Shifting Our Team Goals to be UX Outcomes and Giving a Damn About Accessibility

Shifting Our Team Goals to be UX Outcomes and Giving a Damn About Accessibility

Introduction:
In the world of digital platforms and user experience, it is crucial to prioritize accessibility and shift our team goals towards achieving meaningful outcomes. Digital accessibility is the practice of ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities or circumstances, has equal access to information, functionality, and overall experience. However, the current approach to accessibility often falls short, with guidelines that are too prescriptive, aspirational, or driven by charity. In tandem with this, UX teams often measure success based on outputs rather than outcomes, missing the opportunity to truly improve the lives of their users. This article delves into the importance of giving a damn about accessibility and shifting our team goals to be UX outcomes, all while incorporating unique insights and actionable advice.

The Importance of Accessibility:
When discussing accessibility, it is vital to recognize the diverse range of individuals who benefit from inclusive design. Physical disabilities, such as hearing loss, vision loss, or mobility issues, neurodiversity conditions like autism and dyslexia, and socio-economic discrimination all contribute to the need for digital accessibility. It is essential to understand that disability can be permanent, temporary, or situational, ensuring that accessibility is a priority for all users, regardless of their circumstances.

The Flaws of Current Accessibility Guidelines:
The first version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) was launched in 1999, but even after two decades, there are inherent flaws in the approach. Current guidelines tend to be too prescriptive, making it seem like following a checklist is sufficient. However, accessibility is a continuous process that requires a deeper understanding of users' needs and experiences. Additionally, the aspirational nature of these guidelines paints a utopian picture that does not necessarily drive action. Lastly, the focus on charity-driven initiatives often perpetuates the idea that people with disabilities should be pitied, rather than empowered.

Shifting to UX Outcomes:
To truly make a difference in the lives of users, UX teams must shift their goals from outputs to outcomes. While outputs represent the activities and efforts of the team, outcomes focus on the results achieved because of that work. By aligning UX outcomes with business outcomes, teams can directly impact the organization's success. For example, improving designs that increase new subscriptions or generate more income can provide tangible value. However, going beyond business outcomes, teams should also consider how their work improves the lives of their users. This user-centric approach ensures that the user experience becomes the driving force behind decision-making and product development.

Identifying Meaningful UX Outcomes:
To identify meaningful UX outcomes, teams must have a deep understanding of their users' current experiences. This understanding comes from a mature research practice that involves spending significant time with users, identifying pain points, and recognizing opportunities for improvement. By stepping back and observing what frustrates users, teams can align their UX outcomes with addressing these frustrations. An aspirational experience vision can help rally the team around a common goal, emphasizing the positive impact their work will have on users' lives.

Measuring UX Outcomes:
Just as with any goal or objective, UX outcomes need to be measurable. Teams must define what success looks like for each outcome and establish clear evidence that indicates its realization. This evidence should be observable and provide a definitive moment when everyone can see that the outcome has been achieved. By setting measurable UX outcomes, teams can track their progress, make data-driven decisions, and continuously strive for improvement.

Actionable Advice:

1. Prioritize ongoing research: Invest time and resources into understanding your users' experiences and needs. Regularly conduct user research to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

2. Develop an aspirational experience vision: Create a compelling story of what it will be like for users to interact with your product or service in the future. Use this vision to guide your team's efforts and inspire them to deliver exceptional user experiences.

3. Collaborate across disciplines: Accessibility and user experience are not the sole responsibility of one team or individual. Foster collaboration between designers, developers, accessibility experts, and stakeholders to ensure a holistic and inclusive approach.

Conclusion:
By giving a damn about accessibility and shifting our team goals to be UX outcomes, we can create digital platforms that truly serve all users. It is crucial to move away from prescriptive and charity-driven approaches and instead focus on measurable outcomes that improve the lives of our users. Through ongoing research, aspirational experience visions, and collaboration across disciplines, we can create inclusive and impactful user experiences. Let us strive to make accessibility a priority and deliver products and services that genuinely enhance the lives of all individuals.