Accessibility isn’t just following guidelines or ticking boxes. It’s a mindset that creates a positive and inclusive user experience for everyone.
When we neglect accessibility, we don’t only exclude individuals. We compromise the very usability of our products. With that in mind, here’s a few common missteps we often see in digital promotions:
While using images to maintain a consistent layout might seem like a convenient solution, it comes at the cost of accessibility. Screen readers, essential tools for people with visual impairments, cannot interpret text in images. They will often outright ignore images when they’re used as the background of web elements. This practice not only prevents users from accessing important information but also creates a poor user experience when zooming in on mobile devices, resulting in text that is often pixelated and ugly. Stop putting strict adherence to a design above your users.
Designing with the assumption that users will only access our websites the same way we do often leads to embarrassing edge cases once a product is out in the open. It’s essential to remember that users will use different methods and devices to interact with our products. Even with a product that expects users to be on mobile, failing to account for desktop users, those with large screens, landscape screens or individuals who rely on assistive technologies negatively impacts the user experience and limits your products reach.
Misalignments between user expectations and the interface can cause frustration and confusion, resulting in missed opportunities and potential leads. It’s crucial to bridge this gap by designing interfaces that align with peoples expectations. For example: A user would expect a button that says “View recipe” to take them to a new page with a recipe. If the button instead takes them to another website, or makes them fill out a form, this goes against expectations and breaks the user’s trust. This is behaviour routinely used by scammers, not legitimate products.
A user-centred approach and a commitment to accessibility are key ingredients in delivering exceptional digital experiences. Without them, you are guaranteeing a percentage of your potential customers leave with a bad taste in their mouth.
Written by: John Kane - Senior Frontend Engineer at Zebrar
#accessibility #userexperience #humancentreddesign #UX
