Designing for Accessibility

Disclaimer:

Due to NDA restrictions, specific visual details and product references have been omitted. This blog focuses solely on the accessibility strategy and design methodology, ensuring that all the designs conform to the WCAG accessibility standards.

Designing For Accessibility

Accessibility is often treated as a checklist or a compliance task. For me, this project was about something more fundamental: making sure the product works for people with different abilities, contexts, and constraints, without treating accessibility as an afterthought.

The Aim

The aim of this work was to design interface components and flows that could be used comfortably by a wider range of users, including people who rely on assistive technologies. The focus was not on visual polish, but on clarity, consistency, and ease of use.

From the beginning, the designs were aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This meant considering how screens would be read by screen readers, how interactions would work with keyboard navigation, and how information would be perceived by users with varying visual and cognitive needs.

The Outcome

The designs were reviewed through internal accessibility review sessions and evaluated using automated accessibility tools available online and within Figma. Feedback from accessibility experts led to refinements in contrast, hierarchy, focus behavior, labeling, and interaction patterns.

The final designs were approved by the Accessibility team and are now in production. This outcome mattered to me because it confirmed that accessibility had been integrated into the core design decisions rather than addressed later as a corrective step.

What I Learned

This project reinforced that accessibility is not a separate phase of work. It directly shapes how content is structured, how interactions are designed, and how users move through an interface. Small decisions can significantly affect whether an experience feels usable or frustrating.

I also learned that automated tools are useful, but limited. They help identify common issues, but meaningful accessibility improvements come from informed human review. The combination of expert feedback and automated checks helped surface issues I would not have identified on my own.

Another key learning was that accessible design often leads to clearer design overall. Changes made to meet accessibility standards, such as clearer labels and stronger hierarchy, also improved usability for all users.

Why this matters to me

This blog reflects how I think about responsible product design. Accessibility is not only about meeting standards. It is about respecting users and designing with care and intention.

This experience continues to influence how I approach design work, especially when balancing constraints like timelines and complexity. Accessibility is no longer something I check at the end. It is part of how I think from the start.