Keep pushing the limits on simple, usable, and accessible

This week: Accessibility, usability, scenario alignment, color tokens, strategic leadership, job search councils, outcome metrics, and more.

Hey folks,

Here are the top 10 things I found worth sharing this week.

1. Level up designing for accessibility. Review Karwai Pan’s accessibility dos and do nots and Geri Reid’s WCAG PDF cards. Use tools such as the practical accessibility testing guide, accessibility acceptance criteria, and the complete guide to UI components.
2. On Usability: Amoli provided a cheat sheet to review before moderating a usability study. NP Digital released data on how different age groups engage with content based on a survey with 6k respondents. Keep Miller’s Law in mind.
3. Check out Jen Blatz’s Scenario Alignment Canvas (SAC) (video) which looks like an effective replacement to personas and journey maps for product teams. Revisit these related gems: 1 and 2.
4. Erica Scolaro documented best practices for evolving Figma color tokens at Pennylane. See also: design tokens cheatlist.
5. Two key areas to focus on in order to evolve from a tactical to strategic design leader (h/t Rachel Kobe): [1] Map design work to impact. Create a narrative that connects your team’s efforts to larger company goals. [2] Lead with perspective. Guide discussions with insights on user trends, competitive landscapes, and long-term impacts.
6. Keep a pulse on AI x UX: Figma released their 2024 AI design trend report. RISD instructor Kelin Carolyn Zhang publicly released a new AI Software Design Studio course for Fall 2024.
7. If you’re struggling in the job market, I’ve heard that joining a job search council can be helpful. See also: the Never Search Alone book and videos.
8. Patrizia Bertini wrote about bridging input to outcome metrics. "By focusing on the right input, output, and outcome metrics, companies can ensure their projects not only deliver an exceptional user experience but also contribute to broader business success.”
9. Explore creative tools for shapes (SVG Shapes), backgrounds (Photoroom,  Mesh Gradients, Cool Backgrounds, Haikei, BGJar, SuperDesigner), create handwritten fonts (calligraphr), and many design libraries (Toools).
10. Study the top brand systems or add their elements to your next web project in Figma if/as relevant. 

Thanks for reading!

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Sincerely,

Gerren