Everyone wants their website to look appealing. We want to choose the right colors, fonts, and layouts to make our website fit our brand, with the hopes of having consumers choose us. But, this can be overwhelming. In a world where there are infinite design options with the click of a button, how will you choose the right elements to make your website as strong as can be?
It starts with inclusivity.
What is inclusive web design?
Inclusive web design is creating digital products that can be used by a wide variety of people. It acknowledges that everyone using a website has a different background, which requires different accommodations.
In order to grow your brand, you want your website to be as inclusive as possible. Here are three ways to do it:
- Choose widely legible fonts.
In order for as many people as possible to use your website, consider choosing a font that is easy on the eyes, and is easy to read. Using widely legible fonts makes your website more accessible. According to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the following fonts are some of the best choices for your website, as people with vision impairments and cognitive disabilities are able to use them:
- Arial
- Verdana
- Helvetica
- Calibri
- Times New Roman
Additionally, ensure that all text on your webpages is at least 12 px. Stay away from fonts that have complex characters, since these can be challenging to read.
- Ensure strong contrast between text and background.
Make sure your text color stands out against the background color. For easy legibility, stay away from choosing colors that are too similar to one another. You want to make sure that a customer can easily read the text in front of them. For example, if you have a white background, consider using black or grey text to have your text stand out. If you have a tan background, consider using dark blue or dark green text. Additionally, take caution when placing text over a photo. Without the proper contrast, the text can easily get lost in the details of the background, and valuable information can be lost. Instead, choose a solid background to place your text over.
- Use consistent navigation buttons throughout the site.
Keeping buttons and menus in the same place on each page will allow the pages to be uniform. This will eliminate possible confusion from the user, since they will always know where to find what they are looking for. Additionally, keeping these buttons in the same location makes it easier when creating new pages, since you can save time by reusing a page layout.
Inclusive design goes hand in hand with design accessibility, since as many people as possible can easily navigate your website. By implementing these design elements, more people will be able to use your website, which will ultimately grow your business.
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