277 - The Future of Web Design — with Vitaly Friedman
Feb 7, 2024
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In this engaging conversation with Vitaly Friedman, a web design veteran known for his work with Smashing Magazine, listeners explore the future of web design. Vitaly shares insights on inclusive design and the importance of accessibility for diverse user groups. He emphasizes the need for digital sustainability and effective design strategies that resonate with users. The discussion also highlights the crucial role of AI in personalization while advocating for transparency and accountability in design practices. Tune in for valuable lessons on enhancing user experiences!
Inclusive web design involves testing with diverse user groups to ensure accessibility and usability for everyone.
Designers can contribute to digital sustainability by optimizing energy use and streamlining user interactions.
Measuring the effectiveness of design and UX requires clear metrics and KPIs aligned with business goals.
Deep dives
Designing for inclusivity and accessibility
Creating a more inclusive web starts with including a diverse group of people in the design and testing process. This means testing with individuals from different age groups, abilities, and backgrounds to ensure that the design is accessible and usable for everyone. Designers should address issues such as color contrast, typography, font sizes, and tab target sizes to improve inclusivity. By understanding the specific needs and challenges of different user groups, designers can make more informed design decisions and create a more inclusive user experience.
Digital sustainability and efficiency
In order to make digital products more sustainable, designers should consider optimizing energy use, minimizing unnecessary actions, and reducing waste. This can include designing interfaces with energy-saving features, such as offering an audio-only option for videos or using more efficient colors. Designers can also focus on streamlining user interactions, such as minimizing the number of clicks required to perform a task or optimizing search functionality. By prioritizing digital sustainability and efficiency, designers can contribute to reducing environmental impact and improving the overall user experience.
Measuring the impact of design
To measure the effectiveness of design and user experience (UX), designers should establish clear metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators) aligned with the overall business goals. By defining measurable outcomes for specific design initiatives, designers can track the success and impact of their work. This can involve analyzing user behavior, conducting usability testing, and collecting data on task completion times and success rates. By continuously measuring and iterating based on the results, designers can demonstrate the value of their work and make data-driven design decisions to improve the user experience and achieve business objectives.
Designing for Accessibility and Inclusivity
When designing websites or digital products, it is important to consider accessibility and inclusivity for all users, regardless of their physical abilities or cognitive differences. The speaker emphasizes that creating multiple versions of a site to cater to different groups can be problematic, as it may not effectively address the needs of individual users. Instead, implementing simple accessibility features like large font sizes and color contrast can make a significant impact. The speaker also highlights the importance of not hiding important buttons or content, as users may struggle to find them. Overall, designing for accessibility can be exciting and rewarding, and it is crucial for creating positive user experiences.
Digital Sustainability and the Importance of Transparency
The concept of digital sustainability is introduced, focusing on the need to reduce waste and unnecessary consumption in the digital sphere. The speaker suggests reevaluating delivery times and packaging practices to promote sustainability. Additionally, the importance of transparency in user testing and research is emphasized. Broadcasting tests and involving various team members allows for a shared understanding of the design process and encourages trust in the results. Avoiding biases in testing and ensuring diversity in the test group are also crucial for obtaining accurate and meaningful data. Finally, the speaker highlights the value of accountability and measuring success in order to showcase the impact of design work.
The last few years have seen leaps and bounds in technological innovation, with services like ChatGPT and MidJourney opening up a world of possibility for both creators and every day people to bring their ideas to life through the power of the internet. But those things are just today. What is the future of the internet? and how can we be good steward’s of it? Vitaly Friedman has been around since the early days of the web, and has spent his career helping to shape the internet. Vitaly will be talking with Chris about topics like inclusive design and accessibility, digital sustainability, and measuring the impact of web design. They’ll also be talking about why gaining insight and feedback from diverse user groups is becoming more and more important, all the time. Friedman has decades of experience in design work that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also effective in achieving its purpose, to draw on for his insights.
