Building successful design systems with accessible patterns
Design systems are essential for creating consistent and scalable user interfaces. However, it is important to ensure that design systems are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. By incorporating accessible patterns into your design system, you can create products that are usable by everyone.
What are accessible patterns?
Accessible patterns are reusable design solutions that meet the needs of users with disabilities. They can include things like alternative text for images, keyboard navigation, and color contrast.
Why are accessible patterns important?
There are many reasons why accessible patterns are important. Here are just a few:
- It’s the right thing to do. Everyone deserves to be able to use the products they need and want.
- It’s the law. In many countries, there are laws that require products to be accessible to people with disabilities.
- It’s good for business. Making your products accessible can open up a new market of potential customers.
How to incorporate accessible patterns into your design system
There are a few things you can do to incorporate accessible patterns into your design system:
- Start with the basics. Make sure that your design system includes all of the basic accessibility features, such as alternative text for images, keyboard navigation, and color contrast.
- Use a variety of resources. There are many resources available to help you design accessible patterns. Some good places to start include the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and the A11y Project’s Accessibility Checklist.
- Test your patterns. It is important to test your patterns with real users with disabilities to make sure that they are working as expected.
Benefits of using accessible patterns
There are many benefits to using accessible patterns. Here are just a few:
- Increased user satisfaction. When people with disabilities can use your products, they are more likely to be satisfied with them.
- Reduced legal risk. By following accessibility guidelines, you can reduce your legal risk.
- Improved brand reputation. Showing that you care about accessibility can improve your brand reputation.
Examples of successful design systems with accessible patterns
There are many examples of successful design systems that include accessible patterns. Here are a few:
- Google Material Design material.io
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines developer.apple.com
- Microsoft Fluent Design System en.wikipedia.org
Conclusion
By incorporating accessible patterns into your design system, you can create products that are usable by everyone. This is not only the right thing to do, but it can also benefit your business in many ways.
Additional resources
- W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
- A11y Project’s Accessibility Checklist: https://a11yproject.com/checklist/