Gale Revamps Popular Product Lines to Create a Unified, Improved and Mobile-Optimized User Experience

Farmington Hills, Mich., Feb. 5, 2015 - In response to extensive user testing and usage data, Gale, part of Cengage Learning, will introduce a number of enhancements to its most widely-used product lines - GVRL, InfoTrac and In Context, including the optimization for mobile devices through responsive design. The adoption of a common design and toolset across all products will provide a unified experience as researchers move from one resource to the next, while other changes will enhance accessibility for those with disabilities and increase usability overall for desktop and mobile researchers.

"As mobile access to databases grows faster than desktop access, it's important for us to move toward a mobile-first product development strategy in order to ensure we're delivering the best possible experience for users today, and in the future-whether they're accessing their research from within a library, classroom or on-the-go," said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager, Gale.

The enhancements will include a modern design and consistent toolset that unites three of Gale's foundational products with a user experience that is optimized for all screen sizes, regardless of device, through responsive design (i.e. clickable elements become "swipeable" for touch screens). Other changes include improved navigation and streamlined user workflow, content featured in prime locations on the page with toolbars and filters on the right, as well as high-contrast banners & buttons to make web content easier to see and hear for those with vision impairments.

These changes will benefit students accessing Gale resources through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and 1:1 initiatives, which are popular in K-12 and academic settings. As these enhancements will be available across markets, they will ensure a seamless experience as users advance from high school to college-level research, or from one resource to another via discovery services, without having to learn to navigate an entirely new set of tools. Unification of the user experience across platforms will also enable Gale to collect user feedback in greater volume to more quickly identify patterns and trends, and then respond more efficiently to bring improvements to resources.