- Table View
- List View
Designing a New Class of Distributed Systems
by Rao MikkilineniDesigning a New Class of Distributed Systems closely examines the Distributed Intelligent Managed Element (DIME) Computing Model, a new model for distributed systems, and provides a guide to implementing Distributed Managed Workflows with High Reliability, Availability, Performance and Security. The book also explores the viability of self-optimizing, self-monitoring autonomous DIME-based computing systems. Designing a New Class of Distributed Systems is designed for practitioners as a reference guide for innovative distributed systems design. Researchers working in a related field will also find this book valuable.
Designing a Racecar
by Aaron MillarBefore the race even begins, engineers and designers have already been hard at work testing each and every part of a racecar.
Designing a Structured Cabling System to ISO 11801
by Barry J. ElliotCovering major standards and relevant design issues, this book explains how to specify, install, and test a modern reliable structured cabling system and analyzes the terminology and physics behind the standards. The author empowers the reader with the skills required to read and understand standards and address problems raised by the need to design, procure, install, and test a modern cabling system, using both copper and optical fiber cable technology. He thoroughly discusses the technology and the vast number of standards that accompany it. The material is based on the design recommendations of ISO/IEC 11801. The appendix lists relevant standards and provides contacts for standards organizations.
Designing a Total Data Solution: Technology, Implementation, and Deployment (Best Practices Ser.)
by Roxanne E. Burkey Charles V. BreakfieldYour company's global competitiveness depends on the utilization and maintenance of information. Current data handling practices-storing, updating, and accessing data-can be either a problem or a significant strategic advantage for your company. Designing a Total Data Storage Solution: Technology, Implementation, and Deployment gives you the inform
Designing an Internet (Information Policy)
by David D. ClarkWhy the Internet was designed to be the way it is, and how it could be different, now and in the future.How do you design an internet? The architecture of the current Internet is the product of basic design decisions made early in its history. What would an internet look like if it were designed, today, from the ground up? In this book, MIT computer scientist David Clark explains how the Internet is actually put together, what requirements it was designed to meet, and why different design decisions would create different internets. He does not take today's Internet as a given but tries to learn from it, and from alternative proposals for what an internet might be, in order to draw some general conclusions about network architecture. Clark discusses the history of the Internet, and how a range of potentially conflicting requirements—including longevity, security, availability, economic viability, management, and meeting the needs of society—shaped its character. He addresses both the technical aspects of the Internet and its broader social and economic contexts. He describes basic design approaches and explains, in terms accessible to nonspecialists, how networks are designed to carry out their functions. (An appendix offers a more technical discussion of network functions for readers who want the details.) He considers a range of alternative proposals for how to design an internet, examines in detail the key requirements a successful design must meet, and then imagines how to design a future internet from scratch. It's not that we should expect anyone to do this; but, perhaps, by conceiving a better future, we can push toward it.
Designing and Developing Robust Instructional Apps
by Kenneth J. LuterbachDesigning and Developing Robust Instructional Apps advances the state of instructional app development using three learning paradigms for building knowledge foundations, problem-solving, and experimentation. Drawing on research and development lessons gleaned?from noted educational technologists, time-tested systematic instructional design processes, and results from user experience design, the book considers the planning and specification of instructional apps that blend media (text, images, sound, and moving pictures) and instructional method. Further, for readers with little to no programming experience, introductory treatments of JavaScript and Python, along with data fundamentals and machine learning techniques, offer a guided journey that produces robust instructional apps and?concludes with next steps for advancing the state of instructional app development.
Designing and Developing for Google Glass: Thinking Differently for a New Platform
by Allen Firstenberg Jason SalasCreating apps for Google Glass is more involved than simply learning how to navigate its hardware, APIs, and SDK. You also need the right mindset. While this practical book delivers the information and techniques you need to build and deploy Glass applications, it also helps you to think for Glass by showing you how the platform works in, and affects, its environment.In three parts—Discover, Design, and Develop—Glass pioneers guide you through the Glass ecosystem and demonstrate what this wearable computer means for users, developers, and society as a whole. You’ll learn how to create rich functionality for a consumer technology that’s radically different than anything currently available.Learn the Five Noble Truths of great Glassware designUnderstand the Glass ecosystem and learn why it’s differentSidestep Glass’s societal concerns in your projectsLearn how Glass adapts to the user’s world, rather than the other way aroundAvoid poor design by identifying Glassware antipatternsBuild cloud services with the Google Mirror APIUse the Glass Development Kit to develop client applicationsSubmit your project for review in the MyGlass directory
Designing and Implementing Cloud-native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB: Study Companion for the DP-420 Exam (Certification Study Companion Series)
by Steve FlowersThis book will help prepare you for the Microsoft DP-420 exam. Whether you are new to Azure Cosmos DB or have experience working with the platform, Designing and Implementing Cloud-Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is organized to address the specific skills measured in the DP-420 exam. The topics covered include NoSQL models, code, and real-world scenarios aimed at helping you to understand and solve the case studies included in the exam. Beyond the exam, this book will assist you in your journey to adopt Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB for your own projects. You’ll learn what makes Azure Cosmos DB such a robust NoSQL service, as well as how NoSQL approaches help enable modern applications. You’ll also get practical guidance for your own implementations. The topics covered in this book are essential to knowing how to leverage the Cosmos DB service and provide best practices that will guide you to success both on the exam and in your career. What You Will Learn Understand and hone the skills needed to pass the DP-420 examGain insight into the test-taking experience, whether at a testing center or virtuallyEvaluate and understand features of Azure Cosmos DB using real-world use cases and code samplesLearn from case studies in the book that will help you to correctly address case studies in the examBuild a foundation that goes beyond the exam and gives you the confidence to implement Azure Cosmos DB in your own projectsDetermine the trade-offs between different configurations, whether your implementation is small and local or large and requires global scale Who This Book Is For Anyone planning to take the DP-420 exam, as well as developers, engineers, and architects seeking a better understanding of Azure Cosmos DB and how it is used in developing modern applications using a NoSQL approach.
Designing and Implementing IP/MPLS-Based Ethernet Layer 2 VPN Services: An Advanced Guide for VPLS and VLL
by Zhuo XuA guide to designing and implementing VPLS services over an IP/MPLS switched service provider backbone Today's communication providers are looking for convenience, simplicity, and flexible bandwidth across wide area networks-but with the quality of service and control that is critical for business networking applications like video, voice and data. Carrier Ethernet VPN services based on VPLS makes this a reality. Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) is a pseudowire (PW) based, multipoint-to-multipoint layer 2 Ethernet VPN service provided by services providers By deploying a VPLS service to customers, the operator can focus on providing high throughput, highly available Ethernet bridging services and leave the layer 3 routing decision up to the customer. Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) is quickly becoming the number one choice for many enterprises and service providers to deploy data communication networks. Alcatel-Lucent VPLS solution enables service providers to offer enterprise customers the operational cost benefits of Ethernet with the predictable QoS characteristics of MPLS. Items Covered: Building Converged Service Networks with IP/MPLS VPN Technology IP/MPLS VPN Multi-Service Network Overview Using MPLS Label Switched Paths as Service Transport Tunnels Routing Protocol Traffi c Engineering and CSPF RSVP-TE Protocol MPLS Resiliency — Secondary LSP MPLS Resiliency — RSVP-TE LSP Fast Reroute Label Distribution Protocol IP/MPLS VPN Service Routing Architecture Virtual Leased Line Services Virtual Private LAN Service Hierarchical VPLS High Availability in an IP/MPLS VPN Network VLL Service Resiliency VPLS Service Resiliency VPLS BGP Auto-Discovery PBB-VPLS OAM in a VPLS Service Network
Designing and Implementing Linux Firewalls and QoS using netfilter, iproute2, NAT and l7-filter
by Lucian GheorgheThe author draws on his experience to offer the reader valuable advice on the best practices. Providing only necessary theoretical background, the book takes a practical approach, presenting case studies and plenty of illustrative examples. This book is aimed at Linux Network administrators with some understanding of Linux security threats and issues, or any one interested in securing their systems behind a firewall. Basic knowledge of Linux is presumed but other than that this book shows you how to do the rest, from configuring your system to dealing with security breaches.
Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions AZ-400 Exam Guide: Prepare for the certification exam and successfully apply Azure DevOps strategies with practical labs, 2nd Edition
by Henry Been Maik van Gaag Subhajit Chatterjee Swapneel DeshpandeWritten by Microsoft MVPs and Azure experts, this comprehensive guide comes with self-study exercises to help you understand the concepts better and move closer to becoming a skilled Azure DevOps engineerKey FeaturesExplore a step-by-step approach to designing and creating a successful DevOps environmentUnderstand how to implement continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines on AzureIntegrate and implement security, compliance, containers, and databases in your DevOps strategiesBook DescriptionThe AZ-400 Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions certification helps DevOps engineers and administrators get to grips with practices such as continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), containerization, and zero downtime deployments using Azure DevOps Services.This new edition is updated with advanced topics such as site reliability engineering (SRE), continuous improvement, and planning your cloud transformation journey. The book begins with the basics of CI/CD and automated deployments, and then moves ahead to show you how to apply configuration management and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) along with managing databases in DevOps scenarios. As you make progress, you'll explore fitting security and compliance with DevOps and find out how to instrument applications and gather metrics to understand application usage and user behavior. This book will also help you implement a container build strategy and manage Azure Kubernetes Services. Lastly, you'll discover quick tips and tricks to confidently apply effective DevOps practices and learn to create your own Azure DevOps organization.By the end of this DevOps book, you'll have gained the knowledge needed to ensure seamless application deployments and business continuity.What you will learnGet acquainted with Azure DevOps Services and DevOps practicesDiscover how to efficiently implement CI/CD processesBuild and deploy a CI/CD pipeline with automated testing on AzureIntegrate security and compliance in pipelinesUnderstand and implement Azure Container ServicesEffectively close the loop from production back to developmentApply continuous improvement strategies to deliver innovation at scaleWho this book is forThe book is for anyone looking to prepare for the AZ-400 certification exam. Software developers, application developers, and IT professionals who want to implement DevOps practices for the Azure cloud will also find this book helpful. Familiarity with Azure DevOps basics, software development, and development practices is recommended but not necessary.
Designing and Implementing Microsoft Index Server
by Mark Swank Drew Kittel Drew SwankTripoli is an index server that allows companies to automate their indexing of crucial data. Its integration with Windows NT and Internet Information Server opens the doors to a large market of corporate NT and IIS users that will want to automate their indexing. This book shows readers how to use Tripoli. Everything from installation to implementation is discussed in detail. * Show readers how to organize and maintain large amounts of information *Teaches ways to integrate the server into existing systems * Covers maintenance, administration, and security issues
Designing and Implementing Test Automation Frameworks with QTP
by Ashish BhargavaA tutorial-based approach, showing basic coding and designing techniques to build test automation frameworks.If you are a beginner, an automation engineer, an aspiring test automation engineer, a manual tester, a test lead or a test architect who wants to learn, create, and maintain test automation frameworks, this book will accelerate your ability to develop and adapt the framework.
Designing and Programming CICS Applications
by John Horswill Members of the CICS Development Team at IBM HursleyCICS is an application server that delivers industrial-strength, online transaction management for critical enterprise applications. Proven in the market for over 30 years with many of the world's leading businesses, CICS enables today's customers to modernize and extend their applications to take advantage of the opportunities provided by e-business while maximizing the benefits of their existing investments. Designing and Programming CICS Applications will benefit a diverse audience. It introduces new users of IBM's mainframe (OS/390) to CICS features. It shows experienced users how to integrate existing mainframe systems with newer technologies, including the Web, CORBA, Java, CICS clients, and Visual Basic; as well as how to link MQSeries and CICS. Each part of Designing and Programming CICS Applications addresses the design requirements for specific components and gives a step-by-step approach to developing a simple application. The book reviews the basic concepts of a business application and the way CICS meets these requirements. It then covers a wide range of application development technologies, including VisualAge for Java, WebSphere Studio, and Visual Basic. Users learn not only how to design and write their programs but also how to deploy their applications. Designing and Programming CICS Applications shows how to: Develop and modify existing COBOL applications Become familiar with the CICS Java environment and write a simple Java wrapper for a COBOL application Develop a web front end using servlets, JSP and JavaBeans. Link the web front end to an existing COBOL application using CORBA Write a Visual Basic application to develop a customer GUI Link an existing COBOL application using a CICS Client ECI call Develop a Java application using Swing as an MQSeries Client Use the MQSeries-CICS bridge to access an existing COBOL application Whether for working with thousands of terminals or for a client/server environment with workstations and LANs exploiting modern technology such as graphical interfaces or multimedia, Designing and Programming CICS Applications delivers the power to create, modernize and extend CICS applications.
Designing and Prototyping Interfaces with Figma: Elevate your design craft with UX/UI principles and create interactive prototypes
by Fabio StaianoExplore the latest Figma features with this newly updated 2nd edition, including Variables and Conditional Prototyping. Learn cutting-edge design principles and create captivating interfaces with this full-color guide.Key FeaturesExplore Figma's latest features, including Variables and Conditional Prototyping, to create dynamic and responsive interfacesIntegrate AI capabilities and optimize your workflow with the latest Figma pluginsCreate engaging, interactive prototypes that captivate your users and stakeholdersPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionAre you a UI/UX designer eager to learn the art of creating compelling interfaces using Figma? Look no further! The highly anticipated new edition is here to transform your creative journey. Explore Figma's latest features and delve into the power of variables and conditional Prototyping. Get ready to transform your static designs into dynamic, interactive prototypes, offering users and stakeholders an immersive experience. Stay at the forefront of design innovation with insights into integrating AI capabilities and optimizing your workflow with the latest Figma plugins. With user-centric design at its core, this book guides you through mastering design thinking, enabling you to tackle complex design challenges with ease. One unique aspect of this edition is its focus on effective communication. Learn how to convey your design vision clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. In the rapidly changing world of UI/UX design, iteration is key. This book will teach you how to gather user feedback and iterate on your designs by creating interactive prototypes. Whether you're new to Figma or a seasoned pro, this comprehensive guide equips you with the skills to create captivating interfaces, fosters creativity and problem-solving, and makes you an indispensable, forward-thinking designer.What you will learnCreate high-quality designs that cater to your users' needs, providing an outstanding experienceMastering mobile-first design and responsive design conceptsIntegrate AI capabilities into your design workflow to boost productivity and explore design innovationCraft immersive prototypes with conditional prototyping and variablesCommunicate effectively to technical and non-technical audiencesDevelop creative solutions for complex design challengesGather and apply user feedback through interactive prototypesWho this book is forThis book is for aspiring UX/UI designers who want to get started with Figma as well as established designers who want to migrate to Figma from other design tools. This guide will provide you a walkthrough of the entire process of creating a full-fledged prototype for a responsive interface using all the tools and features that Figma has to offer. As a result, this book is suitable for both UX and UI designers, product and graphic designers, as well as anyone who wants to explore the complete design process from scratch.
Designing and Prototyping Interfaces with Figma: Learn essential UX/UI design principles by creating interactive prototypes for mobile, tablet, and desktop
by Fabio StaianoDiscover user experience and user interface design best practices while mastering a wide array of tools across Figma and FigJam with this full-color guideKey FeaturesLearn the basics of user experience research, result organization, and analysis in FigJamCreate mockups, interactive animations, and high-fidelity prototypes using this platform-independent web application toolCollaborate with a team in real-time and create, share, and test your designsBook DescriptionA driving force of the design tools market, Figma makes it easy to work with classic design features while enabling unique innovations and opening up real-time collaboration possibilities. It comes as no surprise that many designers decide to switch from other tools to Figma.In this book, you'll be challenged to design a user interface for a responsive mobile application having researched and understood user needs. You'll become well-versed with the process in a step-by-step manner by exploring the theory first and gradually moving on to practice. You'll begin your learning journey by covering the basics of user experience research with FigJam and the process of creating a complete design using Figma tools such as Components, Variants, Auto Layout, and much more. You'll also learn how to prototype your design and explore the potential of community resources such as templates and plugins.By the end of this Figma book, you'll have a solid understanding of the user interface workflow, managing essential Figma tools, and organizing your workflow.What you will learnExplore FigJam and how to use it to collect data in the research phaseWireframe the future interface with shape tools and vectorsDefine grids, typography, colors, and effect styles that can be reused in your workGet to grips with Auto Layout and the constraints to create complex layoutsCreate flexible components using styles and variantsMake your user interface interactive with prototyping and smart animateShare your work with others by exporting assets and preparing development resourcesDiscover templates and plugins from the communityWho this book is forThis book is for aspiring UX/UI designers who want to get started with Figma as well as established designers who want to migrate to Figma from other design tools. This guide will take you through the entire process of creating a full-fledged prototype for a responsive interface using all the tools and features that Figma has to offer. As a result, this Figma design book is suitable for both UX and UI designers, product and graphic designers, and anyone who wants to explore the complete design process from scratch.
Designing for Accessibility: A Business Guide to Countering Design Exclusion (Human Factors and Ergonomics)
by Simeon KeatesA step by step guide, this book covers how to design products that offer the right combination of functionality, usability, and accessibility for all consumers. The author articulates why these three elements can make the critical difference in remaining competitive and economically viable over the long term. He provides insightful case studies that illustrate the corporate benefits for designing accessibility, in addition to carefully selected and valuable figures and tables. Demystifying what is involved in designing inclusive products for all users, the book highlights numerous examples for designers, such as creating a tool for Web browsing for older adults, as well as digital television access.
Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics
by Stephen WendelA new wave of products is helping people change their behavior and daily routines, whether it's exercising more (Jawbone Up), taking control of their finances (HelloWallet), or organizing their email (Mailbox). This practical guide shows you how to design these types of products for users seeking to take action and achieve specific goals. Stephen Wendel, HelloWallet's head researcher, takes you step-by-step through the process of applying behavioral economics and psychology to the practical problems of product design and development. Using a combination of lean and agile development methods, you'll learn a simple iterative approach for identifying target users and behaviors, building the product, and gauging its effectiveness. Discover how to create easy-to-use products to help people make positive changes. Learn the three main strategies to help people change behavior Identify your target audience and the behaviors they seek to change Extract user stories and identify obstacles to behavior change Develop effective interface designs that are enjoyable to use Measure your product's impact and learn ways to improve it Use practical examples from products like Nest, Fitbit, and Opower
Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics
by Stephen WendelDesigners and managers hope their products become essential for users—integrated into their lives like Instagram, Lyft, and others have become. Such deep integration isn’t accidental: it’s a process of careful design and iterative learning, especially for technology companies. This guide shows you how to apply behavioral science—research that supports many products—to help your users achieve their goals using your product.In this updated edition, Stephen Wendel, head of behavioral science at Morningstar, takes you step-by-step through the process of incorporating behavioral science into product design and development. Product managers, UX and interaction designers, and data analysts will learn a simple and effective approach for identifying target users and behaviors, building the product, and gauging its effectiveness.Learn the three main strategies to help people change behaviorIdentify behaviors your target audience seeks to change—and obstacles that stand in their wayDevelop effective designs that are enjoyable to useMeasure your product’s impact and learn ways to improve itCombine behavioral science with data science to pinpoint problems and test potential solutions
Designing for Digital Transformation. Co-Creating Services with Citizens and Industry: 15th International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology, DESRIST 2020, Kristiansand, Norway, December 2–4, 2020, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #12388)
by Oliver Müller Sara Hofmann Matti RossiThis book constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology, DESRIST 2020, held in Kristiansand, Norway, in December 2020. The 28 revised full research papers included in the volume together with 7 research-in-progress papers and 9 prototype papers, were carefully reviewed and selected from 93 submissions. They are organized in the following topical sections: digital public services; data science; design principles; methodology; platforms and networks; and service science. Due to the Corona pandemic this event was held virtually.
Designing for Emerging Technologies: UX for Genomics, Robotics, and the Internet of Things
by Jonathan FollettThe recent digital and mobile revolutions are a minor blip compared to the next wave of technological change, as everything from robot swarms to skin-top embeddable computers and bio printable organs start appearing in coming years. In this collection of inspiring essays, designers, engineers, and researchers discuss their approaches to experience design for groundbreaking technologies.Design not only provides the framework for how technology works and how it’s used, but also places it in a broader context that includes the total ecosystem with which it interacts and the possibility of unintended consequences. If you’re a UX designer or engineer open to complexity and dissonant ideas, this book is a revelation.Contributors include:Stephen Anderson, PoetPainter, LLCLisa Caldwell, Brazen UXMartin Charlier, Independent Design ConsultantJeff Faneuff, CarboniteAndy Goodman, Fjord USCamille Goudeseune, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignBill Hartman, Essential DesignSteven Keating, MIT Media Lab, Mediated Matter GroupBrook Kennedy, Virginia TechDirk Knemeyer, Involution StudiosBarry Kudrowitz, University of MinnesotaGershom Kutliroff, Omek Studio at IntelMichal Levin, GoogleMatt Nish-Lapidus, NormativeErin Rae Hoffer, AutodeskMarco Righetto, SumAllJuhan Sonin, Involution StudiosScott Stropkay, Essential DesignScott Sullivan, Adaptive PathHunter Whitney, Hunter Whitney and Associates, Inc.Yaron Yanai, Omek Studio at Intel
Designing for Human Intelligence in an Artificial Intelligence World: Understanding Human Cognition to Design for Humans
by Rebecca Baker Jerome L. RekartHow we think and react has a direct impact on experience design, but often designers don't understand the "whys" behind their best practices, leaving them at risk for misusing or underutilizing those designs. Similarly, psychologists/neuroscientists don't understand the design decisions that their science is informing and how they might be leveraged further. This book explores how neuroscience and cognitive psychology inform experience design, within the modern context of research and technological advances. With a conversational and playful tone, this book begins by grounding you in research and AI. That foundation then allows you to expand your repertoire through chapters on design-relevant cognitive phenomena such as memory, learning, and perception. By delving into how our brains handle these processes and how our designs can effectively (or ineffectively) leverage them, the book follows a journey that weaves academic learning with practical, real-world applications and examples. With the widespread availability of generative AI tools, understanding the intersection of human cognition and design and how that knowledge can be used to build a bridge between the brain and the software has become even more critical. By understanding the brain and human behavior more completely, designers will be able to effectively use AI as an accelerator for tactical projects and provide the context that is unique to the human ability to understand the "why.&”
Designing for Inclusion: Inclusive Design: Looking Towards the Future
by Jonathan Lazar Patrick Langdon Ann Heylighen Hua DongThis proceedings book presents papers from the 10th Cambridge Workshops on Universal Access and Assistive Technology. The CWUAAT series of workshops have celebrated a long history of interdisciplinarity, including design disciplines, computer scientists, engineers, architects, ergonomists, ethnographers, ethicists, policymakers, practitioners, and user communities. This reflects the wider increasing realisation over the long duration of the series that design for inclusion is not limited to technology, engineering disciplines, and computer science but instead requires an interdisciplinary approach. The key to this is providing a platform upon which the different disciplines can engage and see each other’s antecedents, methods, and point of view.This proceedings book of the 10th CWUAAT conference presents papers in a variety of topics includingReconciling usability, accessibility, and inclusive design;Designing inclusive assistive and rehabilitation systems;Designing cognitive interaction with emerging technologies;Designing inclusive architecture;Data mining and visualising inclusion;Legislation, standards, and policy in inclusive design;Situational inclusive interfaces; andThe historical perspective: 20 years of CWUAAT.CWUAAT has always aimed to be inclusive in the fields that it invites to the workshop. We must include social science, psychologies, anthropologies, economists, politics, governance, and business. This requirement is now energised by imminent new challenges arising from techno-social change. In particular, artificial intelligence, wireless technologies, and the Internet of Things generate a pressing need for more socially integrated projects with operational consequences on individuals in the built environment and at all levels of design and society. Business cases and urgent environmental issues such as sustainability and transportation should now be a focus point for inclusion in an increasingly challenging world. This proceedings book continues the goal of designing for inclusion, as set out by the CWUAAT when it first started.
Designing for Learning in an Open World
by Gráinne ConoleThe Internet and associated technologies have been around for almost twenty years. Networked access and computer ownership are now the norm. There is a plethora of technologies that can be used to support learning, offering different ways in which learners can communicate with each other and their tutors, and providing them with access to interactive, multimedia content. However, these generic skills don't necessarily translate seamlessly to an academic learning context. Appropriation of these technologies for academic purposes requires specific skills, which means that the way in which we design and support learning opportunities needs to provide appropriate support to harness the potential of technologies. More than ever before learners need supportive 'learning pathways' to enable them to blend formal educational offerings, with free resources and services. This requires a rethinking of the design process, to enable teachers to take account of a blended learning context.