XD for Published QRGs and eLearning?

[hollyeperret]

Would it be completely misguided of me to use XD to create published eLearning and/or interactive documents that are not prototypes? I‘m aware there is Captivate and InDesign, but I am looking for something that I can create rapidly.

I’m constantly making quick reference guides for work and now we are moving to a wiki style knowledge base online. I’m able to embed html on the wiki pages. However, I’m a novice at html and it’s extremly time consuming to update pictures and links. I need to be able to crank them out quickly.

I created my first XD today; a slick looking interactive team bio/contact page, which embeds into the wiki beautifully. It loads quick, it’s fluid, minimizes space, reduces click throughs to other pages, and is incredibly easy to update. I want to use this for creating our reference guides going forward but before I dive in too deep I want to make sure there isn’t a reason I shouldn’t do that.

I think because they are called “prototypes” I’m nervous about it, but not sure I need to be. Is there anything I should consider before going this route?

TIA

[stuart__k]

One thing to be aware of is shared XD prototypes are built to communicate product flow, visual design, and interaction, but not pure information like text content. To this end text is embedded in images which makes it inaccessible to users with disabilities, such as blindness. It is also not possible to copy and paste the text from the shared design. You should take these things into consideration when publishing information for learning as XD prototypes.

[hollyeperret]

Thank you very much for the response. You raise a great point about accessibility features. While I didn’t mention it, these would be embedded on a page that also had text steps written below. But thank you for mentioning it because even though it is a habit to do that I wasn’t directly thinking about it in this case.

I also realized since I posted this that I can’t add hyperlinks to the XD prototype. So while I can make some cool stuff, navigation wise, it doesn’t work for a lot of other stuff, which is unfortunate. I guess I’m back to the drawing board.

Thanks for your time.

[JonathanArias · Accepted solution]

i would probably not do what you want to do incase XD stops its service. I work in e-learning too. modules, interactive .pdf files.  I have used XD for mockups but if you are doing an emodule make it in articulate or captivate.

[hollyeperret]

I have used both for more in-depth elearning. Unfortunately, I no longer have either of those programs. Captivate was a borrowed license and articulate was not borrowed but I now have a Mac. Additionally, both are a bit too intensive for what I mostly want to do. I do a ton of QRGs and I usually do PDF documents but I want something more advanced that users can click through instead of scrolling. I can use Indesign, but it simply doesn't embed as nicely.

In addition, I also want something that I can create interactive images that I can embed on a webpage. But my stumbling block is that I have no place to host them before embedding and I don't know HTML.

I'm early in my career and have only been using adobe for 6 months, so I am still learning all of my options and building my skills.

[JonathanArias]

ok. i understand better what you want to do.

I do emodules in indesign and i export with IN5 (Export HTML5 from InDesign with in5 - Home

this tool/ plug in for indesign allows you to export html documents that you can host anywhere. why don't you look at that tool. You can do popups, scrolling frames, MSO (multistate objects), empty iframes that can hold whatever you want, html5 games.  take a look at that.

To learn more about MSO and all that stuff you need adobe DPS training, go to LYNDA.COM and watch this course:

Adobe Digital Publishing Suite: Interactive Techniques

You could do a square space site for 10/ month and host from there..

hope this helps.