Designing for Accessibility: Best Practices to Follow

Accessibility is often viewed through the narrow lens of compliance—WCAG checkboxes, screen reader compatibility, alt text requirements. But that framing misses the point. Accessibility isn’t about satisfying regulations. It’s about removing friction for real people.

At Method, we approach accessibility as both a design principle and a strategic differentiator. Inclusive products are more usable, more empathetic, and—importantly—more competitive. In markets where UX is a deciding factor, accessibility isn’t a bonus. It’s a multiplier.

Let’s break down how we approach it.

Step 1: Shift the mindset. Accessibility is not an edge-case consideration. It’s a lens for better design, period. We start every new project with the assumption that our users have diverse needs—visual, cognitive, physical, environmental. And we embrace that diversity not as a constraint, but as a design brief.

Step 2: Embed from the start. We don’t bolt on accessibility at the end of the design process. We build with it. That means:

• Wireframing in greyscale to validate hierarchy without relying on color.

• Testing all keyboard flows in early prototypes—not just post-QA.

• Designing focus states intentionally, rather than letting the browser decide.

• Avoiding hover-dependent navigation for anything essential.

Step 3: Build redundancy into every interaction. Accessibility is often about alternatives. Color + icon. Label + tooltip. Audio + text. These aren’t crutches—they’re strength through redundancy.

Step 4: Audit—and teach. We use tools like Axe, Stark, and Wave to perform regular audits across projects. But beyond that, we invest in educating clients and design partners on accessibility principles. This builds a culture of inclusion, not just a process.

One of our most successful case studies involved a healthcare startup whose onboarding form had a 20% abandonment rate. After a deep accessibility review, we simplified field groupings, rewrote labels for clarity, added inline validation with screen reader support, and increased font contrast. Result: 38% lift in completion rate. No change in business model. Just more usable UX.

Another team reduced their customer support burden by 26% after making their dashboard fully navigable via keyboard shortcuts. The side benefit? Power users loved it too. Accessibility isn't just inclusive—it's efficient.

Here’s the truth: when you design for the margins, you improve the core.

Great accessibility isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about honoring reality. People are different. Their needs are fluid. Your product should be too.