How can you make Consumer Electronics products accessible and usable throughout the product lifecycle?

1 What is accessibility and usability?

Accessibility and usability are two related concepts that describe how easy and satisfying it is for people to interact with a product. Accessibility means that a product can be used by people with different abilities, such as vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, or age. Usability means that a product can be used efficiently, effectively, and enjoyably by its intended users. A product that is both accessible and usable can benefit a wider range of users, reduce frustration and errors, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and comply with legal and ethical standards.

2 How to design for accessibility and usability?

Designing for accessibility and usability requires understanding the needs and expectations of your users, as well as the context and environment in which they use your product. Through user research, testing, and feedback, you can apply some general principles and guidelines to ensure your product is easy to use. This includes using clear and consistent labels, icons, and instructions, providing multiple modes of input and output such as voice, touch, gesture, keyboard, mouse, screen, sound, vibration, and haptic feedback. Additionally, ensure that color, contrast, font size, layout and navigation are easy to see and use for people with different vision levels. Make your product compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers or magnifiers. Avoid unnecessary complexity in your product's content and interface. Finally, allow users to customize and adjust settings according to their needs.

3 How to maintain accessibility and usability?

Maintaining accessibility and usability requires ongoing effort to ensure that your product continues to meet the needs of your users. Regular updates and patches for your product's software and firmware should be provided to fix bugs, improve performance, and add new features. Additionally, clear documentation, tutorials, and support should be offered for installation, operation, and troubleshooting. User data, feedback, and reviews should be collected and analyzed to identify any issues or opportunities for improvement. Lastly, you should follow the latest standards and best practices for accessibility and usability in your product's industry and domain.

4 How to dispose of accessibility and usability?

Disposing of accessibility and usability means taking precautions to protect both the environment and people who handle your product at the end of its lifecycle. This can be achieved by designing your product with recyclable, biodegradable, or reusable materials and components, providing clear instructions on how to properly dispose of it and its accessories, participating in recycling or donation programs for your product and its parts, as well as educating users and stakeholders about the environmental and social impacts of your product and its disposal.

5 How to learn more about accessibility and usability?

Gaining knowledge on accessibility and usability can help you craft CE products that can serve and please more people. This can be done by reading literature, taking courses, workshops, webinars, and certifications on the topic, joining networks and events, and consulting experts, mentors, and peers. Doing so can provide insight into trends, skills, tools, issues, solutions, challenges, and opportunities.

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?