How to Design Accessible Experiences
Accessible design experiences aren’t just good to have—they’re a moral imperative. Based on estimates from a World Health Organization report on disabilities, without accessible design, you would exclude about 15% of the world’s total population; that’s equal to over 1 billion people!
In many countries today, the push for accessible design is growing, with some regions imposing penalties on products that do not prioritize accessibility. But around the world and across industries, accessible design is still not practiced widely enough—or even understood widely enough.
To truly create accessible experiences, you need a design strategy which ensures that accessibility has a prominent place in every stage of your design process. To help you get started, in this Master Class, Reginé Gilbert will show you:
- How to prepare a strategy for inclusion and accessibility
- How to create an accessible style guide
- How to conduct co-design and participatory design
- How designing with people with disabilities benefits your products
- How to communicate accessibility features through prototypes and wireframes
- How to establish an understanding of accessibility for design systems
Besides being the right thing to do for humankind at large, accessible design brings benefits for all users. Features primarily designed to help users with disabilities can also help non-disabled users in many different contexts of use; for example, video captions that help users with hearing difficulties can also help those who need to watch the video without audio.
When you design for users of varied abilities, you can maximize the impact of great design and create a more equal future. You’ll also grow your skill-set and learn to meet the demands of changing legislation and expectations for the design world. So register for this Master Class and acquire these all-important skills—even if you cannot attend it live, register to get a recording that you can watch anytime afterwards!
Speaker
Reginé Gilbert is a user experience designer, educator, and author with over ten years of working in the technology arena. She believes in making the world a more inclusive and accessible place.
She has a Bachelor's degree in Communication, where she focused on Intercultural and Organizational Communication. She also has a Master's degree in Marketing.
Reginé is a Certified Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute, a Certified Scrum Master, and a Certified Accessibility Professional.
Her work includes integrating inclusive design practices across every aspect of training and mentoring in corporations. She is an advocate for the creation of inclusive and accessible experiences. Over the past couple of years, Regine has been a collaborator for Adobe's Inclusive Design education program.
Reginé is a Visiting Industry Assistant Professor at New York University and a Design Consultant for large and small brands. She is a Keynote speaker and bestselling author of Inclusive Design for a Digital World, Designing with Accessibility in Mind, published by Apress.
Some of the companies Reginé has had the pleasure of working for include Disney, JP Morgan, Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, Ralph Lauren, Columbia University, and Vitamin Shoppe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are design skills so important right now?
Design skills are incredibly valuable for both you personally and for your company.
For you personally, design skills are important because:
Salaries for people who learn design are soaring, surpassing $200K in cities like San Francisco, with global job growth rates at 13%.
Many of your job competitors already possess design skills. When you enhance your design skills you can significantly elevate your personal brand and make you a more attractive candidate.
You learn skills that protect you from losing your job to AI.
You can ignite your passion through design and leverage it to make a meaningful impact.
For your company, design skills are important because:
Your design skills can help increase sales, keep customers loyal, and turn them into powerful advocates of your company. That’s because design is all about helping people reach their goals and meet their needs.
Companies that invest in design outperform the S&P 500 Index by a whopping 228%.
Design goes way beyond creating attractive visuals and aesthetics. When you possess design skills you’re equipped to revolutionize businesses, make technology more user-friendly, and innovate customer experiences and systems.
I’m not a designer. Why should I learn design and tech?
Design and tech skills can make you an indispensable asset to your company and open up career opportunities.
For example, if you’re in a field such as:
Marketing, Communication and HR
Software Development
Customer Service
Business
Psychology
Project Management
Architecture
Content Creation
Healthcare
Teaching
And other fields
Why can design skills make you valuable in all these jobs and industries?
That’s because design skills are incredibly valuable for both you personally and for your company.
For you personally, design skills are important because:
Salaries for people who learn design are soaring, surpassing $200K in cities like San Francisco, with global job growth rates at 13%.
Many of your job competitors already possess design skills. When you enhance your design skills you can significantly elevate your personal brand and make you a more attractive candidate.
You learn skills that protect you from losing your job to AI.
You can ignite your passion through design and leverage it to make a meaningful impact.
For your company, design skills are important because:
Your design skills can help increase sales, keep customers loyal, and turn them into powerful advocates of your company. That’s because design is all about helping people reach their goals and meet their needs.
Companies that invest in design outperform the S&P 500 Index by a whopping 228%.
Design goes way beyond creating attractive visuals and aesthetics. When you possess design skills you’re equipped to revolutionize businesses, make technology more user-friendly, and innovate customer experiences and systems.
How can design skills protect me from losing my job to AI?
AI is killing jobs in all industries. Humanity has never faced such a powerful force, developing at an exponential speed.
You can protect yourself by learning design: You’ll use the very fabric of being human, like empathy and intuition. AI never can never replace that. These skills are timeless and will stay with you forever.
Design is centered on human needs and goals. That’s why you can protect your future with the power of human-centered design. Mastering these skills can shield you from AI-driven disruptions.
We’ll even teach you how to use AI as your career helper, not your terminator.
Do I need any prior experience in design or tech?
Good news!
You don’t need any prerequisites or prior experience in design or tech. We’ve crafted the learning experience to ensure your success and real career outcomes, regardless of your age or background.
Will I receive a Certificate?
Yes! After you finish, you’ll receive an industry-recognized IxDF Certificate.
Use your IxDF Certificates to increase your credibility and salary potential. Your employer and clients will trust you when you can prove that you’ve learned from the best.
Be in distinguished company, alongside industry leaders who train their teams with the IxDF and trust IxDF Certificates.
Add IxDF Certificates to your LinkedIn profile, resumé and job application in a few easy steps.
You can download your certificates as .jpg files, so they are easy to share. Certificates are always valid.
How do I add the IxDF Certificate to my LinkedIn profile?
That’s easy! You can use your IxDF Certificates to increase your credibility and salary potential. Your employer and clients will trust you when you can prove that you’ve learned from the best.
Add your IxDF Certificates to your LinkedIn profile, resumé and job application in a few easy steps:
Click “Add profile section” on your LinkedIn
Tap “Recommended”
Select “Add licenses or certifications”
Enter your IxDF Certificate details
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You can download your IxDF Certificates as .jpg files, so they are easy to share. IxDF Certificates are always valid.
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How can the global and local IxDF community help me?
We can help you in several ways.
Join meet-ups in your city: Join the regular meet-ups in your city in a nearby cafe or office building to have fun and learn with people just like you. You get full access to IxDF Local Groups where you can build your network, find your next job, enjoy yourself and learn from your peers. The meetings are completely optional and are spread across over 500 cities worldwide. Your network is your net worth.
Get instant help and career advice in IxDF online global communities. Build your global network through the supportive IxDF community. Earn IxDF Distinctions like “Community Influencer'' and “Social Impact Award”.
Learn from global leaders and build your network and job opportunities locally and globally.
I just signed up for a live Master Class. What's next?
I just signed up for a live Master Class. What's next?
Wonderful! When you sign up for a Master Class, you’ll receive an email from Zoom with a link to join the live Master Class.
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If you can’t find the email, please reach out to mads.soegaard@interaction-design.org and we’re super happy to help you!
Great news! You’ll also get an on-demand version of your Master Class a few hours after the live event ends.
A few days later, the on-demand Master Class will show up on your private profile page.
That way, you can view the Master Class on-demand at any time. As many times as you wish.
Will the live Master Class be recorded and become available on-demand?
Absolutely!
When you sign up for a live Master Class, you’ll automatically receive the link to the recording a few hours after the live event ends.
A few days later, the on-demand Master Class will show up on your private profile page if you’re an IxDF member. If you’re not a member, you’ll receive your recording by email.
You can enjoy your Master Class on-demand at any time, anywhere. Watch it as many times as you want.
What if I can’t attend a live Master Class?
Great news! We’ve got you covered.
When you sign up for the live Master Class, you’ll automatically receive the link to the recording a few hours after the live event ends.
A few days later, the on-demand Master Class will show up on your private profile page if you’re an IxDF member. If you’re not a member, you’ll receive your recording by email.
You can enjoy your Master Class on-demand at any time, anywhere. Watch it as many times as you want.
What if I have more questions?
What if I have more questions?
We’d love to hear from you and help you!
Reach out to us at hello@interaction-design.org or use the online contact form.