User eXperience (UX) Design

The role of UX Design can potentially cover a large number of related areas: from exploratory user research (like user interviews, ethnographic research, etc.) to partial front-end development.

For the purposes of this resource, UX Design is defined by its core responsibilities, such as:

• information architecture
• creating wireframes (low fidelity screen mockups)
• creating prototypes that define interactions
• testing designs for usability

UX Design Checkpoints: Starter List

Here is a list of checkpoints for UX designers to get started. If these design checkpoints aren't met, your design can cause significant barriers to users.

This list is taken from the full list of UX Design checkpoints.

For all role checkpoints, see the [Checkpoint Full List].

Case Study: How to use the Starter List

A good way to get familiar with the checkpoints is to do a short case study. Think about how you might tackle the checkpoint in your role.

Then, think of how meeting this checkpoint impacts an end user.

Checkpoint:

NAV-024: Setting the focus to a new element doesn't automatically trigger a context change, such as content updates or the opening of new windows.

Primary Role: UX Designer

"As the primary owner of this checkpoint, I will add annotations to my design document(s). They will identify which elements on the page receive keyboard focus.

I will include this instruction for Front-end developers: implement the interactive elements in a way that, when the element receives focus, it doesn't automatically trigger a context change on the page."

Secondary Role: Visual Designer

The secondary owner of the checkpoint is the Visual Designer. They may have designed content to appear on the screen once a button receives focus and is selected.

Explain the behaviour and functionality that you intend as the UX Designer and primary owner. For example, if the button receives focus, it shouldn't automatically show the content. It should be user-controlled; the user needs to select the button for it to display.

Collaborating on the design together ensures that it's optimized for multiple end users.

End user persona: Ilya, a senior staff member who is blind

Ilya is blind and uses a screen reader (speech-to-text software) and keyboard to navigate web pages. She uses websites daily for research and financial transactions. This design checkpoint ensures she isn't confused by an unexpected behaviour, i.e., when her keyboard focus lands on a button for the first time and content is announced automatically or the button automatically opens another page.

The intent of the checkpoint is to ensure that functionality is predictable as visitors navigate their way through a document.

This checkpoint helps people with visual disabilities, cognitive limitations, and motor impairments by reducing the chance that a change of context will occur unexpectedly.

Read Ilya's full story and learn about other design checkpoints that benefit users like her.

Resources

• Use the Tips for Designing to get started.
• See the WAI Tutorials for common web components and how to make them accessible.

Exercise: Role-based Decision Tree Example

Who is the primary owner of this checkpoint NAV-024?

Let's get started on NAV-024: Setting the focus to a new element doesn't automatically trigger a context change, such as content updates or the opening of new windows.

Using the Role-based Decision Tree, let's see how we might assign ownership.

Try it for yourself!

Try the exercise with another checkpoint from the Starter List above.