usability.codegraffiti.com

The articles on this website are aimed towards a Web designer that is interested in creating accessible websites. I introduce simple design guidelines that influence both the front-end style and the back-end development of a website, hoping to make usable and accessible websites.

The site is split into three sections:

Accessibility

The internet is open to everybody so we need to open our Web content to make it friendly to everybody. Our users use a variety of hardware and software, they may have disabilities that limit their access to the internet in certain ways or they may be inexperienced. In every case, we want to make our content available.

Navigation

Good content is useless if the user cannot find it and a content rich website is useless if the user cannot find their way around. There are methods of organising website that users will recognise from their browsing experience; by following these we create naturally flowing content and a fluid user experience.

Technical

Usability stretches behind the scenes and into the structure of the code beneath your stylish websites. Screen readers and search engines see only this code and we can design with these users in mind too.

Our aim is to make a website that allows all content to be accessed easily and by everyone. Enhanced styles and functionality can be provided to a specific target audience but must not sabotage the access of others. Whilst perfect accessibility is an unachievable goal, I encourage you to experiment and make it a priority in your designs.

The Web is a work in progress, with new standards and features being added everyday and our users present a moving target in their understanding of the internet and the services they expect. As a result, the articles here will evolve over time, with important updates mentioned on the blog.