The Concept of Modes

Throughout Accessible Surveys, you will frequently encounter the term "mode." It is a foundational design concept used to manage complexity. Because building an accessible, highly dynamic survey requires a lot of configuration, presenting every option at once would be overwhelming.

The concept of a "mode" is applied in three distinct areas of the platform: how you build the survey, how the respondent experiences the survey, and how the survey is deployed.

1. Authoring Modes (Managing Complexity)

When you are in the Compose view building your survey, you interact with different Authoring Modes. A single question in Accessible Surveys isn't just a label and an input; it has translations, accessibility variations, logic conditions, and validation rules.

To prevent cognitive overload, the interface separates these concerns into contextual modes:

• Add Content Mode: Focused purely on the structure and text. This is a visual, drag-and-drop interface where you write your questions, define multiple-choice options, and format text using Markdown.
• Settings Mode: Focused on technical properties. This is where you define if a question is required, set minimum or maximum character limits, and assign unique data codes.
• Visibility / Logic Mode: Focused purely on the mathematical and logical rules that determine if and when an item should be shown to a respondent.

Why design it this way? By separating concerns, the builder allows you to focus on one specific task at a time—like writing the content for an entire section—without being distracted by the underlying logic or database properties.

2. Accessibility Modes (Inclusive Experiences)

The most powerful use of modes is found in the respondent experience. Accessibility Modes are states that instantly transform the survey interface to accommodate different cognitive, sensory, or physical needs.

Instead of building completely separate surveys for different audiences (which creates a data analysis nightmare), Accessible Surveys allows you to build one master survey that adapts dynamically.

• Easy Read Mode: Simplifies the layout and swaps complex text for simplified language and supporting images.
• Sign Language Mode: Reveals embedded sign language videos alongside the text.
• Read Aloud Mode: Activates specific auditory feedback mechanisms.

Summary

In Accessible Surveys, a "mode" is essentially a focused lens. Whether it is an Authoring Mode helping you focus on writing content, an Accessibility Mode helping a respondent understand a question, or a Test Mode ensuring data integrity, modes are the mechanism that makes a complex, multi-layered system usable for everyone.