Barton Tiles

A Revolutionary Teaching and Learning Solution

The Idea

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bright Solutions originally developed the Barton system using physical, color-coded wooden letter tiles. In time, Bright Solution found the system to be cumbersome and time consuming to manage. After realizing this could be difficult for users to get acquainted with the learning system, Bright Solutions decided to take a new approach to the physical makeup of the system.

The company decided an electronic version of their spelling and reading system would be the ideal solution. After conducting detailed research they came to know about Zco Corporation and a partnership was born.

Features

Education

Designed with students in mind.

iOS

Runs great on iOS devices like iPad.

Android

Takes advantage of various Android device sizes.

The Process

The process began when Bright Solutions approached Zco to build the Barton Tiles app. Barton Tiles was a unique app, as it had to help students go from a non-reader state, to a 10th-grade-level in reading, writing, and spelling in an interactive and engaging way.

As part of the discovery process, Bright Solutions visited New Hampshire to meet the Zco team in person and discuss the project in detail. The discovery phase creates an opportunity to gather key information, analyze specific tasks, and develop a detailed project outline.

After extensive conversations, Zco and Bright Solutions, felt it was best to first develop the app as an iPad app. Doing so, provided the greatest opportunity for tutors to easily access and use the app while creating a strong foundation for future platform development. Once discovery had been completed, Zco began working on the development phase which included screen design and architecture, wireframing, UI documentation, and more. Working with Bright Solutions to review and refine each of these areas, allowed for the creation of the blueprints for the Barton Tiles app.

After developing the iPad version of the app, it was critical to address the need for an Andorid based version of the app. While much of the foundation and app structure had already been developed, the Android version had unique challenges, given the Android app could only be downloaded after a verified request process. With that, Zco worked closely with Bright Solutions to develop a streamlined request and download process for users.

They [Zco] did a fabulous job, and people have loved the software. We were thrilled to see such an excellent response to the app, having over 100,000 users. People rushed the buy the app, buying 5-10 levels at a time. With their great profile in mobile app development we realized that Zco would be the best developer to create our application.

– Susan Barton, President of Bright Solutions

The Results

In the end, Bright Solutions and Zco developed one of the leading resources for tutors working with individuals with dyslexia. Widely used, the app has helped to streamline learning and enhance overall experiences. “Our work with Zco was very successful, and I’m tremendously satisfied. I would use them again without reservation. Zco created forward-thinking solutions for our entire interface, with an emphasis on functionality and user-friendliness,” said, Susan Barton, Founder of Barton System and internationally recognized expert in Dyslexia.