Accessibility should always come first in design and user experiences. This is especially true in industries that involve complex tasks and understanding like healthcare, insurance, and finance. As designers and developers, it’s important to remember not to have UX exist in a bubble to cater to one group or our testing alone.
This past year has been, understandably, increasingly difficult for many to cope. Handling more and more of daily life online doesn’t always make things easier. Here are some ways of making UX less stressful for all involved:
Backups and Alternatives: For any essential task, the more channels the better. This could be web, phone, email, chat, or the forever important medium: paper. Make sure every channel you have talk to each other so that your users have options without obstacles.
Back to the Basics: Write your copy to be as clear but concise as possible. For the sake of brevity in a digital experience, only request information you absolutely need. We’re huge fans of knowing our users, but nobody wants overkill with questions on forms, or unrelated fields.
Better Glitch Fixes: Prepare for both System failure and human error. Without proper error states and messaging explaining what’s next or an alternative path, some may be completely at a loss. Yeah, we’re human, and mistakes happen all the time, so think through all the ways something could be goofed and fixed.
For more insights on user experience being accessible to those with anxiety and depression, check out the rest of the UX Collective’s piece.
