a tipsy but teachable moment:
Lessons in UX and Accessibility
I was recently partaking in a little retail therapy which actually feels more like retail denial these days, *I am actively pretending like there are places I could go and wear cute new hypothetical clothing — yeah, nope*. Totally not happening. It was another pandemic Friday night, and I was already two glasses of wine in, maybe three, but who’s counting? I found myself in that all too familiar scene, slumped down in my bed, eyes glazed while clicking through the two-dimensional universe on my laptop with wine and snacks nearby.
I was on a popular boho clothing site, scrolling through unending pages of gorgeous women in their early 20’s wearing ethereal flower crowns and long flowing dresses gazing out of Parisian balconies and generally looking like ads for Coachella. Scrolling through the pages of clothing, I realized that pressing the teeny tiny page numbers and small thin arrows to navigate to the next page was actually, A LOT harder than it needed to be! This got me thinking; okay, admittedly, I may be a little tipsy — BUT — if I am having trouble with this task, then many other users are experiencing similar challenges due to outdated designs.
I am in no way trying to compare my tipsy retail therapy session to that of someone who directly experiences accessibility issues. This was another moment that taught me to recognize my privilege and rethink designs that are seemingly normalized or thought of as straightforward. For many of us, we have become accustomed to the familiar user experience of online shopping; it feels commonplace and routine.
But, according to the CDC, 26% of Americans have some form of disability or issue with accessibility. That’s about 1 in 4 people. This makes up one of the largest user groups in the world. Disabilities and accessibility issues can range from auditory, visual, cognitive, neurological, limited mobility, and more. Making technology accessible for everyone also means thinking about users in permanent, temporary, or even situational scenarios, like a broken arm in a cast. This tipsy but teachable moment was a great reminder on how far we need to go to make technology more user friendly for everyone.
As a UX/UI designer, I am continually thinking about ways to create better user experiences. So why is something as simple as going to the next page on an e-commerce platform such an annoying and tedious task? Retailers want us to continue shopping and pressing the next button should be clear and simple. The cognitive load to target an area smaller than a 9 point font size with my cursor or my clumsy fingers is absurdly outdated when you think about it. Who is this designed for?
All jokes aside, Fitt’s Law is a great example of why the small page navigation model isn’t ideal for the user. So, what about clearer Calls to Action or more intuitive buttons? *Below, I have shown two different website examples of simple fixes to aid with visual accessibility and reduce cognitive load. This is a very small sliver of a wide range of accessibility issues users face in modern technology.
So why are mobile apps and online retailers so behind on making sites more accessible and inclusive? The truth is, I really don’t know? The WCAG has clear guidelines for aiding accessibility issues, but it is not required for retailers to meet these standards. But as more and more users opt to shop online due to the global pandemic, this feels like an obvious and significant opportunity for retailers to improve upon.
It’s time to look closer and recognize that “one size does not fit all” and there is room for ample improvements so everyone can have a seat at the table. I think there is a social responsibility to design and develop more accessible and compliant mobile apps and online experiences for users. The truth is, at some point in our lives, each of us will experience some form of disability or accessibility issue and it’s time we start recognizing opportunities for inclusion and designing more accessible experiences for the technology we use and interact with every day.
