c/designing-for-accessibility

Appreciation post: My stubborn view on font sizes totally flipped

I used to cram as much text as I could on a page, thinking small fonts looked sleek and professional. Then I watched my grandma squint and zoom in on her phone just to read an article I designed. She has arthritis too, so tapping tiny links was a pain. That moment sucked, realizing my 'clean' design was locking people out. Now I start with bigger, readable fonts and ample spacing as a rule, not an afterthought. It feels obvious now, but I was so focused on aesthetics I forgot real people use this stuff. Still bugs me how long it took to see it, but at least I'm fixing my approach. Honestly, it's made my work better for everyone, not just folks with vision issues.

2 comments

knight.anna•3d ago

PSA: I got stuck between a pretty design and making it work for everyone

I helped a friend with their online store layout last week. They wanted all the buttons to be the same soft blue, which looked cool but had low contrast. When I mentioned this could be hard for people with color blindness, they shrugged it off as too rare to matter. That felt wrong to me, since good design should include everyone. I ended up showing them how adding a simple border or a bit darker shade could fix it without losing the style. It made me wonder if we sometimes care more about looks than actual use. Have you ever had to convince someone to change a design for accessibility reasons?

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rodriguez.quinn•4d ago

Seeing users miss taps on oversized buttons has me doubting the 'bigger is better' mantra.

In a recent app project, we used large buttons because everyone says to. But during tests, some users with hand tremors found the big buttons too spread out and missed taps. Should we maybe offer size options instead of one big rule?

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ryanw17•5d ago

Serious question: Did we forget about grip strength with modern faucet handles?

I replaced my old kitchen faucet last month with a sleek, single-lever model that looked great. My friend with limited hand mobility came over and literally could not turn it on because the handle was too smooth and required a tight pinch. I felt pretty dumb assuming all new fixtures were better. Turns out, the shape and texture matter more than style for someone with arthritis or weakness. Now I'm swapping it for a handle with ridges and a looser pivot. Test your choices with actual hands before you install anything. Even small details like this can lock people out of basic tasks. It's worth slowing down to get it right.

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wilson.noah•5d ago

Stuck on choosing hallway colors for my dad's fading vision.

Bright trims could help him navigate, but they might feel overwhelming. Thoughts?

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the_keith•8d ago

My mom struggles with our doorknobs after her surgery

She can't grip them properly, and it's frustrating to watch. We're replacing them all now, but it should have been thought of from the start.

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quinng79•10d ago

Hot take: Green building sensors are locking out people with motion issues

I just worked on a project where they installed automatic lights and doors to save energy. Sounds good, right? But the motion sensors were set too high and too fast. My uncle who moves slowly with a walker kept getting stuck in the dark because the lights would turn off before he passed through. Same with the doors; they'd start closing on him. We had to go back and adjust the delay times way longer than the manual said. This isn't just annoying; it makes spaces unusable for folks with arthritis or mobility aids. If you're picking eco-friendly tech, always test it with real people moving at different speeds. Don't let the push for sustainability make places less accessible.

3 comments

morgan.daniel•11d ago

My buddy's knee injury showed me a big flaw in my fitness app design

I was testing my workout app with a buddy who hurt his knee. He said the exercise clips moved too fast for him to follow. I never thought about how speed locks out people with injuries. Now I add options to slow down videos and clear text guides. This made me see we need to design for all kinds of users. How do you make health apps easy for everyone? I'm curious to hear your tips.

3 comments