Accessibility in design - finding the ideal balance

tl;dr: Sometimes rules are indispensable, because clear guidelines often produce better results - as a rule at least.

Small button, big difference

During our internal workshop on accessibility, we designers at HENKELHIEDL realized that we have different levels of knowledge and that a constant exchange will be essential. We already knew a lot, but the prospect of following the guidelines of the European standard EN 301 549 for the Accessibility Reinforcement Act (BFSG) more closely in the future is a new feeling for us.

Did you know that a simple "Learn more" button is not necessarily accessible? People with visual impairments who use screen readers to browse websites may have difficulty recognizing a "Learn More" button if it does not have a clear text label describing its function. Similarly, people with cognitive impairments may have difficulty understanding the purpose of the button if it is not sufficiently descriptive. Such buttons should have clear text labels or provide alternative methods to provide additional information.

Accessibility affects us all

Our colleague Katrin guided us expertly through the subject matter and helped us to build a common understanding. There are already many aspects to terms and definitions, which gives us the opportunity to broaden our horizons. For example: A disability is a condition that prevents a person from performing certain tasks in the same way as a person without this condition. This definition quickly makes it clear that "disability" - physical, cognitive, emotional or sensory - covers a broad spectrum of people and can vary from person to person. 

It could be a person with glasses, a person with impaired vision, a person with a child in their arms, a person who can only use their index finger to control something, a person who can only speak or cannot speak at all, a person with several of these limitations and many others. The list goes on and on. In the course of the workshop, we quickly come to the conclusion that we could also find ourselves on this list. Imagining how computers, cell phones, websites, apps, etc. can be user-friendly under these conditions illustrates the importance of accessibility in everyday life.

Design for all: creativity for more participation

Our daily professional challenges range from the clear communication of a specific message to the visualization of complex data and the development of a memorable visual identity for brands or products. Especially in the context of web design, we conceptualize comprehensive styles for content and language, structure information hierarchies, design navigations and strive for visual concepts that are both aesthetically pleasing and functionally accessible. We are constantly on the lookout for effective solutions to meet the diverse needs of our customers and users.

A successful design never communicates solely through aesthetics. As designers, we make non-stop decisions and use colors, contrasts, fonts, typography, symbols, imagery and other creative means to stage content. Ideally, we strive for a design that is free of purely subjective taste and always align our creativity and analytical skills with an understanding of the target group and the goals of the project. Our work therefore automatically focuses on people.

We discuss the fact that aspects of accessibility have always been present in design work. But now, in light of legal requirements, we designers are not only called upon, but also obliged, depending on the project and brief, to take these aspects into account. However, this responsibility does not only lie with us designers, concept developers and developers, but should be borne by everyone - including customers, companies and society as a whole. It is about nothing less than promoting democratic design and participation for all. 

Useful sources for accessible design

At HENKELHIEDL , we are constantly evolving and are increasingly committed to removing barriers. For us designers, this means that in addition to our ambition to develop inspiring layouts, we always take accessibility and user-friendliness into account in our processes. We work with various tools, internal checklists and interdisciplinary coordination, educate ourselves individually and use various channels for in-depth information. 

These sources help us to do this:

• W3C Recommendation
• Style guide of the federal government
• legible.info
• Google Fonts: Introducing accessibility in typography
• Accessibility Checker
• Contrast Checker‍

Design as responsibility

Developing an inclusive design is very demanding and must also be reflected in budgets. It is important to understand that it is rarely about achieving perfect accessibility, but a goal such as AA already represents significant progress. We have many options to meet different needs and requirements, as long as customers are willing to recognize the necessary effort. 

Our project experience is constantly expanding, and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few examples:

• Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen
• HKW Haus der Kulturen der Welt
• TV for all
• Here is an overview of all projects on the topic

Our ongoing exploration helps us realize that accessibility can improve the user experience for everyone without compromising design. As diversity and inclusion become increasingly important, it is crucial that we designers become aware of a new responsibility: our work creates connections between people and information. Design is not only a creative form of expression, but also a responsibility towards the people who have to interact with our design. Design is therefore not only aesthetic, but also functional and meaningful. Design is always an attitude.

We have published a small series of further articles on the topic of accessibility:
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‍Here ispart 1 of the series:
"The absolute basics"
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‍Here ispart 2 of the series:
"Checklist accessible website"
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Here is part 3 of the series:
"The Accessibility Reinforcement Act"

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Original text: Christian Rogge