News

A Spotlight on the Evolve Authoring Tool

A Spotlight on the Evolve Authoring Tool


When it comes to eLearning authoring tools its hard to find one that’s a perfect fit. We spoke to Michael Ditchburn, Learning Designer, Consultant and MD at think Biscuit Media, about this topic. And he thinks he’s found a good match with Evolve Authoring. In fact, he says the one thing he really likes about the tool is the fact it just works. “You choose what you want, you put your content in, text and images, and that’s it, it does it. You don’t have to worry about it – whether it will work or look right, you know it will just work.” This reliability makes it a real winner for Michael. As it because it means he knows he will be able to deliver what he says he can deliver. It also makes him very confident about recommending the tool to clients. They also like the fact that it’s reliable. Plus there’s the price tag. “If we tell people it will cost half as much as they expect and it will definitely work, they are sold,” says Michael. “And when a client accepts it, we know it will be easier for us.” Evolve Authoring costs less than many of the big names in the marketplace. Making it attractive to smaller organisations, freelancers or particularly those that are starting out.
 

truly responsive authoring tool

 
Michael first used Evolve as he was looking for a tool with responsive capabilities. A mobile-first tool was rare back then, and he knew he needed genuine responsiveness. “We use another authoring tool at the time. But it did not offer responsiveness – it just made stuff smaller so it would fit on a mobile.” With Evolve, mobile responsiveness is in-built. The tool automatically adjusts to the platform and device, making for a seamless experience. Because of this, Michael thinks Evolve’s mobile responsiveness is the best out of all the ones he has used. Better than the bigger and more popular tools.
 

Limited choice means less work

 
However, a disadvantage of Evolve, according to Michael, is that all interactions are fixed. Unlike with other tools on the market, resulting in less choice over how things work. However, that can also be an advantage because it means there is less work involved. “Because other tools there is a blank canvas, there is infinite choice. You have to build things from scratch and think of everything. And a lot of times you end up building things that Evolve uses automatically. As an instructional designer, the fact that I have a set of components to use makes my life easier. And it’s twice as quick to build stuff because all of the coding and the hard stuff has already been done.” In the two years that Michael has been using Evolve, he says it has improved significantlyUsers can now do screen captures for example, and there are now about 40 interactions, compared to 20 when he signed up to Evolve. Each month there are new updates.
 

Exceptional service and support

 
The service and support offered by Evolve Authoring gives it a competitive advantage, according to Michael and his team. Whenever they have approached them with a question or a problem, Evolve are on it straight away. “There was a problem recently and a fix was implemented within 48 hours.” Compare to a 4 month wait time with another big authoring tool provider. And Think Biscuit Media was not the only company experiencing this problem. “If things go wrong with Evolve, they genuinely want to help you and quickly. They want to do a good job and are so open to feedback, which is great, because not everyone is.” Michael thinks Evolve is one of the best tools out there. If you would like to learn more about our partnership with Evolve and Jam Pan supplier discounts, get in touch with us – hello@jam-pan.com

Share this entry

Straight to your inbox

Be the first to know the latest news and insights about the world of L&D by signing up to our newsletter.