As I continue to investigate the usability and user experience of product configurators, specifically with Banner Maker, it is essential that I consider the ethical issues surrounding them. One crucial issue that crosses over with the research question is the accessibility of product configurators for users with disabilities.
When assessing ethical issues of user experience and product configurators, a range of topics can be looked at, such as accessibility, privacy, and security.
In this blog, we will narrow down the impact of accessibility and explore the ethical considerations that should be accounted for when evaluating product configurators for users with disabilities.
Accessibility is a crucial aspect of user experience design (Avinash Kaur, 2018). Despite the development of accessibility guidelines and HCI standards to ensure digital products are inclusive for all users (W3C, 2019), product configurators often fall short of meeting these standards (Leclercq et al., 2020).
22% of the UK population have some sort of disability (Kirk-Wade, 2022). Hence, it is vital to consider the needs of users with disabilities when designing digital products.
Why do product configurators fall short of accessibility standards?
Relating to my research question, “How do competitors’ product configurators compare to Banner Maker in terms of usability and user experience?” the ability of users with disabilities to customise products to their specific needs or preferences is a vital aspect of usability and user experience (Murdock, 2022).
Issues such as absence of feedback and information overload are two common violations of HCI guidelines that have been identified with product configurators (Leclercq et al., 2018).
Considering that many product configurators inherit such shortfalls, my research on Banner Maker will aim to identify the specific usability issues and determine areas where it can improve its usability and user experience and, in turn, accessibility.
Importance of accessibility in UX design
A recent study highlighted that product configurators generally do not meet current HCI guidelines (Leclercq et al., 2020). This study leads me to believe that many have accessibility issues, making it difficult for users with disabilities, such as those with visual impairments, to customise products to their needs.
It is vital to understand the history and context of accessibility in the digital industry to understand its importance. Accessibility in user experience design has been acknowledged for decades, with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) introduced in 1999 (W3C, 2023). Despite developing these guidelines and standards, the digital industry has been criticised for not sufficiently addressing accessibility issues (Avinash Kaur, 2018).
Studies have found that product configurators on e-commerce websites generally do not meet accessibility standards (Leclercq et al., 2020). This means it could be challenging for users with disabilities to access e-commerce websites – particularly blind users, as they face more challenges when navigating the web compared to other users with disabilities (Aizpurua et al., 2016).
Further work is still needed to create a set of guidelines for product configurators (Leclercq et al., 2020).
Despite the development of accessibility guidelines and standards to ensure digital products are inclusive for all users, product configurators often fall short of meeting these standards. This shortfall highlights the importance of evaluating the accessibility of product configurators, particularly for users with disabilities, as a crucial aspect of usability and user experience (Murdock, 2022).
The different perspectives on accessibility
There are various viewpoints on the issue of accessibility in the digital industry. As UX designers, I would argue that we should champion accessibility as a fundamental right for all users. Some business owners assume their users do not require accessibility features, while some view it as an added cost (Naiduk, 2020).
There is another reason that businesses do not consistently implement accessibility features within their digital products (Naiduk, 2020).
One common reason is that many do not understand how much value that accessibility provides (Naiduk, 2020).
In my opinion, businesses can only lose out by not implementing accessibility features to their digital products.
2.5 million ticket sales are lost per year from booking sites lacking accessibility in the UK (Bolton, 2015). Additionally, web accessibility-related lawsuits have been steadily growing yearly (Christensen, 2021).
Ultimately, I should take a holistic approach and consider both the ethical and practical business implications of accessibility in the design and development of digital products.
In my research on Banner Maker, I aim to identify specific usability issues and determine areas where the product configurator could improve its usability and user experience, focusing on accessibility.
Considering the history and context of accessibility in the digital industry and different viewpoints on the issue, my research will aim to contribute to a more inclusive and accessible digital landscape for all users.
References:
Aizpurua, A., Harper, S. and Vigo, M. (2016) ‘Exploring the relationship between web accessibility and user experience.’ _International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 91(91) pp. 13–23.
Avinash Kaur (2018) Accessibility guidelines for UX Designers. Medium. UX Collective. [Online] https://uxdesign.cc/accessibility-guidelines-for-a-ux-designer-c3ba775539be.
Christensen, N. (2021) A Summary of 2020’s Web Accessibility Lawsuits – Little Forest. Little Forest. [Online] [Accessed on 12th January 2023] https://littleforest.co.uk/a-summary-of-2020s-web-accessibility-lawsuits/.
Kirk-Wade, E. (2022) UK disability statistics: Prevalence and life experiences. The House of Commons Library. [Online] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9602/.
Leclercq, T., Cordy, M., Dumas, B. and Heymans, P. (2018) On Studying Bad Practices in Configuration UIs. ResearchGate. unknown. [Online] [Accessed on 12th January 2023] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360964480_On_Studying_Bad_Practices_in_Configuration_UIs.
Leclercq, T., Deventer, C. and Heymans, P. (2020) Do product configurators comply with HCI guidelines? A preliminary study. ResearchGate. unknown. [Online] [Accessed on 6th December 2022] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360977904_Do_product_configurators_comply_with_HCI_guidelines_A_preliminary_study.
Murdock, H. (2022) How to Keep Your Product Customiser Accessible and WCAG-Friendly. www.threekit.com. [Online] https://www.threekit.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-product-customizer-accessible-wcag-friendly.
Naiduk, C. (2020) Five Reasons Businesses Don’t Make Their Websites Accessible Until They’re Sued, and Why That Approach Fails. Accessibility.com. [Online] https://www.accessibility.com/blog/five-reasons-businesses-dont-make-their-websites-accessible-until-theyre-sued-and-why-that-approach-fails.
W3C (2018) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). [Online] https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/.
W3C (2019) Introduction to Web Accessibility. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). [Online] https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/.
W3C (2023) WAI History. W3.org. [Online] https://www.w3.org/WAI/history.
