This one is inspired by Julia's "No Accessibility No UX".
The first thing I learned about usability issue prioritization was that if it prevents the user from using the product in the intended functionality, it needs to be addressed asap.
I started specializing in accessibility before the topic blew up with the European Accessibility Act deadline announcement, so my motivation originated more from a point of “I’ve worked several customer service jobs before, and have seen the disappointment on customers’ faces when they physically couldn’t partake". Changing the physical accessibility of a 17th century building is hard, but code can be changed anytime.
Now picture my surprised Pikachu face when I started my first UX internship, completed my onboarding UX review assignment, and was told, “Yeah, we will fix that later.” The ticket stayed in the backlog until I left the company.
How can we talk about good usability if users can’t even access it?
I am consciously choosing not to write “some users” here because this would minimize the issue: “some users”, “part of your target demographic”, “16% of the global population”, “1 in 6 people”, “1 in 4 Europeans/Americans”.
Doesn’t matter how big the number grows, it still sounds like a seperate minority compared to what we consider “the user base”.
Nothing describes 100% of your user base.
Julia writes:
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: a shocking amount of UX design today still caters to the designer themself — not to users. The only user in the room is the one holding the Figma file.
And she’s right: We all hold subconscious biases that skew our perception towards what’s familiar to us. We can do our best to grow aware of them, actively seek out different viewpoints, but we can’t change how we were socialized.
This is why diverse teams are highly effective. They expose the product they design to a diverse range of perspectives. Empathy is a highly valued skill for UX professionals, but when it comes to discriminatory experiences, no amount of empathizing can replace lived experience.
User Experience like Fine Dining
Think of it as setting the table at a fancy restaurant when you don’t know what the guests will order. You set up everything, preparing for all options.
Maybe you are keeping up with Tech YouTube news, then you may have heard about the sudden decline in view numbers, specifically on the geekiest content. Views suddenly dropped to 50% while video performance, likes and income stayed exactly the same. The reason: Adblockers stopped reporting views towards videos, meaning that half of the devices accessing the content were using adblockers.
You never know which setup a user is using. You may know their operating system, but are they using zoom to scale the UI up? Do they have an external screen magnifier plugged in? Are they using VoiceOver on their Mac or Dolphin SuperNova? (Sike! Dolfin is only supported in Windows)
To stick with our restaurant metaphor, inclusion is more like being a good host. Creating a welcoming and respectful environment, an ambiance that invites your guests to come in, enjoy the time and “Please, do come again!”
Leaving You with Closing Words from Julia:
Let’s get one thing straight: there is no such thing as user experience if not all users can experience it. The moment you exclude one person, your “user experience” becomes a partial experience — and partial UX isn’t UX.
Get your sh*t together. Design for everyone — not just the mirror version of yourself. And for the love of users, stop calling it a good experience if not everyone gets to have it.
The future of UX is inclusive by default.
Top comments (1)
A powerful reminder that user experience fails if even one user is left out. Incorporating accessibility from day one ensures our SaaS solutions can reach and delight the broadest audience.