Could you share an experience where you focused on accessibility in your design?

This question aims to evaluate your experience and expertise in creating products that are accessible and usable for a wide range of users, particularly those with disabilities. It’s essential to understand that 'designing for accessibility' goes beyond catering to individuals with physical, visual, or auditory challenges; it involves making your product usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. An ideal response to this question would demonstrate your empathy toward users, your knowledge of accessibility standards like ADA and WCAG, and how you have incorporated these standards into your design process. Additionally, discussing how you addressed challenges faced by specific user groups, the obstacles you encountered, and the feedback you received from those users can further enhance your answer.

In my former position as a product designer for an e-commerce platform, we served a broad audience, including individuals with disabilities. We discovered that our website was not particularly accessible for users with visual impairments. Upon recognizing this problem, we chose to completely revamp our design to better serve these users. After conducting extensive research on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), we focused on several elements, such as providing text descriptions for images, enhancing color contrasts and font sizes, and enabling navigation without a mouse. Additionally, we partnered with a local blind association to test our website prior to its launch. This effort not only ensured our compliance with the ADA but also significantly expanded our active user base. This experience has given me a profound appreciation for the importance of 'Designing for All.'

During my time at a Fintech company, it was crucial to create a product that was accessible to all users. Since the product deals with personal finances, it needed to be usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities. I noticed that some of our older users, particularly those with motor disabilities, faced difficulties with gestures like swiping and pinching for navigation. To address this, I took the lead in redesigning the interface to include larger, touch-friendly icons and dropdown menus instead of swipe gestures. I ensured that this redesign maintained a clean look by incorporating collapsible menus. Additionally, I implemented verbal feedback for key actions, which significantly enhanced the experience for visually impaired users. This initiative was an important step toward making our app more accessible, and it provided me with valuable insights into accessibility guidelines and the significance of inclusive design.