Accessibility in design: fun, fresh, and for everyone
Imagine a world where everyone wore the same size shoes. Weird, right?
That’s kind of what happens when we ignore accessibility in design.
Imagine you’re throwing the best party ever.
You’ve got amazing food, killer music, and the coolest decorations.
But some of your friends can’t get through the front door.
Not cool, hey?
That’s exactly what inaccessible design feels like to many people.
Now, let’s flip the script.
What if your party had a magic door?
It adjusts to let everyone in, no matter how they move.
Your playlist? It comes with lyrics for those who can’t hear the beat.
And the fancy light shows have a special mode for friends sensitive to flashing lights.
Suddenly, everyone’s having a blast.
That’s the power of accessible design!
It’s not about following boring rules or ticking boxes.
It’s about throwing a party where everyone’s invited and everyone can join in the fun.
Think of them as design superpowers.
You’re not just making things look good.
You’re making them work for everyone.
Awesome, right?
So, are you ready to be a design superhero?
Buckle up, because we’re about to make accessibility the coolest kid on the block.
And trust me, it’s way more fun than you might think!
Web Accessibility 101: what’s it all about?
What’s accessibility in design?
Accessibility in design means making things easy for everyone to use.
It covers websites, apps, and even posters or flyers (printed materials).
It’s about thinking of all kinds of people when we create stuff.
Some people might have trouble seeing, hearing, or with mobility.
Others might find it hard to understand complex things.
Accessible design helps everyone enjoy and use what we make.
It’s like building a playground where all kids can have fun, no matter what their abilities are.
That’s our goal in design, too!
Why some think ADA Compliance has to be boring (but it’s not!)
In the United States, we have the ADA.
This stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It’s a set of rules that help make public accommodations for people with disabilities.
It essentially helps keep things fair for everyone.
Some people think following these rules means making boring designs.
But that’s not true at all!
Think of ADA compliance like a game.
The rules are there to make it fun for everyone.
Just like in sports, rules don’t make the game boring. They make it better!
We can follow the ADA rules and still make cool, fun designs.
It doesn’t just help users with disabilities, it also helps improve user interactions with your design!
Who doesn’t love it when text is easier to read or when a video comes with subtitles when you can’t listen to a video out loud in public?
Accessibility makes your content easier to consume for everyone!
It just takes a bit of creativity.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about next!
Cool ways to make designs accessible and WCAG guidelines-friendly
Color contrast: accessible colors that pop
Did you know some color combos are hard for some people to see?
That’s where color contrast comes in.
It’s about picking colors that stand out from each other.
For example:
Dark blue text on light yellow? Easy to read!
Light yellow on white? Not so much.
Good contrast helps everyone read your content easily.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have a detailed guide on good contrast and there are sites that allow you to test the contrast ratio of your colors.
Learn more in this quick guide!
➡️Designing for web accessibility: The importance of accessible color
Using good contrast doesn’t mean your designs have to be boring.
You can still use bright, fun colors.
You just need to pair them well!
Typography: choose fonts that look great and are easy to read
Fonts are like the clothes words wear.
Some fonts look cool but are hard to read.
Others are easy to read but might seem boring.
The trick is finding fonts that are both stylish and clear.
Sans-serif fonts (like Arial or Helvetica) are often good choices.
They don’t have those little fancy bits at the ends of letters.
This makes them easier to read, especially on screens.
Here’s a quick guide to accessible fonts you might find useful!
➡️Enhancing the user experience with accessible typography: choose a font for accessibility
Remember to make your text big enough too.
Tiny text might look neat, but it’s tough for many people to read.
Make sure all your copy is easy to read without your audience having to zoom in.
Try new layouts for better user experience and accessible navigation
Think of your website or app like a store.
You want people to find what they need easily, right?
That’s what good layout and navigation menus do.
They help people move around your site without getting lost.
Use clear headings to organize your content.
It’s like putting up signs in a store.
Make sure buttons and links are easy to spot and click.
This helps people using keyboards or touch screens.
Don’t cram too much stuff on one page.
Give your content some breathing room.
It’s easier on the eyes and helps people focus on what’s important.
Turn accessibility features into design stars
Alt text for SEO as storytelling: write fun picture descriptions
Alt text is a description of an image for people who can’t see it.
Screen reader users who can’t see the image can now have a description that helps them understand the content.
Alt text is great not only for digital accessibility but also for SEO (that’s search engine optimization or improving your site to rank higher on search results).
Just like screen readers, site crawlers (little bots that search engines use to index your site and understand your content) can’t see images.
They’ll use this alt text to understand the images on your site.
This text will help them weigh whether they should raise or lower your site’s ranking in the search results.
But who says alt text has to be boring?
Think of alt text as a chance to tell a mini-story. Instead of just saying “cat photo,” try “Fluffy orange cat napping in a sunbeam.”
It’s more fun and gives a better picture (pun intended!).
Good alt text helps more people enjoy your content.
It also helps search engines understand your images better.
That’s a win-win!
Make transcripts and captions part of the show
Captions are the words at the bottom of videos.
Transcripts are written versions of what’s said in audio or video.
These help people who can’t hear the sound.
But they can be fun for everyone!
Try making your captions colorful or animated.
Use different fonts for different speakers.
For transcripts, add emojis or fun formatting.
Make them enjoyable to read on their own.
Remember, captions and transcripts aren’t just add-ons.
They’re part of your content.
Make them shine!
Design for keyboard users with semantic HTML in mind
Some people use keyboards instead of mice to navigate websites.
Semantic HTML helps make this easier.
It’s a way of writing code that gives meaning to the parts of your page.
Use proper headings (like h1, h2, h3) to organize your content.
Make sure links and buttons work with keyboard controls.
This helps keyboard users move around your site easily.
Good semantic HTML also helps search engines understand your site better.
That’s good for SEO, too!
Case studies: accessible designs that WOW
Example from a web agency project following WCAG guidelines
Let’s look at a real example.
A web agency made a site for a local zoo.
They wanted it to be fun and accessible.
They used bright colors but made sure they had good contrast.
They added alt text to all animal photos, describing them in fun ways.
They also made sure the site worked well with keyboard controls.
The result? A fun, accessible site that everyone loves!
The zoo saw more visitors after launching the new site.
People said it was easy to use and fun to explore.
That’s the power of good, accessible design!
Marketing campaigns with built-in accessibility and SEO
Next, let’s talk about a marketing campaign for a new video game.
The team wanted to reach as many people as possible.
They decided to make accessibility a key part of their strategy.
They made sure all their social media posts had alt text.
Their video ads had captions. They even created audio descriptions of their visual ads for people with low vision.
The result? Their campaign reached more people than ever before.
It also ranked well in search results because of all the accessible content.
Another win for accessible design!
Event flyers that reach more people
Lastly, let’s look at how accessibility helped with event flyers.
A music festival wanted to make sure everyone knew about their event.
They decided to make their flyers accessible too.
They used high-contrast colors and clear fonts.
They added QR codes that linked to audio descriptions of the flyer.
They even made tactile versions with raised print for people with low vision.
More people learned about the festival than ever before.
The accessible flyers helped spread the word to everyone in the community.
It showed that accessibility matters in print too!
Tools and techniques to make accessible design easy
Software and plugins that boost accessibility and SEO
There are lots of tools that can help make design more accessible.
Some check color contrast.
Others help you write better alt text.
Many work right in your design software.
For websites, some plugins can improve accessibility.
They can add features like text-to-speech or keyboard navigation.
These tools make it easier to create accessible designs.
Remember, these tools are helpers, not replacements for good design.
Use them to check your work and get ideas.
But always test with real users too!
Design tricks that keep semantic HTML and page speed optimization in mind
Good design isn’t just about looks.
It’s also about how well your site works.
Semantic HTML helps with this.
It makes your site easier for browsers and search engines to understand.
Use proper headings to organize your content.
Make sure your code is clean and efficient.
This helps your site load faster, which is good for users and SEO.
Remember, a fast, well-organized site is an accessible site.
And search engines love that too!
Ways to test if your design works for all ADA compliance needs
Testing is super important in accessible design.
You need to make sure your design works for everyone.
There are tools that can help with this, too.
Try using your site with just a keyboard.
Test it with a screen reader.
Check your color contrast and font sizes.
These tests can help you find problems you might have missed.
It’s also great to test with real users who have different abilities.
They can give you valuable feedback on how to make your design even better.
Why accessible design is good for business
Accessible design helps you reach more people.
It’s like casting a wider net.
When your design works for everyone, more people can engage with your content.
This means more potential customers or users for your business.
It’s not just about being nice (though that’s important too!).
It’s about growing your audience and your business.
Remember, accessible design isn’t just for people with disabilities.
It helps everyone have a better experience with your content.
Make users happy and keep them coming back
When people find your site easy to use, they’re more likely to come back.
Accessible design creates a better user experience for everyone.
It’s like having a store where everything is easy to find and use.
Happy users are more likely to become loyal customers.
They’re also more likely to tell others about your site or product.
Word-of-mouth is powerful marketing!
By focusing on accessibility, you’re focusing on user satisfaction.
And that’s always good for business.
Follow ADA compliance rules without breaking a sweat
ADA compliance might sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be.
When you build accessibility into your design from the start, following the rules becomes easy.
You avoid the risk of legal issues related to accessibility.
But more importantly, you show that you care about all your users.
That’s good for your reputation and your business.
Remember, accessible design is just good design.
It’s about creating the best possible experience for all your users including individuals with disabilities.
How we at Deer Designer approach accessible design
Our process for creating accessible designs
At Deer Designer, we believe accessibility should be part of the design process from day one.
Whether you are working on web development, social media, or even print design, accessibility should be a priority.
We don’t treat it as an afterthought or an add-on.
It’s baked into everything we do.
Our designers are trained in accessibility best practices.
They know how to make designs that are both beautiful and accessible.
It’s all part of our commitment to great design for everyone.
We start by understanding the needs of all potential users.
We use tools to check our designs for accessibility as we go.
And we always test our final products with a diverse group of users.
We’ve worked on all kinds of projects that show accessible design can be stylish too.
Like a fashion brand’s website that uses high-contrast colors in a trendy way.
Or a mobile app with voice control that looks sleek and modern.
We’ve designed event posters with QR codes linking to audio descriptions.
And we’ve created marketing materials that work great in both print and digital formats, with accessibility built-in.
These projects show that accessibility doesn’t limit creativity.
In fact, it often leads to more innovative, user-friendly designs.
How our subscription model supports ongoing web accessibility efforts
Deer Designer works on a subscription model, which means we mostly work with long-term clients.
This is great for accessibility because it’s not a one-time thing.
It needs ongoing attention as your site or app grows and changes.
We can keep checking and updating designs to make sure they stay accessible.
As new accessibility standards come out, we can help clients stay up-to-date.
This ongoing relationship also means we really get to know our clients and their users.
That helps us create even better, more accessible designs over time.
Wrapping it up
Quick recap of the good stuff: web accessibility and ADA compliance
We’ve covered a lot!
We talked about what web accessibility means and why it matters.
We looked at cool and fun ways to make designs accessible, from color choices to layout ideas.
We saw how accessibility features like alt text and captions can be fun and creative.
We looked at real examples of accessible designs that wow.
And we talked about tools and techniques to make it all easier.
Remember, accessible design is good for everyone.
It helps more people use your site or app. It makes users happy.
And it’s good for business, too!
Join us in making designs work for everyone!
Now it’s your turn! We hope this has inspired you to think about accessibility in your own designs.
Whether you’re a designer, a business owner, or just someone who cares about good design, you can make a difference.
Start small if you need to.
Maybe add alt text to your images or check your color contrast.
Every step towards accessibility is a step in the right direction.
You can start with these guides:
➡️The importance of accessibility in design quality
➡️Designing for web accessibility: applying the w3c guidelines with examples
And if you need help, that’s what we’re here for at Deer Designer.
Let’s work together to make the web (and the world) more accessible for everyone!
