How can you incorporate accessibility into product design without limiting creativity?

While having accessibility design as my focus for a couple of years now, I figured out that designers who would like to join and do more in this field tend to have a hard time finding the relevant information they need to start. What I always recommend to my mentees is to do a small research online first, and after that to visit the national association of disabled people in their city. This approach helped me skyrocket my understanding of accessibility design because sometimes things I read online were not fully completed. Having someone next to yourself who is going to consume the content you design is priceless. Ask them questions, study how they use technology, and learn from their experience.

Providing accessibility for users should be a priority in 2023. It is not only ethical and wise but also, from a business standpoint, it helps to expand your user base.

Research research research. There is a reason that Google’s Material Design became an international standard of digital accessibility. When it comes to designing a beautiful, and functional experience, the more you understand about who you are building for, the better you execute. Here are some helpful tips to boost your research: 1. Competitive and comparative. See what others are doing in the space. Are there industry leaders paving the way? 2. Talk to your customers face to face. Nothing is more valuable than interacting with your consumer live and watching them interact with your product. 3. Define ideal personas early, and work toward validating them. Who we think we are building for often isn’t who we end up building for.

When Creating a product the phrase " I am not the user" should be on repeat in your head. Acknowledging that you are not the user promotes empathy and a broader perspective, encouraging creative solutions that genuinely meet user needs. By distancing yourself from personal biases and assumptions, you open the door to diverse ideas and innovative approaches that resonate better with the actual users of your product or service.

One thing you will listen always while doing your designs is: "We will do accessibility later", "We do not have a budget for that right now", "It is not our focus at the moment", and who knows what not. What you as a designer should do is learn how to apply accessibility design as a normal standard of doing proper UX design. Don't complicate your designs too much, and try to make a couple of friends in the development team. If you do a proper UX design and incorporate accessibility as a common UX practice people will develop it without knowing they did that. The results of that approach will be accessible apps and tools for all of us without your product manager saying there is a tight budget.

Using accessibility tools can certainly help you understand what is happening under the hood but keep in mind always that not all the tools are 100% accurate. We are all humans in the end. Each is different than the other and if I see a certain color or shape in one way you could probably see it a bit differently. What you could do, just to keep your designs more flexible and accessible is ask your team how they see certain stuff. It would be even better if you could test your designs with people who have certain types of disabilities. Try to test your designs with people who have low vision. I am sure sending designs on testing is not cheap, but you can always ask a friend for help.

Involving accessibility experts can be expensive as well. Especially if you are trying to find the top designers who focus on accessibility, but if you try to contact the organizations who are deeply connected with people in this field you can easily save some money, learn tons of stuff, and most importantly build truly accessible projects every time. The money you plan to pay for highly trained individuals can be directed to organizations who can then use that money to buy equipment for their members, or even other types of accessible technology such as sensors, hearing aid tools, and other.

A big part of what creativity is comes from overcoming limitations. Creating accessibility will spark your creativity and also improve your designs.

one helpful pro tip is to embrace "creative constraints." They're like the guardrails on a rollercoaster, ensuring your design journey is thrilling and safe for all passengers, no matter their abilities. ever heard of curb cuts? Originally designed for wheelchairs, but now, they're a lifesaver for parents with strollers, travelers with suitcases, and skateboarders everywhere. Accessibility innovation in action! 🛹👜 so, as you dive into this article on accessibility, just remember, it's not about constraints; it's about creating a design that's a red carpet for all your users. 🌟👏🖌️

When you tackle accessibility head-on, it can act as a springboard for creativity, infusing your designs with a distinctive flair while enhancing their user-friendliness.