Assignment 1

Identify users and improve accessibility design

Problem Statement:
Identify specialized users and related facilities for a selected product / system and make necessary
suggestions for its improved accessibility design.

Objectives:
To describe and apply core theories, models and methodologies from the field of HCI

Outcomes:
Inculcate basic theory, tools and techniques in HCI. Apply appropriate HCI techniques to design
systems that are usable by people

Theory:

User research:

When we talk about User-centered design (UCD), it is implicit that users come first and hence
understanding the users, their demographics and psychographics, and their expectations and interactions
with the system is vital for coming up with the perfect-fit design solution.
Once the target users, primary and secondary users, and user groups are understood with the help of
stakeholders, and personas or scenarios are created, multiple data gathering methods are followed based
on the type and complexity of the requirement.

User interviews:

This method involves personal interview sessions with the end users. The method is suggested and
performed when understanding the users’ psyche and expectations is important. It helps in capturing:

 What users need from the site, application, or product?

 What are their key goals?
 What do they feel about the application or interaction?
 What are their wishes from the application or product?
This method helps in capturing qualitative data that can provide insight into what more is required to be
accommodated in the design for a better UX.

Focus groups:

This method is suggested when feedback for any new approach or design is required from a larger
audience. It helps in capturing first-level response on a new design or approach, users’ thinking process
and attitude towards the change, and the acceptance level. It helps in connecting with 8-20 users at a time
to get the feedback.

Behavioral Research For Persuasive Design

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Usability or task-oriented user research mainly focus on the cognitive level, how and why our users think,
reason and act the way they do. We may sometime scratch the surface and get some feelings from these
users, but we don’t usually don’t probe deep into their emotional experiences.

If you are already using persuasive design techniques, quantitative data can identify which tactics are
working for your users. But there is a wealth of information that you can get from qualitative methods
like user interviews. One-on-one interviews allow researchers to dig below the cognitive level, and reach
the emotional level to get to users’ feelings and beliefs. Advertisers and marketers have been doing this
for years and you can see the results in the campaigns you are bombarded with daily.

During behavioral research, researchers focus on the users’ feelings, emotions, motivations, and barriers
related to the action that is being triggered. For a common behavior target of getting the user to buy
something, look for how users feel during the purchase journey.

User interviews that focus on emotions, beliefs, and feelings focus on the intended action and:
 How users feel (about the intended action);
 What emotions are evoked in the process;
 What are their emotional motivations to complete the intended action;
 What are their barriers that may prevent them from taking the intended action;
 Their values and beliefs related to the intended action;
 Social or cultural factors that may impact the experience.

Usability testing:

When it comes to capturing detailed feedback on interaction design before or during the Design phase,
getting the task flows tested with the actual users helps in making the design meet the users' expectations.

Accessibility Through Universal Design:

Helping all users by designing for accessibility is also known as universal design. You can increase
accessibility by applying the following Universal Design principles:

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Equitable Use – Design to accommodate users with diverse abilities (e.g., deafness).
Flexible Use – E.g., accommodate right- and left-handedness.
Simple, Intuitive Use – Simplify complex information. Use a proper information hierarchy, progressive
disclosure and effective prompting towards task completion.
Perceptible Information – Optimize readability of vital information and present information redundantly
(i.e., use pictures and text).
Tolerance for Error – Arrange elements to minimize accidental actions. E.g., ensure users have data
validation so they can only book reservations in the future.
Low Physical Effort – E.g., minimize repetitive actions.
Size and Space for Approach and Use – E.g., accommodate touch target areas for average-sized
fingertips.

How to improve accessibility?

You can use many ways to make your website accessible. To get started, here are some simple tips that
can help ensure that many people with disabilities can access your site easily:
1) If you use a CMS, choose one that supports accessibility standards. Drupal and WordPress, for
example, support these. If you’re going to amend a template rather than create one for the theme,
make certain that the theme was designed with accessibility in mind. It can save time, effort and
money.

2) Use header tags to create headings in your text; ideally, ensure that you use CSS to make this
consistent throughout the site. Try not to skip from one heading level to the next (e.g., H1 to H4,
rather H1 to H2); this can confuse screen reader software. Users with more severe visual impairments
may access your site using a refreshable Braille display or terminal, which depends on screen readers.

3) Use alt text on your images; if you use images to enhance content, then a screen reader will need to
explain them— that’s what the alt text is for. However, if your image is purely for decoration and
adds no other value (other than looking good), you should skip the alt text to avoid confusing
someone having the site content read to him/her.

4) Have a link strategy. Screen readers sometimes stutter over links and stop on the first letter. That
means it’s important not to have “click here” links scattered through the text. The best link
descriptions have a text description before the link and then a unique name for the link. (E.g., “Read
more about the Interaction Design Foundation, at their website.”) Consider offering a visual cue (such
as a PDF icon) by links to make it clear what the link will deliver. Use underlines on links (they
help color blind people distinguish links from text). Highlight menu links on mouse over to assist
with locating the cursor.

5) Choose colors carefully; if in doubt, test your color schemes with some color-blind people. Color
blindness is an incredibly common disability, and the wrong palette can make it difficult for a color-

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 blind person to read your text or navigate your site. You also need to ensure that you provide high
levels of contrast between text and background; the elderly, for example, can find it hard to see text
unless the contrast is high.

6) Don’t refer just to the color of something when giving instructions; “click the red button” isn’t helpful
to a color-blind person. “Click the circular button” is. Use shapes and forms to help guide users rather
than relying on color alone.

7) Think about the design of forms. Screen readers can struggle with forms. Label fields, and use thetag
to offer the description to a screen reader. Ensure that the Tab order on forms follows the visual order
— it’s very easy for a screen reader to miss a field if this isn’t done. Make sure to assign an ARIA
(Accessible Rich Internet Applications) required or not required role to each field, too. Screen readers
don’t understand the asterisk, for mandatory fields, convention.

8) Avoid tables for layout. Screen readers can handle tables, but they start explaining how many
columns and rows are present, which can be annoyingly distracting when the table is simply a layout
technique. Keep tables for data presentation. Make certain to use the HTML scope attribute to explain
relationships between cells, too.

9) Learn to use the proper HTML elements for lists  and don’t put them on the same line as the text. This
helps screen reading software to parse lists.

10) Put your mouse away, and see if your site works with a keyboard only. People with motion
disabilities often find objects using trackpads. They may need a mouth stick or a single-switch input
device; or, they may have to rely on their keyboard. Think about making it easy for people to skip
through sections of content in this way, too… scrolling is a PITA without a mouse.

11) Familiarize yourself with ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) standards and learn to use
them when necessary.

12) Consider the way you’re presenting dynamic content . Don’t auto-play video (which can play havoc
with a screen reader). ARIA standards can help with overlays, popups, lightboxes, etc. If you’re using
a slideshow, make certain to have alt text on all images and that users can navigate the show via the
keyboard.

13) Validate your markup at the W3 standards website. Make sure that your HTML and CSS won’t
conflict with assistive technologies. This also helps ensure that all browsers will read your code
properly.

14) Avoid Flash. This hardly needs saying any more, given Apple and Mozilla’s disdain for Flash (among
many others), but Flash is a terribly inaccessible technology. If you must use it, keep it to a minimum.

15) Offer transcriptions for audio files. Hearing-impaired users can’t use software to read voices… so,
help them out and include a transcript.

16) Similarly, in video, offer captions for the hearing impaired.

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17) Focus on readable content. The simpler the language, the easier it will be to read for learning-
impaired users.

Technologies that Facilitate Accessibility Online

Much specialist technology is available for you to use to make your website a more accessible place.
Some of the most common technology is listed below. In an ideal world, we designers would try to access
this technology and test our sites with it to ensure site accessibility. We may understand that this isn’t
always practicable, but it’s important to stay conscientious. Saving one user from having a bad experience
is worth it.

Common Technologies Used to Facilitate Accessibility Online

1) Alternative web browsers

2) Braille for the web
3) Eye-tracking applications
4) Head wands
5) Mouth sticks
6) Screen magnifiers
7) Screen readers

Conclusion
Thus the first step in UI designing process is to identify the target audience and analyze their behavior to
make UI more interactive.