CategoryAccessibility

June 4, 2024 — The web is still a young platform, and we’re only now beginning to recognize what “success” looks like for large projects. In his recent Smashing book, Success at Scale, Addy Osmani presents practical case studies featuring the web’s most renowned companies and their efforts to make big changes to existing apps and sites. In this article, Addy shows some of the key insights he has learned. Read more…

April 25, 2024 — Conducting UX research that includes participants with a variety of disabilities is vital to building inclusive technology, but most prototypes used for testing are inaccessible. Rather than continuing to leave out feedback from disabled consumers, which ultimately leads to exclusive technology, researchers must get creative in their workarounds and be relentless in their efforts. Read more…

February 26, 2024 — Digital designer Yichan Wang has put together this collection of strategies and selling points to help you encourage and advocate for accessibility in your place of work, including useful scripts you can use as starting points. Read more…

February 20, 2024 — Color accessibility is more than just ticking boxes. Even with good contrast, some color palettes can make interfaces challenging for users. Here are some practical guidelines to ensure more inclusive design for colorblind people. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns. Read more…

February 19, 2024 — Accessibility goes beyond making products user-friendly. It can significantly impact the quality of life for people with disabilities. Kate Kalcevich shares lessons she learned from assistive technology users — challenges and barriers they encounter on mobile devices. Read more…

February 14, 2024 — Accessibility for data visualization extends well beyond web standards, at least if you’re trying to create an experience that’s actually useful. This article focuses on techniques for creating useful and accessible visualizations that extend well beyond compliance. Read more…

February 13, 2024 — How to design for children aged 3–12, with insights into user behavior, considerations for parents, and practical UX guidelines. Read more…

February 6, 2024 — With one billion people aged 60 or older worldwide, inclusivity is more important than ever. Learn how to create digital experiences that empower independence and competence for older adults while enhancing usability for all. An upcoming part of Smart Interface Design Patterns. Read more…

November 10, 2023 — Animation and accessibility are often seen as two separate powers at odds with one another. How is it possible to strike a balance between elements that move and the possible negative effects they expose to users who are sensitive to motion? Oriana García explains how her team at Mercado Libre tackled the challenge by creating guiding principles for applying animation to user interfaces and incorporating them into the team’s design system. Read more…

November 7, 2023 — The CSS clamp() function is often paired with viewport units for “fluid” font sizing that scales the text up and down at different viewport sizes. As common as this technique is, several voices warn that it opens up situations where text can fail WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.4, which specifies that text should scale up to at least 200% when the user’s browser reaches its 500% maximum zoom level. Max Barvian takes a deep look at the issue and offers ideas to help address it. Read more…