How can you design responsive and accessible websites with best practices?

1 Use flexible layouts

One of the key aspects of responsive web design is using flexible layouts that can adjust to the available space and orientation of the screen. This means avoiding fixed widths and heights, and instead using relative units, such as percentages, ems, or rems, to define the size and position of your elements. You can also use CSS grid and flexbox to create responsive grids and align your content dynamically. Flexible layouts allow you to create fluid and consistent designs that work across different devices and resolutions.

2 Choose appropriate fonts and colors

Typography and color are essential elements of graphic design, and they can also affect the accessibility and readability of your website. You should choose fonts that are clear, legible, and compatible with different browsers and devices. Avoid using too many fonts, and stick to a consistent hierarchy and contrast for your headings, body text, and links. You should also use colors that are harmonious, appealing, and accessible. Avoid using color alone to convey meaning, and check the contrast ratio between your text and background colors to ensure that they meet the accessibility standards. You can use tools like Color Safe or WebAIM Contrast Checker to test your color choices.

3 Optimize your images and media

Images and media can enhance the visual appeal and engagement of your website, but they can also slow it down and create accessibility issues. You should optimize your images and media for different screen sizes and resolutions, using responsive images techniques, such as srcset, sizes, or picture elements, to serve the most appropriate version of your images depending on the device and context. You should also provide alternative text for your images, captions for your videos, and transcripts for your audio, to make them accessible to users who rely on assistive technologies or have low bandwidth.

4 Implement keyboard and touch navigation

Another important aspect of responsive and accessible web design is ensuring that your website can be navigated by different input methods, such as keyboard, mouse, touch, or voice. You should design your website with a clear and logical structure, using semantic HTML elements, such as headings, lists, and links, to organize your content and provide context. You should also use CSS to indicate the focus state of your elements, such as buttons, forms, or menus, to help users who use the keyboard or screen readers to navigate your website. Additionally, you should make your website touch-friendly, by using large and spaced buttons, menus, and links, and avoiding hover effects or pop-ups that can be difficult to interact with on touch devices.

5 Test and refine your design

The final step of designing responsive and accessible websites is testing and refining your design on different devices, browsers, and scenarios. You should use tools like Chrome DevTools, Firefox Responsive Design Mode, or online emulators, to simulate how your website looks and behaves on different screen sizes and resolutions. You should also use tools like Lighthouse, WebAIM WAVE, or axe, to audit your website for accessibility issues, such as color contrast, keyboard accessibility, or alt text. Moreover, you should solicit feedback from real users, especially those with diverse abilities and preferences, to identify and improve any usability or accessibility problems that you may have overlooked.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?