How to Make Your App Design More Inclusive

How can one reach and attract more users? That’s a commonly asked question by not only business owners but webmasters as well. Making an application or service more accessible, including to people with limited means or access and disabilities, is one way of improving your brand and growing stronger over the years.

Almost 1.3 billion people currently have significant disabilities. This is about 16% of the global population. That’s why developing an inclusive app design is critical to ensuring that your product is accessible to a diverse range of users. Inclusive design takes into account the needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and people from different cultural backgrounds. You can create an inclusive and user-friendly design for all by conducting research, using appropriate language and terms, paying attention to color and contrast, creating a clear layout, and building inclusive apps to solve people’s pain points.

Conduct research and UX interviews

The first step in creating an inclusive app design is to conduct research and user experience (UX) interviews. This research will help you better understand your target audience and their specific needs. You can identify any pain points or barriers that customers may encounter when using your app by speaking with a diverse group of users. This data can then be utilized to inform your app’s design and development, ensuring that it is inclusive and accessible to all.

There are several research methods that can be exploited to gain insight into clients’ needs. Surveys, interviews, usability testing, focus groups, and ethnographic research are some of the most commonly used methods. Each method has advantages and disadvantages, and the method chosen will be determined by the specific goals of the research as well as the resources available.

According to one study conducted by BBC R&D, 90% of viewers who watch television with subtitles do so with the sound turned on. In order to follow the program, they use subtitles in conjunction with sound and lip reading.

Usability testing, for example, allows you to watch users interact with your app, providing valuable insights into areas where they may struggle or have difficulty. This can assist you in identifying areas of your app that require improvement and making changes to make it more inclusive. In contrast, surveys and interviews can provide a more in-depth understanding of user needs and pain points. Conducting research with a diverse group of participants is critical to ensuring that the design is inclusive of a wide range of users.

Use appropriate language and terms

The language and terminology used in your app are also crucial in creating an inclusive design. It is critical to use clear and easy-to-understand language for all users, regardless of their background or level of education. Furthermore, be mindful of the terminology and language you use, as certain words or phrases may be offensive or insensitive to certain groups of people.

It is critical, for example, to use gender-neutral language in your app. This includes avoiding the use of gendered terms like “he” or “she” in favor of terms like “they” or “them.” It’s also critical to pay attention to the language used in error messages and notifications, as this can be frustrating or confusing for users. By avoiding technical jargon and providing explanations and definitions, you can ensure that users will understand the content better.

 Stick to typefaces with high readability

The typeface used in your app is an important factor to consider when designing an inclusive design. It is critical to use high-readability typefaces because they are easy to read for users with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities. This includes using fonts with high contrast between the letters and the background, as well as avoiding fonts that are too small or complex.

Arial, Verdana, and Georgia are examples of typefaces with high readability due to their wide letter spacing and simple design. Sans-serif typefaces are generally considered more readable than serif typefaces because the lack of serifs helps to distinguish letters. It is also critical to consider the typeface’s size and ensure that it is large enough for users to read comfortably. In general, body text should have a font size of at least 14px, with larger sizes for headlines and titles.

Pay attention to colors & contrast

Colors and contrast are also important factors to consider when designing an inclusive app. It is critical that the colors used in your app are highly contrasting and easy to read for visually impaired users. Furthermore, the use of color in your app should be considered, as certain colors may be difficult for some users to see or may have different meanings in different cultures.

The general rule when it comes to color contrast is that the contrast ratio between text and background should be at least 4.5:1 for standard text and 3:1 for large text (14pt or 18pt bold or larger). Check your color contrast ratio to ensure it meets the standards for accessibility and all users. This can easily be done by using Coolors.

 Create a clear layout

A clear and simple layout is required for creating an inclusive app design. The design should be simple and straightforward for all users, regardless of their background or experience. This includes guiding users through the app with clear headings, labels, and icons. A clear layout makes it easier for users to understand where they are and how to get to the information they require. It also helps users complete tasks and find what they’re looking for.

A clear and clean layout will result from a distinct structure, both visually and with markup. When it is made easy to distinguish sections like navigation, group-related controls in a form, and provide headers to identify groups of information, for example.

Fonts & typefaces

Certain fonts and typefaces are more legible than others. A legible font will not exclude or slow down any user’s reading speed, including those with blindness, vision loss, or reading disorders. The following fonts are regarded as the most accessible:

• Tahoma
• Calibri 
• Helvetica
• Arial 
• Verdana
• Times New Roman 
• Source San Pro.

These fonts are thought to have simpler shapes and patterns, making them easier to be analyzed and understood. It’s also important to keep the number of typefaces, fonts, and font variations to a minimum. Other considerations for improved readability and a more inclusive app interface:

• Weight and spacing
• Avoid using small font sizes
• Maintain text-to-background contrast.

Build inclusive apps to solve people’s pains

The article underlined the significance of developing an inclusive app design and covered the following subtopics: conduct research and UX interviews, use appropriate terminology and language. Use typefaces that are easy to read. Take note of the colors and contrast. Make a clean layout. Create inclusive apps to alleviate people’s suffering. It emphasized the importance of conducting user experience interviews and conducting research to gain a better understanding of the target audience and their specific needs. It also emphasized the importance of using appropriate language and terms, using high-readability typefaces, paying attention to colors and contrast, creating a clear layout, and developing inclusive apps to address people’s pain points.

It is important to note that inclusive design does not imply exclusivity; rather, it means designing for the majority of people while taking into account the needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and people from diverse cultural backgrounds. If you want to make a product that your target audience will like, you should conduct research and user experience interviews to understand their needs, pay attention to typeface, colors, and contrast, and design a clear layout and design to address their pain points.

If you want to create an inclusive and well-thought through design for your project, do not hesitate to contact us. We will build a cutting-edge concept demanded by different people from your target auditory.