February 12, 2021 in Learn
WCAG 1.3: Adaptable
The third WCAG Guideline, Adaptable, is part of the Perceivable principle and covers adapting to the different needs of users by allowing content to be received in multiple ways. WCAG 1.3: Use Semantic HTML One of the most important ways…
February 5, 2021 in Learn
Inclusive Design Series (4 of 4): Design Ethics
Designers, developers, and other folks building products have the power and responsibility to influence how products are made—this is Design Ethics. As you create products, consider: How is it impacting others? Who could be hurt by this product? Who does…
November 20, 2020 in Learn
WCAG 1.2: Time-based Media
The second WCAG Guideline, Time-based Media, is part of the Perceivable principle and covers providing alternatives for audio and video content. Accessible Podcasts A text transcript can make audio-only content like a podcast accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users, as…
October 21, 2020 in Learn
New Treehouse Course: Ethical Design
We’re excited to announce Ethical Design, a new course in 21st Century Skills from Hope Armstrong and Michelle Zohlman! This 173-minute course encompasses ethical design essentials, confronting dirty data, big picture impacts, and how to apply ethical design practically. In…
October 14, 2020 in Learn
Inclusive Design Series (3 of 4): The Importance of User Research
I’ve spent most of my career working with startups, as the sole designer or alongside a handful of designers. I’ve never worked with a user researcher whose sole focus is on user interviews and usability tests. It can feel intimidating…
October 6, 2020 in Learn
WCAG 1.1: Text Alternatives
The first WCAG Guideline, Text Alternatives, is part of the Perceivable principle. The guideline states Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols,…
September 10, 2020 in Learn
Introducing the WCAG Principles
In my introductory blog post on Accessibility , I mentioned that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is broken up into four accessibility principles: Perceivable Operable Understandable Robust These four principles are then divided into thirteen accessibility guidelines. Each WCAG…
September 3, 2020 in Learn
Inclusive Design Series (2 of 4): The Limitations (and Possibilities) of Empathy
Throughout user research and UX design in general, empathy is a guiding force. “Put yourself in the user’s shoes to understand their perspective,” they say. While you can empathize with a user, you have not shared the same lived experiences….
July 30, 2020 in Learn
Web Accessibility: An Introduction
Throughout my career as a web design and development educator, I’ve noticed a consistent lack of attention paid to Accessibility principles in both college and bootcamp curriculum. The results of a 2018 WebAIM global survey of web accessibility practitioners was…
July 27, 2020 in Learn
Inclusive Design Series (1 of 4): When Products Aren’t Inclusive
When you design a product, it’s natural that your own biases will impact it. Biases are a feature of human cognition that we cannot control, but we can control how we act upon them. As a cis-gendered white woman, my…
November 13, 2019 in Learn
Why Mind Maps Are Key to Building a User-Friendly Website
Having a user-friendly website in the modern day is no longer advised. Instead, it’s required. If your website isn’t user-friendly, traffic will bounce faster than you can blink. In fact, poor usability on your website directly impacts ranking factors for…
July 29, 2019 in Learn
7 Reasons to Sketch on Paper First
When someone says “web design,” it often puts an image in my head of a designer at a computer working in Adobe XD or Sketch. Because the final medium of the design is displayed on computer screens, web design is…