About web accessibility from the experts at WebAIM.org

I've been buried for the last 6 months in teaching myself all about web accessibility (A11y), what it is, how it benefits others and how to achieve it.

Recently I attended the WebAIM 2-day training on the Utah State University campus in the beautiful Logan, Utah, to finally check my knowledge and fill in any gaps.

I'm pleased to say I know a lot about accessibility already, had a few misconceptions cleared up and dove into ARIA tagging.

I tweeted all my notes to share in real-time with colleagues.

Here is the Storify version, as a recap. Enjoy!

Tidbits from A11y training at WebAIM - Day 1
Day 1 continued
Day 2

You shouldn't read about French cooking when you're hungry

I finished My Life in France, by Julia Child, today.

I'm extremely satisfied and a little sad. I've carried that book with me to the beach, twice, to Utah, twice and to Georgia.

I usually devour a book within a week or two, but not this one. It was to be savored.

The way she speaks, the way she describes her surroundings, her friends, her food and her cooking.

I would read a page or two and daydream about the experience, or imagine the taste of food.

I can almost taste her first meal in France:

It had arrived whole: a large, flat Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. The waiter carefully placed the platter in front of us, stepped back, and said: "Bon appetit!" 

I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. I then lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection.

Of her country cottage, "La Peetch" in France, she says:

Bumping up the rutted driveway, we were struck, by...the shockingly fresh and inspirational jolt we got from our lovely hideaway. It was the cool, early-morning layers of fog in the valleys; Esterel's volcanic mountains jutting up out of the glittering sea; the warming Provencal sun and the bright-blue sky; the odor of earth and cow dung and burning grapevine prunings; the colorful violets and irises and mimosas; the olives blackening; the sound of little owls talking back and forth; the sea-bottom taste of Belon oysters; the noisy fun of the marketplace, the deeply quiet, sparkling nights with a crescent moon hanging overhead like a lamp. What a place! (p. 340)

I love that she was optimistic. In moving nine times from country to country she would first set up her kitchen, then take time to learn the language well enough to shop in the markets, and then build friendships through her dinner parties. She made friends with the market vendors, and got to know the local restauranteurs as well as ventured into the countryside.

She and her husband, Paul, valued their friendships. At a particularly busy time in their lives, she recalls:

"I just don't know if we have the time for a trip to France right now,"I sighed. Paul nodded. 

But then we looked at each other and repeated a favorite phrase from our diplomatic days: "Remember, 'No one's more important than people'!" In other words, friendship is the most important thing—not career or housework, or one's fatigue—and it needs to be tended and nurtured. So we packed up our bags and off we went. And thank heaven we did! (p. 329) [It was on that trip they decided to build a small house in France for a getaway.]

I love that she loved her work and threw herself into it, to a good old age.

As always, my work gave my life form, forced me to be productive, and helped me keep a good balance. (p. 406)

I love how thorough she was in her research of ingredients and the testing of recipes.

I knew my slow, careful approach drove my intuitive co-author crazy, but it was the only way I knew how to work. I was basically writing these recipes for myself. And I was the type of person who wanted to know everything about a dish—what worked or didn't, why, and how to make it better—so that there would be no unsolved questions in our master recipe. (p. 341)

The ingredients for bread were always the same: flour, yeast, water, and salt. But the difficulty was that there were ten thousand ways of combining these simple elements. Every little detail was important, we learned: the freshness of the yeast, the type of flour, the time of rising, the way one kneaded the dough, the amount of heat and moisture in the oven, even the weather. (p. 344)

I love that one of her proudest achievements was perfecting the French bread recipe. It ranks #2 on her list of 100 favorite recipes.

She thought good cooking should take time and care. She truly believed that good French food was an art.

But a careful approach will result in a magnificent burst of flavor and a thoroughly satisfying meal, perhaps even a life-changing experience. (p. 413)

I loved how real she was. She knew it sometimes didn't turn out. And she kept a sense of humor.

One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed. (p. 327)

Hat tip to Carrie for suggesting I borrow her book to read. It's a little more dog-eared, sorry. It made me happy for a long time.

So hungry now for good, real French food.

e

Videos of Julia cooking

The French Chef - French bread
So informative. (I think I learned to make this in my 7th grade Foods class with Mrs. Fisher. Who knew.) Love the bit with the professional baker in France. "As soon as it thumps, you think that it's done. But it ain't. Turn the oven off and let it sit for 5 more minutes...It's just a matter of practice!"

The French Chef - Boeuf Bourguignon (black and white)
"I find these wooden spatulas awfully useful." "These wire whips are awfully useful." I think this is one of her very first episodes. The lighting has weird shadows, the camera angles are off, and there's a washer and dryer in the background. The studio scheduled for the taping burned to the ground beforehand, so the Boston Gas Company loaned them their demonstration kitchen to shoot those first shows. She had to work on an electric stove, which she detested.

The French Chef, the Lobster show (in color)
How to cook it and how to eat it. They must be lively because they go off so easily. (Holding a lobster flapping his tail) "He's a kinda a boy worth buying." About the lobster's stomach...it's called the lady because it looks like a little lady. Someone told us about it and sent one to us in an envelope.

The French Chef, Omelet
Use the right pan, 20 seconds, 2-3 eggs, a bit of water, hot pan. Swirl, jerking till it turns over on itself. "If no one is watching you can take you hands and push the edges together if it's not well formed." (Someone laughs in the the background.)

A&E Biography
"Groundbreaking for cooking shows." "She's a national icon.""She was incredibly optimistic. That goes a long way. You can get a lot done." "Incredible energy. That's her secret." ...BUTTER!

About ancient art, faith and everyday life

Recently my husband and I visited "The Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times" exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

In 1947, a shepherd stumbled upon a hidden cave along the shore of the Dead Sea. Concealed inside were ancient scrolls that had not been seen for 2,000 years. After extensive excavation, a total of 972 remarkably preserved scrolls were found, including the earliest Biblical texts ever discovered. Now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, they have been called the most significant archaeological find of the last century. (Spoiler alert: we couldn't take photos of the scrolls. See more in the video here.)

(Not my photo, they don't let you take pictures in this room.)

Old thoughts, new connections

I love thinking new thoughts through new experiences and connecting old thoughts together in new ways.

You get to see first-hand what other aspects of life must have been like a couple of thousand years ago.

What were their daily lives like? I loved imagining who made the artifacts, how they were used each day, and how they came to be here in front of me.  (A frequent comment between us when we visit new places.)

Art is art in any time period.

Artisans combine beauty and usefulness in the everyday items they create.

Craftsmanship should be preserved and appreciated.

What can we learn from them? What do we have in common? How are we different? How did they do that?

Each piece tells a story. 

Some of the artifacts

(Sorry about the fuzziness of some of the pictures. Though, I'm yet surprised at the decent quality photo the iPhone can get even in very dim light.)

Glass container intended for kohl (ancient eye make-up) or other cosmetics. 325-638 CE

Carved bone figurines, probably covered with cloth and given to children as dolls. 632-750 BCE

Philistine pottery with bird motif. 11th century BCE

Decorated vessel, 11 century BCE

Detail

Mold and small oil lamp. These lamps filled with olive oil and a saturated wick burn for an hour or two.

Limestone bread stamp, carved and engraved, 12-13th century CE

A basin for washing feet..."Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet,
and rest yourselves under the tree" Genesis 18:4

Those short on shekels could pay taxes with grain held in these jars labeled "Belonging to the King."

Scales and weights. Shekels were cut into bits to use in commerce. Bronze age.

"Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity." Job 31:6

Part of a jug handle

Audacious kings used their own 'high places' (bamah) as an alternative to the Temple in Jerusalem. 9-8th century BCE

Yes, God's footprints and the people who loved him and preserved those scrolls because they contained his name.

Not shown here, but sticking in my mind:

• The fragments of scrolls themselves...Psalms (some we have in the Bible and many new ones) and a good deal of Isaiah,
• The 3-ton stone from the Jerusalem's Western Wall (You can write a prayer, stuff it in the crack and know that it will be collected at the end of the day and eventually sent to Jerusalem to be blessed and place on the Wall.),
• The leather sandals from Christ's time, 
• The piece of wool textile found in Masada, 
• The artful complex mosaic floor pieces,
• And, the black-and-white 1950's photo of men in a sun-filled room, smoking, and piecing together the delicate fragments of scroll with Scotch (!) tape.

The exhibit will be in town until October 14, 2012.

e

I love murals: Finding Home

This mural is called Finding Home and was created by and for the homeless. It is located at  21 S. 13th in Philadelphia.

Again I love the varying experiences when far away to up close.

And the meaning imbued by it's creators.

This is the front and around the corner is much more. The large letters at top say IN, as in Invisible.

Eww, what's this? It's lumpy and odd.

Oh cool, it's woven, then painted.

Listen to the artist and she will tell you that the homeless wrote their stories on each strip of fabric before it was woven in. "I carries the spirit, the message, the hope, of all the creators." Not my favorite treatment but very meaningful. 

On the side it says visible...

...and dignity. Being seen and visible gives dignity to humans.

All coming together to make things grow. I am someone, you are...

...are me together. Finding Hope.

Finding love

Finding family

Up close on one of the many black and white photos of family life

Bracelet up close. Prisoners helped create this mural.

It's what the homeless feel.

e

Metaphors are powerful

Life lately...
work
home
marriage
family
church
health
holiday prep
me

which
will drop
first?

wish I were
this guy
catches
every one
every time

hypnotizing

but elbows
look sore

Credit

What's on Your Home Screen

Whenever someone shows me their iPhone I'm always curious about what's on their home screen and what it may say about them.

Here's what I have lately.


Wonder what it says about me...stays in touch, loves reading and baseball, curious, surfs, tracks, and saves?

Here's the thing. My apps have to audition for the home screen.

Tell me about yourself...uh huh. How many clicks do you get? Are you a rookie that needs a trial run? How much distraction will you be? Are you seasonal? Will you make my life better or easier? Will you entertain me when I'm bored? You know, if I don't use you much you're off to join the jumble of apps on deeper screens? I'll have to separate you two, Camera and Clock, if you keep fighting with each other.

Here's my second screen.


There's a lot of pushing and shoving here to earn a spot on the home screen.

That Good icon will never make the home screen. Too loud. Just screaming to be buried. (It's actually my app to access my work e-mail, making it a good candidate for relegation to the heap.)

There's not a lot of special interests going on here because my phone really is about communication and usefulness, including the church stuff.

And, no, I haven't upgraded to 4.1 OS.

My husband did though and it screwed up a lot things...his wifi settings, and his Mail access and a few other things.

And, yes, I know you can group your apps into folders with the new OS, but now his phone is just a nondescript jumble of icons that all look the same...black with tiny dots of color representing the contents.

Indistinguishable.

You have to read the tiny labels under each group to know what's in it. It's no longer visual and easy to find the app you want.

Icons are powerful little colored gems that save space and create an identity that's easy to recognize. They are there when I need them without extra fuss. And I don't need reading glasses to navigate!

What does your home screen say about you?

e

What Your Desk Says About You

My coworker sent this video to me...with a -hint-hint- wink.

Desk - Music and Sound Design from Aaron Trinder Film:Motion:Music on Vimeo.

Is your desk a state of mind or an actual place?

These are all inspirational, but none of these are my work desk.

This is my desk.



My desk has a pile of paper 15" high that symbolizes the amount of work the team has done this year in creating and editing specifications for the next generation of Vanguard.com.

Sort of like those goal "thermometers" you see for fund-raising efforts.

But my pile of paper is symbolic of the constant change to standards and the effort it has taken to stay on top of them, not of reaching a lofty goal.

Necessary work, but hardly rewarding.

Standards are never done, never completely right, and never fully embraced or appreciated.

So I take satisfaction in that pile of paper, applaud myself and teammates as it grows, and will relish sending it to the recycle bin when I rotate off the project at the end of the year.

e

Credit | credit | credit | credit | credit | credit

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

I love visual explanations, you know it. This is storytelling at it's best, inspiring. This little piece made something very complicated easier to understand and I was entertained along the way. Diagrams like this make crazy complicated ideas understandable, especially when animated. Take a minute to look at the whiteboard sketches too.

Crisis of Credit

Earlier Posts

May 26, 2007

...that in a flattened world where everything is digital, virtual, and mobile, immediate results are expected.

Not only expected...demanded. As designers we may be given an assignment with one breath and then in the next asked "when can we see screens?" This kind of flattening of time and respect for the creative process is damaging to the designer, good design, and eventually the whole experience.

I recently had the good fortune to sit in on a truly collaborative, creative discussion and work session. We had full blocks of time where ideas, markers, white boards, and people were all that mattered. The birth and growth of a new and living concept were all that mattered.

We put aside the deadening effect of business philosophies—'implement, implement, implement', 'faster, better, cheaper', and 'digital, virtual, mobile'—for living thought and design...slow, careful, provocative, manual, interactive, searching, collaborative, old-fashioned, deliberate, exciting.

The pure creative process reverses the flattening of the world and makes it full and rich, vibrant and living. Adequate and abundant time and space, and real respect for the creative process will always yield results in a way that technology, politics or demands never will.

Designers crave it, good managers protect it, smart companies foster it.

Quotable

“Slow design is not just about duration or speed, but about thoughtfulness, deliberation, and—how else to put it?—tender loving care.”
—Michael Bierut, 2006

“Slowness is not time-based. It doesn't refer to how long it takes to make or do something, but rather describes the individual's elevated state of awareness in the process of creation, the quality of its tangible outcomes and a richer experience for the community it engages.”
—slowLab/ideas

October 16, 2006

...about making meaning.

I'm always looking for meaning in everything. Experience design and designers make this possible in a way that has not happened before.

Meaning is the point where you connect with the user on a deeper level. Does this design/concept/product make a difference in their life?

New technologies should make things more meaningful to the user. Users are asking "Is this good for me? Does it improve my life? Why should I care about your product/website/service?" We as designers should have these user goals in mind as we design, and not just the traditional better/faster/cheaper goals of some technologies.

For example the know-how behind weblogs allows bloggers to use technology to try to make sense of their lives, and to connect with others who may have had the same experience. They are looking for meaning, shared meaning.

The new rebranded iLife 05 packaging makes an effort to bring meaning to the use of technology. As Cameron Moll of ALA puts it, "Personal computing was no longer something done to accomplish something else more efficiently, but rather a part of everyday life, even critical to communication and social interaction...the organic styling and seed metaphor--a perfect representation of "life" itself--steal the show."

I know of two projects within my experience where two different designers designed the same page with different goals in mind. One from a user experience standpoint, and the other from a data representation/ compliance point of view. Both complied with standards and systems requirements, but one design on each project was more focused on adding meaning for the user rather than just presenting the numbers or functionality. Users want meaning..."What do these numbers mean to me?" "Show me the content grouped in the way I think about my tasks". In one case usability studies proved out the more meaningful display, and in the other, schedule and politics forced an acceptable but technology-based, systems-driven solution.

The future of successful design is not in new technologies alone, but in connecting with users to make meaning in their lives.

Quotable

“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.” —Carl Jung, “Modern Man in Search of a Soul”

August 23, 2006

...that the greatest potential for growth is in your areas of strength and not weakness.

In the book Now, Discover Your Strengths, authors Buckingham and Clifton with the Gallup Organization introduce a program to help readers identify their talents and build them into strengths. It introduces 34 dominant "themes", and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success. In developing this program, Gallup has conducted psychological profiles with more than two million individuals over a 25-year period to identify these strengths.

I took the StrengthsFinder® Profile questionnaire and here is what surfaced for me. These are the top five areas that come more naturally to me and make me a better graphic designer.

Learner – I love to learn. I prefer a classroom setting where I can process and think after each session, but I also enjoy reading and researching on my own. Digging in and learning about a client’s business, what they need, what they want, etc. is very important to beginning to visualize a design solution.

Analytical – I like the statistics behind a business objective or user research; I want substance to back up my designs. What do users want and do and think? What’s happening in the industry and with competitors? What is the client concerned about and why? This gives me the reasoning and explanation behind a design solution.

Responsibility – Combined with my ethics this theme makes me utterly dependable. Give me a project I’ll get it done, whether it’s helping a new employee adjust, resolving an issue with a developer, juggling multiple projects, meeting a tight deadline or being prepared for the next presentation.

Restorative – I’m a problem solver. I like to fix or restore something that’s gone awry or help make an experience more efficient or easy or fun…whatever the goal is. Good effective design is problem solving and not just a “make it pretty” exercise.

Intellection – I like to think. Paired with Analytical and Restorative I tend to be very focused. I am an avid reader and read widely just for the constant hum of mental activity.

Focusing on areas of strength leads to satisfying personal development and success in a way that focusing on “areas of opportunity” never will.

Quotable

“Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses.” —Marilyn vos Savant

July 31, 2006

"It's more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly. Do not mistake activity for achievement." —Mabel Newcomer

I was unable to discover the context for this quote, but the meaning is clear to me. To skip usability research and studies, to jump into requirements without adequate visioning, to begin development without good planning is to guarantee project swirl, political posturing, a forgotten user, and shabby results.

I hear "there's no time or budget for that usability study or overarching design work", or "just get it out there and we'll fix it later". This short-sightedness is characterized by the existence of work-arounds, low usage levels, user dissatisfaction and frustration, and rework.

Worthwhile achievements are based on sound strategy and sufficient planning and, especially for quality websites, adequate design and usability involvement.

Quotable

“Why is there never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over?” —Old adage

June 21, 2006

...that web designers have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression. An interesting study in the Behavior and Information Technology Journal points out that the initial response to a website is physiological and immediate “reflecting ‘what my body tells me to feel’ rather than ‘what my brain tells me to think’, with cognitive appraisal occurring after this first response.” The “data suggest that a reliable decision can be made in 50 ms”.

The article points of earlier studies that state "the strong impact of the visual appeal of the site seemed to draw attention away from usability problems...Thus, in the presence of a very positive first impression, a person may disregard or downplay possible negative issues encountered later."

A negative first impression also creates a bias that fails to be overcome even in the case of subsequent positive evidence. “Hence, even if a website is highly usable and provides very useful information presented in a logical arrangement, this may fail to impress a user whose first impressions of the site was negative.” The study goes on to detail just how long it takes to make that first impression.

We always talk about successful websites as being useful, useable and desirable. But what this article says to me is that desirable is the first and foremost attribute. This is another way that designers add value to the brand and bottom line.

Next time the project team or business lead question color, images, layout and icons, I have my reply...desirability is number one.

Quotable

“[Users] make their credibility-based decisions about the people or organization behind the site based upon the site's overall visual appeal.” —Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, 2002

“If a site is perfectly usable but it lacks an elegant and appropriate design style, it will fail.” —Curt Cloninger, 2001

May 15, 2006

...that everyone loves a good story. Good storytelling is accomplished through pictures and dialog, and has many positive outcomes. In the business world this is call visual explanation. The main goal of visual explanation (diagrams, narratives, graphs, mapping, models, rich pictures) is to create a shared understanding. Some of the outcomes include having a clear shared picture of the project, “completing the puzzle”, establishing a background or baseline, explaining a concept to others quickly, knowing how to apply a concept to a new situation, defining a problem, and discovering missing pieces.

Read more about it:

Communication is design. Use it as such. Luke Wroblewski

Visual Thinking School, Dave Gray

Dynamic Diagrams white paper

Mind Mapping explained

Storytelling with Conceptual Comics

May 11,2006

...that designers have the ability to actually show the problem visually in a more compelling way than a bulleted Powerpoint deck or complicated flow chart ever will. Diagrams or narrative storyboards that illustrate what is happening and why go much further in convincing others of needed change. Visual thinking and communication is about using pictures to help you define and solve problems, think about complex issues and communicate more effectively. Having this communication ability gets the designer invited to the table earlier in the development process where strategy is shaped.

A good designer is a strategic partner. So, share the vision, tell the story, provide the context, illuminate...communicate.

May 8, 2006

...that experienced knowledgeable designers, thorough user research, and imagination should drive the technology solution for a project and not vice versa.

The limitations of an assumed technology solution make it easier to estimate costs before initiating a project, but if it does not suit user needs/wants and possible interface innovation, the hands of a designer are tied and often the user is the loser. The potential of creating an interface that is not as useful, usable or desirable is high.

Involving a designer early on during project ideation and visioning opens the door for an innovative solution that will meet user needs and expectations, and allow for the most appropriate technology to support the best user experience. Some time and resources are expended before dollars are committed to a project, but the efforts are likely to lead to a more successful project outcome, and a win for the users.

A good designer and wise managers know that the technology is only a means to an end, not the end itself. What really counts is how and why you use it.

March 21, 2006

...that working with a team to envision a web site is not easy. Sometimes, to lift a phrase from Edward Tufte, it's BOGSAT design...a bunch of guys [and gals] sitting around a table designing. They all feel they know what the user wants and needs. Or it's BOTE...back of the envelope design, where one strong voice puts down the first thought that comes to mind and is rarely opposed.

But, occasionally, there is pure synergy where all ideas are considered and valued; where one idea builds on another or a great thought spawns an even better design.

I'm the first to admit...that I don't have a corner on the market of ideas and designs. While I may be the assigned designer on a project, other team members have great ideas and love to design. I let them. I listen, I guide, I sketch, I help envision, I influence, I persuade...and I listen some more! It empowers.

I've learned that you get power by giving away power. Give it to the users and they'll love the web site and tell their friends about it. Give it to the developers and they'll be more likely to jump through hoops for innovative ideas. Give it to the business or project sponsors and they'll defend the design. Give it to the project managers and systems analysts and they'll make concessions in the schedule.

I don't always get the credit, but the design is better.