As a company, we’ve worked to learn and document best practices for inclusive apps and websites. On April 18, I got to share some of that learning in a talk for Cafe Conversations, an event hosted by Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN).

The talk included many insights we’ve learned from accessibility experts who have personally faced barriers to using tech and the internet. I made sure to highlight organizations like WeCo, and shared some of the insights they presented at World Usability Day.

A few pieces of advice we shared:

Use familiar tropes and consistent layouts to help visitors find their way around your site or app.

Taking up more of a user’s time and mental load will make them feel frustrated or simply give up. (One of the most influential books in user experience design is literally called “Don’t Make Me Think.”) Common tropes can help people achieve their goals more quickly — for example, icons like a magnifying glass for search, or layout elements like clicking on the organization’s name in the top left of the screen to return to the home page.

You can be creative with some aspects of design, but when people expect certain functionality and cues, don’t force them to work harder.

Be respectful of people who may be in crisis, or just have limited time and energy.

We never know what our users are going through — they may be distracted by a busy environment, frantically looking for help during a crisis, or dealing with personal loss. They’re likely to be upset and alienated by insensitive language or images, or a tool that doesn’t account for their specific situation.

When an app or website is built with respect for all of the circumstances its users might be facing, it’s more likely to be welcoming and easy to navigate. It’s often said that improving accessibility for people with disabilities makes apps and websites better for everyone. That’s true of people facing other barriers, too.

Think about how to make your content available offline, for people with unreliable connections.

Millions of Americans lack reliable high-speed internet — so requiring a strong, consistent connection to use your site or app will exclude many people, especially those who live in rural areas. If there’s information your users will need when they might not have internet access, can you provide a downloadable version for offline use? If you’re creating a mobile app, are there static screens or elements that can be cached and set up to load without connecting to the internet?

With any downloadable content, it’s important to remember that PDFs aren’t accessible with a screen reader, so anything provided in a PDF should also be available on the website itself.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

One theme that emerged during Cafe Conversations: We’re not alone! There are countless online guides, blog posts, videos, free tools, and other resources dedicated to making websites and apps more accessible and inclusive, as well as consultants who specialize in the topic.

Many tools that make the web more accessible, such as automated screen readers and the ability to increase the font size on a site, are built into standard operating systems and browsers.

A few resources we’ve found helpful:

• Web accessibility tutorials from World Wide Web Consortium, the organization that manages the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/

• WebAIM — Web Accessibility in Mind: https://webaim.org/

• “Usability Guidelines for Accessible Web Design,” Nielsen Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com/reports/usability-guidelines-accessible-web-design/

• Tool to see how a site would look for people with colorblindness: https://www.toptal.com/designers/colorfilter

• Info about screen readers, including built-in readers on devices: https://abilitynet.org.uk/factsheets/introduction-screen-readers

• “Respectful Collection of Demographic Data,” Sarai Rosenberg: https://medium.com/@anna.sarai.rosenberg/respectful-collection-of-demographic-data-56de9fcb80e2 — there are many similar guides but this one covers a lot of ground and has helpful examples!

• “4 Design Principles for Gender Identity & Inclusion,” dscout: https://dscout.com/people-nerds/4-design-principles-for-gender-identity-inclusion-and-how-to-get-them-implemented

• “A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns,” book by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781620104996

• Stock photo sites that provide greater diversity: Tonl: https://tonl.co/, The Gender Spectrum Collection: https://genderphotos.vice.com/

• WeCo: https://theweco.com/

• Accessible360: https://accessible360.com/

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The day was full of insights about using tech for good and being thoughtful about the consequences of what we build. The session that stood out for Liz and me, however, was a panel discussion and then demonstration led by an organization called WeCo Accessibility Services. The panel featured experts from WeCo who themselves live with disabilities and barriers to access. They spoke about the challenges of navigating websites and apps with visual, cognitive, and mobility impairments. Then, we got to see some of the assistive technology they use in action.

One quote from a panelist that stuck with us: “I have to be very careful about how I spend my energy, and it’s probably not going to be on a website I can’t navigate.”

The discussion prompted us to think about how we can be more accessible throughout the full life cycle of a software project. Here are our takeaways:

When talking to potential clients:

• Build accessibility testing and compliance into all proposals
• Discuss with potential clients whether further testing and special considerations are needed

During strategy and user research:

• Interview users from a wide spectrum of abilities
• Think critically and ask people about how they will use the website or app, including the device they’re most likely to use
• Meet people where they are for interviews, testing, etc.
• Hire for inclusion — helps build more trusting relationships that lead to stronger solutions

When designing:

• Color contrast for readable copy
• Clearly visible search box
• Use familiar tropes from other websites or apps
• Avoid large images and excessive flashing or movement
• Copy above form fields for screen readers, and so it doesn’t disappear when a user clicks the text box
• Smaller file sizes for people who are on slower internet connections

When writing content:

• Use clear, consistent terms
• Avoid jargon and abbreviations
• Don’t be too wordy or cutesy — just say “Search,” “Shopping Cart,” etc.
• Make calls to action simple but specific, so people know what they’re clicking on — people may be using a screen reader to skip to just the links on a page

During software development:

• Tagging and content hierarchy for screen reader navigation
• Write thorough, helpful alt-text to describe important images
• But be thoughtful about when alt-text is needed — can be simpler for abstract designs
• Useful, robust site search
• Consistent functionality, e.g., links opening in a new tab/window

When testing:

• Test with users from a wide spectrum of abilities
• Test the experience with a screen reader and keyboard navigation, and other assistive technology

Before and during the launch:

• Communicate all changes clearly
• Explain reasoning for changes
• Offer ways to give feedback, for example, by giving people the opportunity to test the updated site or app

As another speaker from WeCo said, “We want to believe we can push a button and make things accessible… but one disability can manifest itself in so many different ways, and there’s personal preference.”

Accessibility is an ongoing process — and one we’ll continue working on and learning about as a team — but it’s always essential.

The post Accessibility Lessons from World Usability Day appeared first on Software for Good.

That may sound lofty, even melodramatic. Can user experience design really be evil?

The website Dark Patterns illustrates that, yes, UX can be dishonest and malicious. As highlighted by site creator Harry Brignull, dark patterns are features that trick users into doing something they might not want to do, but that benefits the business behind the tech.

When a service makes it difficult to unsubscribe from their mailing list, or gets you to click on something that looks like a button but is really an ad, that’s a dark pattern. See many, many examples in the website’s Hall of Shame.

A common thread in Dark Patterns is that users are misled or automatically opted in to features they haven’t clearly agreed to. Consensual Software is an open source project that advocates for explicit consent and privacy as the default.

Consensual software, the website explains, “respects users’ privacy and does not trick or coerce users into giving away permissions or data.” It’s built on the idea that tech should respect boundaries and be honest and ethical.

Danielle Leong is one of the creators of Consensual Software and the engineering manager for GitHub’s Community & Safety team. She recently tweeted,

My team asks, “How can this feature be used to hurt someone?” It’s incredibly important that we don’t just build features for the sake of disruption — we must build responsibly and making sure to think through abuse vectors and how real humans are impacted by tech.

Proactively avoiding harm is an important part of building software for good, not evil. You may create something with good intentions, but not realize how features could be used in negative and abusive ways.

For example, a social network that automatically includes users’ location in posts could put someone in danger from an ex-partner or stalker. And facial recognition technology could be used by law enforcement in ways that invade privacy and reinforce discrimination.

“Identifying Abuse Vectors” is a tutorial created by Terian Koscik to help technologists understand how software features can be used maliciously. The tutorial invites readers to identify ways their product could be exploited for evil, and walks them through strategies to prevent abuse.

Wondering how you can be more intentional about designing for good, not evil? Find an event near you via the World Usability Day website! If you’re in the Twin Cities, you can attend free World Usability Day events at the University of Minnesota and Target.

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This year’s hackathon projects will focus on the core pillars Mayor Melvin Carter has introduced for the city of Saint Paul: Economic Justice and Inclusion, Lifelong Learning, and Community First Public Safety.

As Saint Paul’s Initiatives Director for Community First Public Safety, Jason Sole works to advance that pillar, and to support meaningful solutions that come from the community. He’s also a criminal justice professor, and will speak on the panel of leaders to open Code Switch. Before the event, he answered a few questions about the ideas and connections he hopes to see.

What excites you about an event like Code Switch where people come together to come up with solutions to community issues?

For me, when I’m in the classroom, I always help students build upon ideas to get to a really concrete solution, something that’s actually doable. I think that’s the benefit of having folks come together from different realms of society, or different realms of life. I think you get a chance to really allow diversity to thrive. Some of the most successful companies, the diversity is what makes the difference, whether diversity in sexual orientation, religion, expertise, whatever. It brings people together and allows people to vibe off the energy and thought patterns.

This year at Code Switch, the plan is to have projects around the three pillars that Mayor Carter has set forward, including Community First Public Safety. Are there ideas you’re hoping to see come out of this year’s hackathon, or that would be especially exciting to see in that area?

I always have ideas, I always have different solutions, it’s just based on whether people want to move on them. One of the things I want to do is create a solid system for folks who are currently in our workhouses throughout the state of Minnesota, because there’s a lot of ambiguity around who can vote and who can’t vote. The workhouses mainly have people with misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors, which means they never lost their right to vote, but ironically they’re not getting registered in time, they’re not getting the absentee ballots. Some people may get them, but it’s not a formal system. We don’t have technology to make sure that they actually vote, and they still have their right. So that’s something I would like to see.

My role in being Community First Public Safety Director of Initiatives is really helping the community be empowered enough to understand that they have the solutions, instead of depending on government or depending on 911. I’ve never had the luxury of calling 911, and people need to know other phone calls that they can make, rather than always calling 911. If we could get a base of folks who can respond to loud noise complaints, or calls the police get where somebody doesn’t have a dog on a leash — if we can identify folks within a database using some kind of technology, we can actually save money on calling law enforcement.

So I’ve got a ton of ideas. I can throw out ideas all day and have a solution to get us to the finish line, but as far as technology, that’s where I’m weak, so if folks at Code Switch can work through some of those ideas, it’d be great. But Community First is really when the community comes up with solutions, rather than always needing to call somebody to come up with solutions. We don’t always need to call the police to fix our stuff.

Are there certain roles or types of people you’d like to come to Code Switch and be involved?

I’m a little biased, because I teach criminal justice, so that’s where my lens is. But any kind of folks who care about equity. If you care about equity — I’m not talking about equality — if you care about equity, then I think you should be a part of it. I think you should show up and let your voice be heard.

I think Code Switch will be a place where people say the system isn’t working, and now we’re willing to share time and space in actually creating a system that works for everybody, not just the people with money.

For me, most importantly, I want to see students, I want to see people of color, I want to see entrepreneurs, I want to see people from various backgrounds, because that’s where the synergy is created. Not with folks who just have similar thoughts and similar ideas, but folks who are saying, “This is my specialty, I’ll work on this, but I care about environmental justice. Oh, you’re from the church, or you’re from the mosque, I care about what you’re doing over there.” Just coming together and vibing off of people who are doing different things that all lead to the greater good. I would like to see folks who have their eye on creating something that doesn’t currently exist.

Hear more about the power of co-creating community solutions from another Code Switch speaker: Tawanna Black of the Center for Economic Inclusion.

The post Show Up and Let Your Voice Be Heard: Code Switch 2018 appeared first on Software for Good.

Hackathon projects will focus on the core pillars Mayor Melvin Carter has introduced for the city of Saint Paul: Economic Justice and Inclusion, Lifelong Learning, and Community First Public Safety. Mayor Carter will speak to kick off the weekend of coding and co-creation, along with a panel of community leaders who work to advance those core pillars every day.

Panelist Tawanna Black is the founder and CEO of the Center for Economic Inclusion, dedicated to strengthening Minneapolis-St. Paul’s civic infrastructure to advance an inclusive economy. Before this weekend’s event, she answered a few questions about the value of a hackathon for community solutions.

SfG: What do you think the value is of an event like Code Switch where people come together to solve problems?

Tawanna Black: The power of a diverse group of people using technology is always significant~ but when you couple that with the innovation of creative problem solvers who are addressing some of the toughest challenges in our community through an asset based lens, and marry that with philanthropy and civic leadership, the results can be exponential.

In this case, we don’t have to talk about it in the “can be” sense, because there’s real promise, real value — we have real innovators, real entrepreneurs, real tech enthusiasts who are committed to aligning and combining their efforts to co-create change for all of us.

Beyond that — I think the real value will come from the learning and relationships that take place at Code Switch. When we come together across difference for common purpose, we learn different ways of seeing the world, of seeing problems and solutions, and those new perspectives will fuel our beliefs and approaches to problem solving for months and years to come.

How would you like to see technology used in the area of Economic Justice and Inclusion?

We need more data driven systems and decision making in our economic inclusion ecosystem. We have quantitative and qualitative data all around us, but too often, it’s not accessible in relevant ways. I would like to see our human services data and our workforce data talk to each other, our nonprofit data, public sector data, and private sector data talk to each other — and that requires systems solutions that technology can solve.

What would be your dream project to see coming out of this year’s Code Switch?

The sky is the limit~ and I actually won’t even dare to dream~ I am hoping to see youth suggest projects for this years Code Switch and I’m anxious to get behind one of those ideas!

Hear more about the power of co-creating community solutions from another Code Switch speaker: Jason Sole, Initiatives Director of Community First Public Safety for the City of Saint Paul.

The post Co-Create Change for All of Us: Code Switch 2018 appeared first on Software for Good.

One of the themes of the show is that doing good is hard. It’s an everyday challenge that requires sincere effort. It takes work to make responsible decisions about what you buy and consume, stand up and take risks for your principles, and be kind to others instead of just focusing on yourself. But it’s worth it to make life easier and happier for those with whom we share the planet.

As a company focused on doing good, we know it often takes extra work to operate ethically, seek out clients whose values we share, and think critically about the impact of the software we build. Doing good isn’t always easy. But of course, it’s worth it to be able to effect positive change.

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It wasn’t until I was watching a webinar about writing inclusive UX copy, led by Ada Powers as part of a series hosted by InVision, that I realized how easily othering can happen through web and mobile user experience. One piece of advice was to avoid using the word “other” when offering options for gender or race. Ada explained that when you make someone define themselves as “other” — for example, if they have a non-binary gender instead of either male or female — you’re literally othering them.

An alternative is to say “custom” instead of “other,” and then have an open-ended box, which is what Facebook does for gender. “Make edge cases feel like first-class cases,” Ada said.

I highly recommend checking out the full webinar for more insights about making language and UX inclusive and accessible. For me, it was a reminder of how quickly people can feel othered or excluded by a simple detail, and how easy it is to make sure they’re included instead.

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If you’re thinking about custom tech but not sure about the money, try starting with one of these strategies to make a software project more affordable.

1. Start small.

At Software for Good, we use the Agile methodology and Lean Startup model of building software. We develop by iterating, building a few features at a time and making changes as we go along. And we shoot for a minimum viable product, an initial finished version that can go public (or at least be tested with real users) as soon as possible. Focusing on the MVP means thoughtfully prioritizing the features that are most important.

It’s a lot easier to fit software into your budget when it doesn’t have to be big and complicated and perfect right away. You can start small with a simple minimum viable product, begin using it and getting feedback, and then build on it with new features over time.

2. Talk to lots of users upfront.

The biggest waste of money in software development happens when time and effort are spent on tech that no one actually wants. Maybe you think your audience needs a chatbot, but really they just need a more user-friendly contact form. Maybe you’re trying to organize information in a helpful way, but you’re using jargon that is completely foreign to the people you serve.

Avoid unnecessary expenses by talking to potential users before anyone starts designing or coding. Reach out to people likely to use your application, and ask about their likes and dislikes and needs. Send out surveys; sit down with people in person. You’ll challenge your assumptions and be able to focus efficiently on what’s most important.

3. Upgrade your online presence.

Start testing the waters for new software by making simple, low-cost improvements to your existing online presence. Create a schedule for updating and maintaining your social media and website on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Review all your channels to see who you’re reaching and which messages are working well, or pick one channel and focus on improving there.

Covering these basics helps you refine your message, interact with the people you serve, and set the stage to roll out a new website or application.

4. Take your idea to a hackathon.

At hackathons, teams of developers, designers, and people from every sector collaborate to build new technology. If you’ve got a problem to solve and an inkling of how tech could help, try pitching it to fellow participants. While you won’t walk away from a hackathon with a ready-to-go application, you can get feedback on your idea and an exploration of how it would work technically. You might even get to help build a working prototype that you can show to your coworkers, your board, potential funders, and eventually a team of developers.

Never been to a hackathon? The Twin Cities hosts a few that are focused on social and community issues and open to all comers, including Geo:Code and Code Switch.

5. Apply for grants.

Are you dismissing the idea of custom software because of the money? Don’t worry — there are ways to raise funds without digging into your own operations budget. If you have a clear sense of how technology will further your mission, you can apply for grants to cover the cost.

Here in the Twin Cities, the Shavlik Family Foundation focuses its grantmaking on helping nonprofits implement technology. A custom software project could also fall under grants for innovation, community engagement, or launching a new program. No matter what you’re applying for, taking time to think through your goals, users, and potential features first will help you make a compelling case for funding.

6. Fundraise.

You can also raise funds from your supporters to cover a new web or mobile application. While crowdfunding and more traditional fundraising campaigns certainly take time and effort, it can help to focus an appeal around a tangible project. Again, you’re more likely to be successful if you have a good sense of your goals and users — and perhaps even a working prototype — before launching a campaign.

7. Find a program designed to offer software on a budget.

Software firms sometimes offer discounted software for mission-driven organizations. Software for Good’s giving and internship program is designed for just that: We work with organizations with a purpose while offering paid, hands-on experience to software development interns. Learn more here about our program and see if it’s a good fit for your org.

8. Add technology to your strategic planning and budget.

A common thread here is that software projects are most successful and cost-effective when organizations think through the purpose and strategy upfront. Before jumping into development or pursuing funding, ask: How do you see technology helping you reach your goals? What problems are you trying to solve? What could a web or mobile app help you accomplish, and how does that relate to other programs, funding cycles, and the needs of the people you serve?

Better yet: Make these questions an ongoing part of your strategic planning and budgeting. You can start to see technology not as an extra expense, but as another tool to help you achieve your mission.

The post 8 Creative Ways to Make a Software Project More Affordable appeared first on Software for Good.

Even though it’s just a bot, this commitment really has encouraged me to stick to the schedule — most of the time, anyway. I still make excuses to myself, like, “But I can’t wind down before bed without watching an episode of Frasier on Netflix,” but having a specific agreement makes me more likely to put even Frasier aside.

It made me think of the fact that my friend Sonya always asks about my personal writing, reminding me every time I see her to make time for it. After the 2016 election, another friend of mine started a private Facebook group for people to share ways to take action, with the idea that the group would push us to work for change instead of just being depressed. Having someone or something to check in and prompt you can be the difference between a new accomplishment and an intention that fizzles out. This week, tell a friend (or a chatbot) about a commitment you’re making, and offer to help keep others around you accountable, too.

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The reason is simple: Not everyone has a first and last name.

Many cultures and parts of the world don’t think about first and last names in the traditional Western sense. Copy editor Emmy J. Favilla shares a few examples in her book A World Without “Whom”: The Essential Guide to Language in the BuzzFeed Age:

∙ Several cultures place the family name first, then given name.

∙ Some cultures don’t use a family name, but may use names based on geography, social standing, or other factors.

∙ Arabic names are often formatted as given name + father’s first name + paternal grandfather’s first name, sometimes with bin or ibn separating each name.

∙ Latinx surnames often include both paternal and maternal family names.
(Side note: The word Latinx is increasingly used as a gender-neutral alternative to Latino/a — another example of how language conventions can shift to be more inclusive.)

Our senior engineer Kevin Bullock’s favorite resource for this is a 2010 blog post called “Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Names” by Patrick McKenzie. The post challenges false assumptions including:

∙ People have exactly one full name which they go by.

∙ People’s names fit within a certain defined amount of space.

∙ People’s names sometimes have prefixes or suffixes, but you can safely ignore those.

∙ Two different systems containing data about the same person will use the same name for that person.

Yeah… we can’t necessarily assume any of that.

A separate but related issue: People can have characters as part of their names that aren’t used in English. UX and UI designer Stéphanie Walter makes the issue clear in her blog post that starts, “Hello, my name is Stéphanie. But some of you call me St�phanie, St?phanie, Stêphanie or Stéphanie.” She describes filling out web forms only to see error messages like “First name is invalid” — an alienating thing to read about your own name.

And that’s really the heart of this issue. Forcing people to fit their names to a certain convention will not only result in inaccurate and/or inconsistent information in your system, but also create a frustrating experience for the user.

If a person can’t put their name in your system, they might decide not to sign up for whatever you’re offering — or just start their relationship with you feeling left out.

So the next time you’re building a web form, try skipping “First/Last” in favor of a field that welcomes everyone’s name.

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