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Reflection on the class - This class is similar to other ones we have had about accessible but it has made me consider when designing you need the content to build the design but you need to make small changes to the design and this will make a large impact on someone who maybe would have struggled before this. It reinforces how important it is to consider all the elements and that we must design for everyone.

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What is Accessibility and Inclusive design?

Accessibility and inclusive design are always areas to consider. Accessible design is a design that works for people on different levels. Digital projects can be a struggle for those with visual, auditory, cognitive, emotional, or motor challenges. Inclusive design is different it is about creating designs that welcome all different users like race, gender, and religion these don't hinder their digital experiences.

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/accessibility-inclusivity-study-guide/

The Nelson and Norman article that discusses accessible and inclusive design talks about the ways the designs will need to be altered as a result of issues. This reminds me of the research I did for the AV project where I looked at all the ways the AVs will need to be adjusted to their largest user demographic which is the aging population. Autonomous vehicle.

Ways to improve the accessibility visually

That article led to one about 5 ways to improve the accessibility visually.

1. Designing with colour contrast in mind - People with visual impairments will have a harder time reading text, especially on low contrast colours. To make sure that it is accessible the colour contrasts with the writing and the background will have to be really high contrast and the text is a larger size.
2. Making the feedback more than just colour - as designers we are used to making feedback like an error message read and use this as the highlight colour but when people with visual can not see the colour they will need another visual clue.
3. Clarifying the active elements - having a focus element so they know it has been clicked more than just colour as they might not be able to see the difference but add a stroke to show.
4. Add descriptions to images - they will skip past an image that they can not see clearly but having a description will make the image have more of an impact. This will be needed for images that have a purpose but if it's just decorative it is not necessary as it reduces the working memory load.
5. Test with real users - make sure that you understand accessibility as a whole, with tools, you trying, and real user testing. This will make a massive difference, maybe to the designer but to the ones you are designing it for.

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Reflection on my own research- I thought this article was good it got me to not just see accessibility as a box to check off but as what the design should be built around to make an amazing design that everyone can use.

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https://www.nngroup.com/articles/visual-treatments-accessibility/

Apple Accessibility Guidelines

Neilson and Norman have discussed and written so many amazing things about accessibility and they are some of the leading designers for it. But in class, I have heard about Apple's accessibility guidelines which are also known for their user-focused design when building its brand.

The Apple accessibility guidelines are very big but some of the elements that stood out to me are. The simplicity that are trying to reinforce across all their platforms but still allowing for individuality with customisable elements. They also have a very straightforward hierarchy in the sizes of elements and writing.

Having clear and understandable infographics that convey the meaning of the information, everything has a purpose nothing is there unnecessary. Everything is practical, like the voice-over elements that can be turned on providing all the information. They have tested all the text and colours to meet accessibility requirements.

They have really well thought-out guidelines that allow the designers to create someone for the user that is clear and useable. They have reinforced consistency and the need for a simple design that is the same over all platforms. Apple has created a detailed accessible guideline that is a really good example of who each element needs to be considered and that simple design is often the best for the user.