+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE. - Volume 19, Issue 52, June 22, 2021. An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design and development. ++ISSUE 52 CONTENTS. SECTION ONE: New references. What's new at the Web Design Reference site? https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/ New links in these categories: 01: ACCESSIBILITY. 02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS. 03: EVALUATION & TESTING. 04: EVENTS. 05: HTML. 06: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE. 07: JAVASCRIPT. 08: MISCELLANEOUS. 09: TOOLS. 10: TYPOGRAPHY. 11: USABILITY. 12: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY. SECTION TWO: 13: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site? [Contents ends.] ++ SECTION ONE: New references. +01: ACCESSIBILITY. Your Image Is Probably Not Decorative By Eric Bailey. "Image placement on the modern web is highly intentional, helping to communicate the overall purpose of a page or view. This means that nearly every image you declare needs to have an alternate description…" https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/06/img-alt-attribute-alternate-description-decorative/ Every Input Needs a Label By Rian Rietveld. "Web forms are a way to contact, order, complain, discuss, subscribe and they are an essential functionality on a website. It's therefore important to optimise a form for conversion, usability and accessibility. One big help for a user: always make the label of a form control visible and connected. Let's explain how and why…" https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/every-input-needs-a-label/ A lot of the times, when we discuss the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 By Craig Abbott. "…there is a misconception that if you meet all of the criteria then your service will work for everyone. Here is a little thread to explain why WCAG itself is not enough…" https://twitter.com/abbott567/status/1404411481127596032 Tips & Tricks for Testing Accessibility with Assistive Technologies By Karl Groves. "…here are some valuable tips and tricks we've discovered during our own testing experiences…" https://blog.tenon.io/tips-tricks-for-testing-accessibility-with-assistive-technologies/ Advocate for Accessibility By Becky Gibson. "The pandemic has made all of us much more aware of and dependent on the internet for daily activities. This includes work, school, shopping, entertainment, and connection. Hopefully it has also opened your eyes to the importance of all these resources being available to everyone, including people with disabilities…" https://webable.com/advocate-for-accessibility/ To Auto Caption or Not, That is the Question By Svetlana Kouznetsova. "…I would say that ASR is not the best accessibility practice for professional content. However, it may be a valuable tool for informal conversations and - if used right - for certain live events and as a starting point for creating post production captions and transcripts." https://audio-accessibility.com/news/2021/02/to-auto-caption-or-not-to-auto-caption-that-is-the-question/ How Captions Increase ROI and Audience for Media Creators (Video) By Svetlana Kouznetsova. "Producers of video and live events all want a larger audience. One of the most cost-effective ways to increase audience size is to provide quality captions…" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngKp9MqUGj8 Adobe PDF Extract: API Output Demystified By Joel Geraci. "Since PDF's invention, getting text out of a PDF file, in the correct reading order, from any PDF, including tabular data, has been a challenge…" https://medium.com/adobetech/adobe-pdf-extract-api-output-demystified-ff69841c4ed3 Watch Our Presentation on Winn-Dixie (Video) By Ken Nakata. "A few months back, the folks at 3PlayMedia asked me to present at their Access at Home Virtual Conference. My session was about the impact of the 11th Circuit's reversal of the Winn-Dixie decision…" https://convergeaccessibility.com/2021/06/21/watch-our-presentation-on-winn-dixie/ +02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS. Media Queries in Times of @container By Max Böck. "With container queries now on the horizon - will we need media queries at all? Is there a future where we build responsive interfaces completely without them?…" https://mxb.dev/blog/media-queries-in-times-of-container-queries/ Meet :has, A Native CSS Parent Selector (And More) By Adrian Bece. "What makes relational selector one of the most requested features and how are we, as developers, working around not having it? In this article, we're going to check the early spec of the :has selector, and see how it should improve the CSS workflow once it's released…" https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/06/has-native-css-parent-selector/ Better Screenreader Experiences with CSS (Video) By Ben Myers. "After an introduction to how we can navigate with screenreaders, Ben Myers will teach us how we can use CSS to influence what screenreaders will announce…" https://www.learnwithjason.dev/better-screenreader-experiences-with-css +03: EVALUATION & TESTING. From Statistical to Practical Significance By Jeff Sauro and Jim Lewis. "…We will use the four examples from our previous article on hypothesis testing to help make the link between statistical and practical significance…" https://measuringu.com/from-statistical-to-practical-significance/ A/B Testing The Words In Your Product By Josh Pitzalis. "The problem with a lot of the content around A/B testing on the web is that it only covers landing pages and e-commerce websites. I want to be able to run A/B tests on the words inside my product experience…" https://usabilitygeek.com/a-b-testing-the-words-in-your-product/ Using UX Testing to Dramatically Improve Your A/B Testing Results By Natalya Diatko. "We are used to thinking of A/B split testing as a way to improve UX and increase conversions. But it's actually a two-way road…" https://usabilitygeek.com/using-ux-testing-to-dramatically-improve-your-a-b-testing-results/ 8 Critical Usability Testing Mistakes And How To Avoid Them By Nikolay Melnik. "Your chances of developing successful products grow when you make usability testing a part of the project. That is if it's done without any mistakes…" https://usabilitygeek.com/critical-usability-testing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/ Rows and Columns, Part 1: Jump-starting Analysis Using Spreadsheets By Michael A. Morgan. "The central part of any UX research project is the analysis of data." https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2021/06/rows-and-columns-part-1-jump-starting-analysis-using-spreadsheets.php Learning Complex Subject Matter By Jim Ross. "When you're doing research on complex domains…, it can be difficult to get up to speed on the subject matter quickly." https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2021/06/learning-complex-subject-matter.php +04: EVENTS. Smashing Meets: CSSummer Edition July 8, 2021. Online https://smashingconf.com/meets-css/ Drupal Camp Asheville July 8-9, 2021. Online https://www.drupalasheville.com/camp Important Aspects of PDF Remediation July 14, 2021. Online https://www.tpgi.com/webinar-july-14-important-aspects-of-pdf-remediation/ Human Rights and Technology July 15, 2021, 12-1pm AEST. https://relx.zoom.us/webinar/register/1016242463612/WN_Xw4_ALuwTTyhHA0f0pcKyQ Exploring Virtual Reality User Experience for People with Facial Palsy July 16, 2021. Online https://www.meetup.com/a11yvr/events/278709922/ Accessible Front-End Patterns Masterclass With Carie Fisher September 30-October 14, 2021. Online https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/carie-fisher HOW Design Live October 19-21, 2021. Nashville, Tennessee U.S.A. https://www.howdesignlive.com/ EDUCAUSE Annual Conference October 26-29, 2021. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A. and Online https://events.educause.edu/annual-conference +05: HTML. HTML Concepts: The 'Nothing' Content Model By Jens Oliver Meiert. "In this little series that started with the meaning of 'body-ok,' let's talk about a trivial but little-known concept: the 'nothing' content model…" https://meiert.com/en/blog/html-nothing-content-model/ +06: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE. How to Draw a Wireframe (Even if You Can't Draw) By Kelley Gordon. "Even people with limited drawing abilities can learn to sketch a wireframe if they learn a few common conventions used to represent various design elements." https://www.nngroup.com/articles/draw-wireframe-even-if-you-cant-draw/ +07: JAVASCRIPT. A 'Vue' of Accessibility: Tips and Tricks to Make Your Application Accessible By Taylor Richards. "…Vue is a great framework, and its popularity has risen over the last few years. But how accessible is Vue? Vue does come with its own set of accessibility issues. However, these issues can be remediated, and some accessibility packages can be used to make accessible websites in conjunction with Vue…" https://www.deque.com/blog/a-vue-of-accessibility-tips-and-tricks-to-make-your-application-accessible/ +08: MISCELLANEOUS. Origin of the Internet: Who Invented the World Wide Web? By Rupendra Brahambhatt. "This is the story of how we got from browsing the ARPANET with room-sized computers to modern-day cloud computing…" https://interestingengineering.com/origin-of-the-internet-who-invented-the-world-wide-web The Harmful Ableist Language You Unknowingly Use By Sara Nović. "Some of our most common, ingrained expressions have damaging effects on millions of people - and many of us don't know we're hurting others when we speak…" https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210330-the-harmful-ableist-language-you-unknowingly-use Utah Yearbook Photo Excludes Cheerleader with Down Syndrome By Jenna Romaine. "She knew what happened. She was sad, and she was hurt." https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/accessibility/559098-utah-yearbook-photo-excludes-cheerleader-with-down +09: TOOLS. A Complete Guide To Accessibility Tooling By Nic Chan. "In a new short series of posts, we highlight some of the useful tools and techniques for developers and designers. Recently we've covered HTML Emails and SVG Generators. This time we look into different kinds of tools to help you streamline your accessibility testing process. Don't miss the next one…" https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2021/06/complete-guide-accessibility-tooling/ Social Visual alt Text (Chrome Extension) By Nick DeNardis. "Visually show alternative text of social media images. This extension is designed for individuals who are interested in viewing the alt text applied to images without the need to inspect each image or use a screen reader…" https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/social-visual-alt-text/bkpbmomfemcjdeekdffmbohifpndodmi +10: TYPOGRAPHY. Why Designers Need to Consider Accessibility in Type By Molly Long. "The intricacies of creative projects often pose access challenges for those who struggle to read - how can designers reconcile creativity with accessibility…" https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/7-13-june-2021/typographic-accessibility/ Optical Size, the Hidden Superpower of Variable Fonts By Roel Nieskens. "Variable fonts have a hidden superpower that just not enough people are raving about. This feature will make letters actually change the way they look when shown in small or large sizes. It all happens automatically in the browser. All you need is a variable font with an optical size axis…" https://pixelambacht.nl/2021/optical-size-hidden-superpower/ +11: USABILITY. Asynchronous Design Critique: Giving Feedback By Erin Casali. "How do you know that you're giving good feedback? Erin 'Folletto' Casali offers a tangible framework for delivering feedback through the lens of the design critique process in this first installment of a two-part series. While the examples are concrete and rooted firmly in the world of Design, the lessons are universally applicable: use them during performance reviews, code reviews, mentorship communications. The options are endless…" https://alistapart.com/article/async-design-critique-giving-feedback/ To Learn a New UX Skill, Read an Old Book By Jessica Ivins. "…I realized older UX books could be just as useful for my learning as newer books-and I was probably missing out on valuable information by reading mostly new books…" https://jessicaivins.net/to-learn-a-new-ux-skill-read-an-old-book/ User Feedback vs. Innovation (Video) By Jakob Nielsen. Relying too much on feedback from customers risks hampering innovation, so what is the best balance for UX design? https://www.nngroup.com/videos/user-feedback-vs-innovation/ Remarkable Organizations and Challenges, Fast Development, and Small Teams Define the 2021 Intranet Design Annual Winners By Kara Pernice and Maria Rosala. "Winning intranets were created quickly; and all winners welcomed expertise and assistance from outside agencies." https://www.nngroup.com/articles/intranet-fast-design-small-teams/ User Research Repositories for Cross-Functional Teams By Eden Lazaness. "Tips for placing all information about users in a single place, so that the entire UX team can leverage this knowledge. Eden Lazaness shares her experience and demos the tools her team used. This was filmed during a participant experience panel after a recent UX Conference." https://www.nngroup.com/videos/research-repositories-cross-functional-teams/ +12: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY. CO2 for Irish Councils, Government Departments, Political Parties By Gerry McGovern. "…We would never accept the levels of waste that proliferate in the digital world in a physical setting. The digital industry is going around boasting about how it's going to save the climate, while secretly digital, in so many areas, is an accelerant of the climate crisis. Digital is physical. The Cloud is on the ground." https://gerrymcgovern.com/co2-for-irish-councils-government-departments-political-parties/ [Section one ends.] ++ SECTION TWO: +13: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site? Accessibility Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/accessibility.html Association Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/associations.html Book Listings. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/books.html Cascading Style Sheets Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/css.html Color Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/color.html Drupal Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/drupal.html Evaluation & Testing Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/testing.html Event Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/events.html HTML Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/html.html Information Architecture Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/architecture.html JavaScript Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/javascript.html Miscellaneous Web Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/misc.html Navigation Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/navigation.html PHP Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/php.html Sites & Blogs Listing. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/sites.html Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/standards.html Tool Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/tools.html Typography Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/type.html Usability Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/usability.html WebWaste & Sustainability Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webwaste.html XML Information. https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/xml.html [Section two ends.] ++END NOTES. + SUBSCRIPTION INFO. WEB DESIGN UPDATE is available by subscription. For information on how to subscribe and unsubscribe please visit: https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webdev_listserv.html The Web Design Reference Site also has a RSS 2.0 feed for site updates. + TEXT EMAIL NEWSLETTER (TEN). As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN) guidelines. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to make navigation easier. For TEN guideline information please visit: http://www.headstar.com/ten + SIGN OFF. Until next time, Laura L. Carlson Information Technology Systems and Services University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009 mailto:lcarlson@d.umn.edu [Issue ends.]