Customer engagement and website accessibility are critical to building cutting-edge user experience (UX) frameworks.
According to marketing agency 829 Studios, inclusivity in web design is not just a trend, but a necessity. 70% of web users say they would abandon a website that is not designed for accessibility.
The key to successful website design, especially for e-commerce and brand-focused businesses, is maximizing the user experience. In UX design, digital diversity is about creating services and experiences that consider the needs and perspectives of a broad range of users.
Accessible design meets the needs of people with disabilities, explains Bob Goodman, strategy and UX director at 829 Studios, who has more than twenty years of experience helping companies achieve this goal.
Goodman advocates designing websites for accessibility, trust, and diversity. Accessibility shows a commitment to ensuring that all users can navigate and interact with the website, regardless of their abilities.
When users see that a brand values diversity and strives for inclusivity, prospects and customers appreciate the effort not to exclude them. This approach can help foster a sense of belonging, respect and trust, he noted.
“Inclusion and accessibility together are the digital equivalent of what is called universal design in architecture and the physical world,” Goodman told CRM Buyer. “However, when the experience creates functional or cultural barriers, it presents a disconnect between the user and the experience that can result in them being excluded.”
Integrate inclusive content and images in the web design
From an inclusion perspective, a site’s content and images can go a long way toward inclusivity by representing a wide range of images, backgrounds, and age groups relevant to the target market.
Strategy and UX Director
Goodman cited a prominent example: the digital experience integrated into the global marketing promotion of Dove’s campaign for true beauty.
The central idea is to celebrate body positivity and self-esteem by showcasing women of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities. This approach moves away from stereotypical, narrow-minded beauty ideals. These initiatives benefit from an inclusive style guide for voice and tone and a global image archive.
From an accessibility perspective, research shows that accessible design practices also benefit people without disabilities in a variety of settings. For example, subtitles that benefit people with hearing loss also help those watching a film without sound or in a public setting where the sound is difficult to hear.
Another example is the curb-cutting effect. The lowered areas are beneficial for wheelchair users, parents with strollers and cyclists, he noted.
Create a better UX by leveraging digital diversity
Goodman shared that understanding the diverse needs of users can be challenging in UX design because it requires working and thinking outside of people’s limited direct frame of reference. Designers must incorporate research, data, and insights on a variety of differences, including reducing unconscious biases and stereotypes.
Three elements form the common thread for creating more effective customer experiences:
- Long range targets a diverse audience, allowing companies to attract and retain a broader user base.
- Ethical responsibility ensures that digital products and services are inclusive and accessible, demonstrating its commitment to social responsibility.
- Compliance with two industry standards closes the circle and ensures acceptable customer experiences with the website.
Site designers should aim for at least Level AA compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a recognized benchmark for meeting the digital accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Adhering to the POUR accessibility principles is also crucial. These form the pillars of user experience – perceptible, operable, understandable and robust – on which the WCAG guidelines are based.
For example, features are correctly labeled at the development level so that assistive technologies and screen readers can help visually impaired users. Videos include subtitles and transcripts for deaf users, and colors meet contrast standards for the visually impaired. In addition, the front-end code supports keyboard controls for users with motor disabilities.
“Through early user research and ongoing customer feedback, we ensure the experience is tailored to a wide range of user needs,” said Goodman.
To ensure accessibility, it’s important to conduct comprehensive accessibility audits and initial testing early in the process. Designers must then retest as sites and experiences evolve and add new features.
Understanding user barriers to improve UX design
Goodman urged brands to regularly engage with data that helps them put themselves in users’ shoes through testing and ongoing user feedback. Understanding the barriers some people face without first-hand experience is difficult.
He recommended using the System Usability Scale (SUS), a 10-question questionnaire that can quickly, inexpensively, yet accurately assess the usability of a site.
As part of his work with various companies, Goodman conducted tests to simulate the experience of using a website with a hearing impairment or disability. The exercises left a lasting impression on his team.
“It has inspired us to embed inclusion deeper into our processes. By staying alert, actively seeking feedback and being open to adjustments, brands can ensure they are doing their best to create a digitally diverse online environment,” he revealed.
Goodman follows what he calls the “5Ds” design process, which is applied in the discovery, definition, design, development and delivery phases. This method includes a site experience strategy, an inclusive approach up front, including research and user testing, and the downstream development process, including accessibility practices.
“We also built our own design system in both Figma (a collaborative design tool) and content management systems so that we can use pre-built components with accessibility standards built in,” he added.
Digital presence is a top priority for all companies
Today’s technology offers many best practices for delivering inclusive and accessible experiences. The end-to-end customer experience encompasses every touchpoint in a journey, including voice-based experiences and multimodal conversational experiences such as chatbots and SMS support.
“Both aspects of inclusivity and accessibility are achievable, but they require investment, expertise and planning throughout the discovery, development and operational lifecycle,” encourages Goodman.
They are important to all businesses. For example, 829 Studios recently partnered with a healthcare client to help seniors find insurance and community services that meet their care needs.
A large body of research shows that older adults are less comfortable and less proficient with gesture-based user interfaces and swipe gestures. Navigation gestures can also pose physical and motor challenges. Gestures can result in older users being excluded from digital technologies that could benefit them.
“That’s why we pre-tested the experience with an older audience to ensure that the design was inclusive and enabled them to easily complete all of the top tasks on offer. In addition, we were careful to use imagery that portrayed older people in a positive light, alert and enjoying what they were doing,” he concluded.
