Você está enfrentando feedback do usuário sobre acessibilidade em seu design. Como você pode atender às solicitações deles de forma eficaz?

The first step is understanding the specific accessibility challenges users are facing. I dive deep into the feedback to uncover the real pain points—whether it’s screen reader compatibility, color contrast issues, or confusing navigation. Once, we received feedback about poor contrast in a mobile app, which we hadn’t noticed internally. Tools like Google Lighthouse and WAVE help us assess accessibility issues across multiple devices. It’s like solving a puzzle: the more you understand the pieces, the easier it is to fit them together.

To truly understand a product, it's crucial to first understand the users and their unique needs. We can segment users into primary, secondary, and tertiary groups based on factors like usage frequency, goals, and specific needs. Primary users interact with the product most frequently and are central to the design. Secondary users engage less often or support primary users, while tertiary users have occasional or indirect interactions. Sometimes, even if different user groups share the same goal, their needs are distinct, requiring us to craft different experiences tailored to each group. This ensures that the design and functionality cater to the diverse needs of all end-users, leading to a more inclusive and effective product.

• One thing I’ve found helpful: Empathizing with users who have disabilities and including them in the design process has provided valuable insights into making products more accessible. • Actually, I disagree with… the notion that accessibility is only about compliance. It’s about understanding and addressing the real challenges faced by users with varying abilities. • An example I’ve seen is… conducting usability tests with a diverse group of users, which uncovered barriers we hadn’t considered before. This led to significant improvements in our design.

Once you understand the needs, the next step is to prioritize the changes. Not all accessibility requests can be addressed immediately, especially if you're working within tight deadlines. I often use a prioritization matrix, weighing the impact on user experience against the effort required to make the change. In one instance, we prioritized adding alt text to images and improving color contrast because these changes had a significant impact on a large portion of our users and were relatively easy to implement. Prioritization ensures that you're making the most impactful changes first, while still keeping long-term improvements on the radar.

When it comes to implementing accessibility solutions, collaboration with your development team is key. Clear communication about the importance of each change can drive motivation and ensure proper execution. I also recommend using tools like WAVE or Axe to automatically check for accessibility issues and guide the implementation process. In one project, we implemented ARIA labels and role attributes to improve screen reader compatibility, significantly enhancing the experience for visually impaired users. By involving the team early and using the right tools, we were able to address accessibility requests effectively and efficiently.

Once priorities are set, we move into action mode. Whether it's improving contrast, adding alt text, or optimizing for screen readers, we ensure that the solutions don’t just meet guidelines but genuinely improve the user experience. Figma's accessibility plugins allow us to check color contrasts and other key accessibility elements in real time. Our aim isn’t just to “tick a box” but to make the design truly inclusive and functional for everyone.

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. I make sure the entire design and dev teams understand the importance of accessibility through workshops and resources. I often recommend Deque University, a platform for accessibility training. During one project, we had a dev sprint focused purely on accessibility, and it was a game-changer for future releases. Education leads to proactive solutions rather than reactive fixes.

Make sure your team understands the importance of accessibility by sharing user feedback and relevant standards like WCAG. Highlight how starting with accessibility in mind prevents issues later on. Building an inclusive mindset helps your team design products that work for everyone.

After implementation, I continuously monitor how well the changes are working by collecting feedback from users and using analytics tools like Mixpanel or FullStory to observe behavior. Are users now able to navigate more smoothly? Are error rates down? Accessibility is a moving target, so regular checks ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

Keep track of your accessibility improvements by using tools like accessibility checkers. Regularly reviewing your product helps catch new issues as they come up, ensuring accessibility stays a top priority. Continuous monitoring allows you to adapt to your users’ diverse needs over time.

Accessibility isn’t a one-and-done task. We’re constantly iterating to improve. In one product, we added a high-contrast mode after user feedback, but we didn’t stop there. By iterating and refining based on continued input, we improved the feature and made it even more robust. I treat accessibility like any other part of the product—it evolves with time and user needs.

Accessibility isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing process. Stay responsive to user feedback and evolving technology by continuously iterating your design. This approach helps you find new ways to improve the user experience and keep your product accessible to all.