of the system will remain untouched, providing users an opportunity to get accustomed to the new designs and experiences over time. The first phase of the project will prioritize high-impact, heavily-trafficked, and most frequently-noted pages and workflows for improvement by users. Consecutive phases will target areas of the system by role; starting with the Editor role, followed by Reviewer, Author, and Publisher roles, respectively. The initiative will begin with the introduction of a newly redesigned main navigation bar universal to all EM and PM sites, which will provide a fresh and sophisticated look as well as a functional layout for a more intuitive, user-friendly navigation experience.

"I am thrilled to offer Editorial Manager and ProduXion Manager users an enhanced experience to further simplify and streamline their workflows", said Jennifer Fleet, Managing Director of Aries Systems. "Our customers' satisfaction and experience remain the focus of our system redesign. The initiative will offer users a modern look and feel with enhanced functionality and performance. The redesign efforts complements Aries' vision to transform and revolutionize the delivery of high-value content through the power of innovative technologies. We heard your feedback and we are taking action."

As the project progresses, frequent updates, notices, and supporting resources will be provided in the form of detailed blog posts, Release Notes documentation, video tutorials, FAQ sheets, training webinars, user group meeting sessions, case studies, and more! Materials will be made available on the Resources page of the Aries website as design enhancements are released.

How is architecture handling accessibility?

Karen Mardahl on

I came across an interesting comment concerning acoustics and accessibility in architecture. Twitter user @dwell tweeted about how technology enabled Chris Downey, a blind architect, to continue his work after losing his sight.

I am probably not alone in thinking of architecture as something very visual. This article comments that blind and visually impaired

listen to space to recognize where they are and what they’re looking for.

I immediately thought of the awful acoustics I have experienced in various workplaces. If I had trouble with them with my sight, how would someone with no or low vision experience them?

Then another thought popped into my mind: the idea of DeafSpace, explained nicely by Gallaudet. DeafSpace also involves acoustics because

[no] matter the level of hearing, many deaf people do sense sound in a way that can be a major distraction, especially for individuals with assistive hearing devices.

So acoustics matter in architecture to people with both sight and hearing disabilities. Hmmm. I wonder how many architects think of that and discuss that with people who have differing levels of sight and hearing.

Once again, getting out of the ivory tower – in this case, the ivory tower of architecture – and meeting with people with disabilities can be the start of some interesting discussions. Of course, if people with disabilities can get inside the ivory towers, maybe change can start to come from the inside.

Are you getting out of your ivory tower, or breaking into one?

See our resources list for more information at https://accessible-techcomm.org/architectural-environmental-and-product-design/.