Flexible
A product is desired that is flexible, that is to say, that it can be scalable in the future, allowing the addition of functionalities not contemplated in the initial design but that is due to changes in the environment where the collaborative learning is developed, to desirable characteristics or functionalities that expand the system operability. Therefore, the system must be sufficiently stable and parameterized so that it can be easily adapted to the changes that are required.

Platform Independence
One of the determining points in the design of the tool is the need for independence with respect to the platform on which it is running. The idea is that, beyond the minimum requirements of available memory and disk space, users who use it do not need more elements in their computers and/or networks to make it work fully. The independence can be seen in the q-nex smart classroom solutions.

Construction based on Standards:
The tool to be designed must comply with certain standards that currently exist and that other similar applications abide by.

There are organizations responsible for creating standards, for the type of learning applications via the Internet there is the IMS (Instructional Management System).

The IMS project is an open consortium of private industry or educational members, primarily universities, who are developing applications for computer-based learning. IMS members are developing a set of software specifications to facilitate the growth and viability of distributed learning on the Internet, with the organization focusing on developing standards for learning objects.

The tool to be designed must be thought of in compliance with these IMS standards, in this way the pattern or development model adopted by other organizations when developing tools of the same type would be followed.

This activity has to be monitored by the developers, designers and the administrator of the application, from the first moment the tool starts to be created.

Access, security and configurability
“Access” is one of the keywords in this whole context. Starting from the point that the design provides for different types of users, it is essential to maintain different levels of accessibility as well. Visiting users should be limited to being able to access only certain points of the system, while the administrator should be able to manipulate virtually any aspect of it. In this sense, the user's login and its respective password must allow the tool to identify its nature and then activate or deactivate the accessibility of the different sectors of the system according to its category.

It is very important that the people or institutions that have the tool can configure the different access and security roles according to their particular needs.

The Administrator is responsible for controlling access to the system (we assume that the server is within the educational institution) and configuring it to provide the required security.

Online Help

The system is required to provide online help, and this help is consistent with the context in which the user is at that time and with the type of user being handled.
The help must not be harmful, it is expected to be objective and discreet so that it does not cause the user boredom and conveys just what they need to know. Likewise, general help must be provided for the general operability of the system.

Provide automatic mechanisms for the publication and update of content:

The web presents the right environment for the updated and dynamic publication of content since it can be modified directly on the medium and the changes are displayed immediately.

The educational materials that can be provided through the web are immensely varied. The media provided (images, animations, video, audio, etc.) must be exploited.

An example of automated posting refers to the creation of pre-scheduled posts to be turned on or off at any particular time. For example, a teacher can define a task that is distributed on a particular day and whose solution can only be delivered until a certain date and time. Automated mechanisms should allow students to submit the completed assignment only before the scheduled date and time.

Provide different modes (channels) of communication

Today's web-based educational systems need both asynchronous and synchronous tools. Asynchronous tools include email, newsgroups, and document libraries. Synchronous tools include chat, whiteboards and interactive presentations, all presented in a multimedia environment.

A very important element of these systems is that the document library unites asynchronous tools but can also store synchronous ones, for example, chat discussions that can be stored for later asynchronous review.