Accessibility In Design 101
Prioritizing accessibility in design is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic necessity, ensuring that digital experiences are inclusive, equitable, and enriching for users of all abilities.
In the fast-paced digital era, where design is a critical aspect of user experience, it’s paramount for designers to prioritize accessibility. Accessibility in design ensures that everyone, regardless of ability or disability, can interact with and navigate digital content seamlessly.
This involves creating an inclusive environment where users with varying needs can engage with websites, apps, and other digital platforms effectively. In this blog post, we’ll explore key considerations for designers to enhance accessibility, focusing on fonts, colors, and other essential design elements.
Designing with Consciousness: Fonts, Colors, and Beyond
1. Fonts: Necessity to Readability
Choosing the right font goes beyond aesthetics; it significantly impacts readability for all users. For those with visual impairments, selecting clear, legible fonts can make a world of difference. Aim for a balanced mix of style and readability. Additionally, consider font size and spacing — adjustable options empower users to customize the text to their comfort. Implementing a scalable and adaptable font system ensures that your design remains accessible across various devices and screen sizes.
Read more about where we find some of our favorite fonts for free here!
2. Colors: Beyond Aesthetics to Contrast and Readability
Color plays a vital role in design, but it’s crucial to remember that not all users perceive colors in the same way. Ensure a high level of color contrast between text and background elements, enhancing readability for users with color vision deficiencies. Moreover, use color-coding sparingly and provide alternative cues such as patterns or labels to convey information. By adopting a thoughtful approach to color, designers can create visually appealing interfaces that are accessible to a broad audience.
3. Other Design Aspects: A Holistic Approach
Beyond fonts and colors, holistic accessibility involves considering various design elements. Prioritize an intuitive layout with clear navigation, enabling users to find information effortlessly. Provide alternative text for images, ensuring that screen readers can convey the visual content to users with visual impairments. Keep interactive elements accessible by incorporating keyboard navigation and providing sufficient time for users to complete tasks. A mindful approach to design elements ensures that the user experience is seamless and enjoyable for everyone.
Tools you should know:
There are plenty of accessibility tools on Figma and beyond! Here are a few we love 👇
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): A set of guidelines by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) outlining standards for creating accessible web content.
- Axe Accessibility: An open-source browser extension that automatically detects and helps fix common web accessibility issues.
- Wave: A web accessibility evaluation tool providing visual feedback and facilitating the assessment of web content for accessibility issues.
- Color Contrast Checker by WebAIM: A tool for checking the color contrast of text and background elements to ensure readability for users with visual impairments.
- Tenon.io: An accessibility testing tool that scans websites and applications for potential barriers to access, providing detailed reports.
- NoCoffee Vision Simulator: A browser extension allowing designers to simulate various visual impairments to experience and address potential accessibility issues.
- Stark: A design tool integrated with popular design software to ensure color contrast and accessibility compliance during the design phase.
- Contrast: A Mac app that helps designers check color contrast and ensures readability for users with visual impairments.
- WAVE Evaluation Tool by WebAIM: A browser extension that identifies accessibility and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) errors on web pages.
- AccessLint: A GitHub Action tool that automatically reviews pull requests for common web accessibility issues in HTML and JavaScript.
Accessibility Matters:
In conclusion, making accessibility a fundamental part of the design process is not only ethical but also enhances the overall user experience. Designers hold the key to creating digital spaces that are welcoming to everyone, regardless of their abilities. By focusing on fonts, colors, and various design aspects, designers can contribute to a more inclusive online world.
To assist in the journey towards accessible design, consider using tools like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to evaluate and enhance your designs. This is the golden document for all your accessibility needs. Below you can find a few other tools we love!
To read more about accessibility vs usability, we recommend checking out this blog post! We will continue posting more accessibility content on our TikTok + Instagram, so be sure to follow along for more! If you have any other tools you love, be sure to drop them below!
