So how do you create a digital experience that is usable, accessible, and ultimately, inclusive? There are many considerations at play from the design and usability of your website, through to the use of your colour palette, fonts and how your content is written. Accessibility means everyone should be able to access your website, platform or online service, regardless of their needs or the nature of their abilities.
Today, assistive technology tools are becoming more important and widely used. These tools help create inclusive online experiences and can be implemented as a toolbar on an existing website. As more and more companies opt to implement assistive technology, tools based primarily on a person’s disability may be a more accessible option.
Accessible fonts are also important. Comic Sans is one of a few typefaces with characters that are easy for those with dyslexia to decipher, and many designers are now creating fonts with accessibility features such as variable ascenders and descenders, tailored to individual needs to help make fonts more inclusive.
In the end, accessibility is about inclusion and equality for all users.
Recent studies claim that the average website produces 1.76g of CO2 for every page view, so the more complex a website is, the more energy it requires and the greater its impact on the climate.
But it’s not just websites that are causing the issue, it’s posting pictures online, storing emails as well as data storage. And storing data on the Cloud uses far more energy than storing it on your computer, so has a far greater environmental impact.
Today, climate change is transforming the meaning of sustainability in business, and how companies address this will impact on society and the planet overall. Many organisations are communicating how they plan to be net zero by 2030 and many are offering a dark mode on their website to help reduce screen power.
However, research is now questioning which is better for different users – light mode or dark mode? The solution might be to offer both and allow them to select their own preference.
But climate-friendly web design doesn’t mean having to compromise on the look and feel of your website. One way is to use low-data images rendered in black and white. Design with sustainability in mind and minimise energy consumption by using a darker palette and optimised images. Images are the single largest contributors to page weight, so the more images you use and the larger the files, the more energy is used.
You can have the best built website, with great design, graphics and functionality, but if it’s not supported by great content, the user experience will be poor and your SEO will suffer. Users will scan a website to find what they are looking for and if the content doesn’t grab them immediately, they will leave and go elsewhere. You may have as little as 15 seconds to capture a user’s interest, so content is key. So, what makes good website content?
Content should be written with both the user and SEO in mind. It should be unique, provide value and above all be accessible and easy to read. Use short sentences and paragraphs, succinct but impactful headings and avoid the use of jargon. The use of bullet points, lists and graphics all help too.
Tone of voice is also really important. The copy should be well written, engaging and on-brand. Make it easy for your audiences to understand what you offer with use of clear headings, short sentences and well written copy.
Ultimately, search engines will rank good website content higher in their results. So, what are some of the things you can do to help improve your SEO?
Good content is rewarded by search engines and website visitors alike. And if your content is good, you should see an increase in traffic, conversions and activity on your website.
To stay ahead in the constantly evolving world of digital design, you may think you need to reinvent the wheel and redesign your whole website. However, that’s not always the best approach. It can be tempting to just throw everything out and start again. Sometimes a total overhaul is required, but jumping into a full relaunch if you’ve not reviewed and audited your current website may cause more issues than it solves.
The best digital platforms are constantly reviewed and revised. Take a methodical approach and start with one section at a time. You don’t have to do it all at once either – improving your website can take many forms. They could be larger changes such as changing the width of your site to fit to the size of the browser, or specific updates that make a big difference, for example introducing a ‘sticky’ navigation or adding better signposting.
Honesty is the best policy when redesigning your website. It’s helpful to clearly communicate what you’re doing and why you’re undergoing changes. This level of transparency is useful to demonstrate how things will be improved from the user’s perspective.
Today, AI is a hot topic and brands are looking at how they can harness it for their own digital communications. The landscape of generative AI applications is huge – and growing by the minute. It’s being used not only for generating copy and imagery, but video, code, speech and 3D gaming amongst many others.
One of the most popular uses of AI is for copy creation. Many AI powered tools claim to write anything 10 times faster than any human. There’s undoubtedly a huge amount of interest in their potential. For example, ChatGPT was recently valued at $29 billion and had over a million users just five days after it was released. In theory, using AI to help write copy is certainly possible. In practice, like any tool, you still need human input. From writing detailed prompts to generate the copy, and then checking and editing to ensure it’s written perfectly in your brand tone of voice.
Many applications also use AI for generating imagery, claiming to create realistic images just from simple descriptions. They can recreate imagery in a variety of different styles or expand on the image’s original canvas. However, this again relies on detailed user prompts to generate the best results. The debate is now around whether this will hamper creativity in the future. Perhaps the way forward is to harness the power of AI in partnership with human creative thinking.
What might the future hold for websites and how can we keep ahead of the curve – specifically,
the Metaverse? What is it, and how might it impact our digital communications in the not-so-distant future? And what about Web 3.0? Both areas are inseparably linked, but while they’re not the same thing, there is an overlap. Web 3.0 is all about who will control the internet of the future – the Metaverse is how users will connect and experience it.
But how could the Metaverse transform our websites? Primarily, it will enable us to create more realistic and immersive digital experiences, that are more engaging for users and increase accessibility for everyone. It may also improve security and efficiency too, so it’s potentially a huge game-changer.
Most early adopters are fashion brands, collaborating with online gaming worlds to promote their products, by allowing users to virtually wear them within the Metaverse. The benefits for consumer brands are clear, but what about B2B organisations? Even in these early days, many companies are trialing pilots within the Metaverse. Examples include transforming operations through virtually connected workers, training with VR and onboarding employees on a virtual campus.
The potential for the Metaverse is certainly vast, but it’s clearly not a substitute for human, face-to-face contact. It’s simply another channel we all need to navigate as we develop our digital platforms of the future.
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Our digital and social storytelling campaign helped showcase the human face of the firm.
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