+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 22, Issue 39, March 20, 2024.

An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design and development. 

++ISSUE 39 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: MISCELLANEOUS.
07: TYPOGRAPHY.
08: TYPOGRAPHY.
09: USABILITY.
10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

SECTION TWO: 
17: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

[Contents ends.]


++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

Accessibility Foundations
By Henny Swan. 
"Our foundations series provides an overview of core accessibility considerations…"
https://tetralogical.com/blog/2024/03/18/accessbility-foundations/

WCAG 2.2 Detective Skills
By David Cox.
"This article - or rather, this detective training course - includes a series of 'if statement' clues, a handy magnifying glass and a nifty deerstalker hat (hat and magnifying glass sold separately). The clues can help pinpoint areas of a service that deserve a closer look when making changes to meet WCAG 2.2…"
https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/13/wcag-2-2-detective-skills/

Make Your Forms Accessible to All: A Checklist for Web and Mobile Apps  
By Raghavendra Satish Peri.
"…This checklist for accessible forms serves as a comprehensive guide, offering necessary guidance and serving as a starting point for developers and designers looking to enhance the accessibility of their forms…"
https://www.digitala11y.com/make-your-forms-accessible-to-all-a-checklist-for-web-mobile-apps/

Accessibility Myths
By Sergei Kriger. 
"Debunked…"
https://a11ymyths.com/

What is Inclusive Design, and How Does it Relate to Accessibility? - Part 1
By David Sloan.
"…In this article, we'll introduce the concept of inclusive design and how it connects to digital accessibility. Read on to learn how your team can use WCAG to reach a wider audience."
https://uxmag.com/articles/what-is-inclusive-design-and-how-does-it-relate-to-accessibility-part-1

Best Practices for Inclusive Design - Part 2
By David Sloan.
"…This article provides practical advice on creating inclusive digital content that provides the best experience for people with disabilities (and other groups too)…"
https://uxmag.com/articles/best-practices-for-inclusive-design-part-2

A Letter to My Younger Self, as an Accessibility Advocate
By Heather Buchel.
"All of the things I get to say "I told you so" about, now…"
https://heather-buchel.com/blog/2024/03/letters-to-an-accessibility-advocate/

Disability Language and Navigating Its Nuances
By Meryl K. Evans.
"The article talks about how people talk about disabilities and why it's important to be careful with our words."
https://meryl.net/disability-language/

Assume That I Can (Video)
By CoorDown.
"Our negative assumptions about people with Down syndrome can lead us to treat them in such a way that these assumptions become reality…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HpLhxMFJR8

The Accessibility (a11y) Wishlist
By Schalk Neethling.
"Inspired by a thread started on the A11Y Slack, I decided to create this repository as a place for folks to share their wish list items concerning challenges in the digital accessibility space…"
https://github.com/schalkneethling/a11y-wishlist

Following Damning Report, Casey, Colleagues Urge VA to Make Federal Websites More Accessible
By Senators Bob Casey, Richard Blumenthal, John Fetterman, and Elizabeth Warren.
"In letter, Senators urges Department of Veterans Affairs to address concerns raised by an Inspector General report issued at his request…"
https://www.casey.senate.gov/news/releases/following-damning-report-casey-colleagues-urge-va-to-make-federal-websites-more-accessible


+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

The Problem With Data-Attributes for Text Effects
By Mandy Michael.
"Data-attributes are a simple and easy way to create layers for text effects on the web, but they are problematic for accessibility…"
https://textlab.dev/posts/data-attributes-and-text-effects


+03: EVALUATION & TESTING.

Measurement Error in UX Research (Video)
By Caleb Sponheim. 
"Measurement error is the error we introduce when we measure or observe something about our users. It can come from different sources, such as the number of participants, individual variation between participants, testing environment, or other outside factors. This video helps understand and communicate such measurement errors."
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/measurement-error/

Coffee and Content: Using Surveys to Uncover Audience Insights
By Caroline Jarrett.
"Content design is crucial for surveys, so it was fun to turn that around and think about surveys for content design for a change, as part of the Coffee and Content webinar series…"
https://www.effortmark.co.uk/coffee-and-content-surveys/


+04: EVENTS.

Informal Accessibility Tech Professional Meetup 
March 25, 2024.
Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A
https://www.meetup.com/a11ysea/events/299648582/

Selling Accessibility with Karl Groves
March 28, 2024.
Online
https://go.3playmedia.com/wbnr-03-28-2024-selling-accessibility

Automating Accessibility Testing: Innovate with Bob Dodd
March 28, 2024.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
https://www.meetup.com/a11yto/events/299732462/

Help Audit Nonprofit Websites for Accessibility
April 5, 2024.
Online
https://www.meetup.com/atlanta-accessibility-meetup/events/298916837/

CSS Naked Day
April 9, 2024.
Online
https://css-naked-day.github.io/

Intro to Mobile Accessibility Testing Tools
April 16, 2024.
Online
https://www.tpgi.com/webinar-april-16-intro-to-mobile-accessibility-testing-tools/

Everything Open 2024
April 16-18 2024.
Gladstone, Australia
https://2024.everythingopen.au/

Introduction to the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template
April 24, 2024.
Online
https://www.tpgi.com/webinar-april-24-at-12pm-et-vpat-101-introduction-to-the-voluntary-product-accessibility-template/


+05: HTML.

YouTube Video Embedding Harm Reduction
By Julien Voisin.
"…here is a copy-pasteable snippet to embed a youtube video while reducing its tracking and nuisance capabilities as much as possible…"
https://dustri.org/b/youtube-video-embedding-harm-reduction.html


+06: MISCELLANEOUS.

Marking the Web's 35th Birthday: An Open Letter
By Tim Berners-Lee.
"…5 years ago, when the web turned 30, I called out some of the dysfunction caused by the web being dominated by the self-interest of several corporations that have eroded the web's values and led to breakdown and harm. Now, 5 years on as we arrive at the Web's 35th Birthday, the rapid advancement of AI has exacerbated these concerns, proving that issues on the web are not isolated but rather deeply intertwined with emerging technologies.  There are two clear, connected issues to address…"
https://webfoundation.org/2024/03/marking-the-webs-35th-birthday-an-open-letter/

Web Turns 35, Seems Popular
By Adrian Roselli.
"The world wide web has officially lasted 35 consecutive years, which means it's catching up to its parent, the Internet, which itself is bearing down on 55…"
https://adrianroselli.com/2024/03/web-turns-35-seems-popular.html

AI and the Web: Understanding and Managing the Impact of Machine Learning Models on the Web
Dominique Hazael-Massieux, Editor.
"This document proposes an analysis of the systemic impact of AI systems, and in particular ones based on Machine Learning models, on the Web, and the role that Web standardization may play in managing that impact…"
https://www.w3.org/reports/ai-web-impact/

The Problem With AI 
By Chris Ferdinandi.
"For months, I've been getting emails asking me to share my thoughts on AI for developers. Today is that article…"
https://gomakethings.com/the-problem-with-ai/

Google Used a Black, Deaf Worker to Tout Its Diversity. Now She's Suing for Discrimination
By Paresh Dave.
"Jalon Hall was featured on Google's corporate social media accounts 'for making #LifeAtGoogle more inclusive!' She says the company discriminated against her on the basis of her disability and race…"
https://www.wired.com/story/google-black-deaf-worker-diversity-suing-discrimination/

Self-Defined
"A modern dictionary about us. We define our words, but they don't define us…"
https://www.selfdefined.app/


+07: TYPOGRAPHY.

The Ultimate Ideal Bestest Base Font Size That Everyone Is Keeping a Secret, Especially Chet
By Adrian Roselli.
"…don't set a base font size…This approach has the advantage of always inheriting the user's preferred font size. The one they choose in their browser or on their system. Even if they did not explicitly choose one (because the default was maybe good enough).  All other font sizes (headings, navigation, footer, etc.) should then use relative units…"
https://adrianroselli.com/2024/03/the-ultimate-ideal-bestest-base-font-size-that-everyone-is-keeping-a-secret-especially-chet.html


+08: USABILITY.

Deceptive Patterns
By Harry Brignull, Mark Leiser, Cristiana Santos, and Kosha Doshi.
"Deceptive patterns (also known as 'dark patterns') are tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn't mean to, like buying or signing up for something…"
https://www.deceptive.design/

Homepage Design: 5 Fundamental Principles
By Huei-Hsin Wang.
"Effective homepages are simple and easy to access, communicate the organization's and site's purpose, show engaging content, and prompt users to take action."
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/homepage-design-principles/

Skeuomorphism
By Megan Chan.
"Skeuomorphism involves designing digital interfaces that imitate physical elements, reducing the learning curve for unfamiliar interactions."
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/skeuomorphism/

The Essential Guide to Microcopy and Becoming a More Literate Designer
By David Hall.
"The article emphasizes the importance of microcopy in design, highlighting its role in enhancing user experiences and providing guidelines for crafting effective microcopy throughout the design process…"
https://uxmag.com/articles/the-essential-guide-to-microcopy-and-becoming-a-more-literate-designer


+09: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

Web Sustainability with Michelle Barker 
By ShopTalk Show.
"We're talking with Michelle Barker about the idea of paying to support bloggers (and podcasters!) via services like Patreon, drumming as a fun side gig from CSS, how big of an issue digital sustainability is, trying to understand the environmental impact of our websites and digital life, wondering why YouTube embeds are still so large, disabling cookies, and how to build the web in a more sustainable way."
https://shoptalkshow.com/606/ 

Big Tech's Great Men
By Gerry McGovern.
"The Great Men are forever chasing energy and materials…"
https://gerrymcgovern.com/big-techs-great-men/

Climate Change SEO Survey: Making the Web More Sustainable
By Matt Tutt.
"Uncover the link between SEO and environmental sustainability and how SEOs can aid in shaping a greener digital landscape…"
https://searchengineland.com/climate-change-seo-survey-making-web-more-sustainable-438209

The Wholegrain Guide to Ethical Use of AI
By Tom Greenwood.
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving technology that shows potential to offer many benefits to society but also poses potential wide ranging social and environmental risks…"
https://www.wholegraindigital.com/blog/ethical-ai-guidelines/

The Environmental Benefits of Privacy-Focussed Web Design
By Paul Jardine and Becky Thorn.
"Arguably two of the biggest problems in the web design industry today are the environmental impact of our online activities and the harvesting and misuse of our personal data. In reality, these two issues are directly linked…"
https://rootwebdesign.studio/articles/the-environmental-benefits-of-privacy-focussed-web-design/

Time to Ditch Analytics? Tracking Scripts and Web Sustainability
By Michelle Barker. 
"…I've often been frustrated by the negative performance impact of adding Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager to a site. Sites that were previously reasonably fast would subsequently perform poorly with regard to Google's own Core Web Vitals. It seems that many of the products Google actively encourage web authors to add to their sites are paradoxically the ones that have the worst impact on performance. (Don't get me started on YouTube videos.)…"
https://css-irl.info/time-to-ditch-analytics/

[Section one ends.]


++ SECTION TWO:

+10: 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.


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+ 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.]