Role: Senior Product designer | Date: 2020
The Challenge
By January 2020, Culture Trip's website displayed 88 accessibility violations. In comparison, Airbnb had 20, and Netflix had none. These numbers highlight how accessible—or inaccessible—a product is for individuals with disabilities.
Prioritizing inclusivity in design is crucial, as it not only broadens access to products and experiences for a more diverse range of users but also reflects the values and diversity of the people we serve.
Research
This kind of research was different; I started to study and learn about various issues users might encounter. This and how many users we were talking about are always important.
Sometimes exclusion is temporary.
Even a short-term injury or context affects the way people interact with the world around them, if only for a short time.
Looking into a bright light, wearing a cast, or ordering dinner in a foreign country.
Sometimes exclusion is situational.
As people move through different environments, their abilities can also change dramatically.
In a loud crowd, they can’t hear well. In a car, they’re visually impaired. New parents spend much of their day doing tasks one-handed.
Process
After talking with EVERYONE in the office, from every team, and having them on board.
1- I used the RACI process (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to have a clear view and a starting point.
2- I created an 'Accessibility' team of people who wanted to work on this as much as I did. In the team, I had: BE, FE, QA, Director of Product, Content Team, SEO, Data and Legal.
3- The engineering team helped me check how much we could achieve and how hard was it.
4- We had monthly meetings and created a timeline to show the time it would take to decrease that number.
Guidelines
I created a comprehensive document to establish accessibility guidelines for the company, ensuring consistency across its three offices.
This document covered key areas, including General Dos and Don'ts | Headings and Titles | Links | Text | Images | Videos, Recordings, and GIFs | Buttons and Icons | Color Usage | Navigation
Results
A dedicated team was assigned to implement these guidelines, and naturally, it remains an ongoing project.
This was a fantastic experience where I wore many hats and learned something new every day. I firmly believe accessibility is a non-negotiable aspect of any project, and it’s a principle I will carry with me to every company I join and every design I create."