Web Design Update: March 25, 2025

[Laura Carlson]

+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 25, Issue, March 25, 2025.

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: JAVASCRIPT.
06: MISCELLANEOUS.
07: NAVIGATION.
08: TOOLS.
09: TYPOGRAPHY.
10: USABILITY.
11: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

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

[Contents ends.]


++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

Make Audio Descriptions Easier
By Accessible Community.
"…Audio descr (2025) - iptions describe visual content for individuals
who cannot see that content. Audio descriptions support blind
individuals viewing media in the same way that captions support deaf
individuals listening to media…"
https://accessiblecommunity.org/tips/audio-descriptions/

Can I Use for Accessibility
By Chris Ferdinandi.
"Accessibility Support is a web tool that's a lot like Can I Use, but
for accessibility features…"
https://gomakethings.com/can-i-use-for-accessibility/

Accessibility of Machine Learning and Generative AI,
W3C Editor's Draft
Scott Hollier, Jason White, Janina Sajka, and Joshue O'Connor, Editors.
"…This document examines the consequences of these developments for
the accessibility of the Web to people with disabilities, encompassing
issues relevant to content authors, users, and accessibility
evaluators. In doing so, it both addresses the potential benefits and
clarifies issues that should be considered in the further evolution of
Web standards and applications. Fundamental concepts of machine
learning and generative AI are first introduced. The discussion then
centers on a series of cases illustrative of accessibiltiy-related
applications transformed by this technology.…"
https://w3c.github.io/ai-accessibility/
Accessibility of Machine Learning and Generative AI - GitHub Issues:
https://github.com/w3c/ai-accessibility/issues

Can Generative AI Write Contextual Text Descriptions?
By Craig Abbott.
"…It's clear AI can help with writing text descriptions, but it's not
a perfect solution. If you're going to use AI, we think right now, the
best approach is human-AI collaboration…"
https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/03/24/can-generative-ai-write-contextual-text-descriptions/

AI + Accessibility: The Future of Image Descriptions (Video)
By Mike Gifford.
"Alternative text (alt text) is essential for making images accessible
to people who use screen readers, but writing effective descriptions
can be challenging. Can AI help? This talk explores how artificial
intelligence is transforming the way we generate alt text, its
potential benefits, and its limitations…"
https://a11ytalks.com/posts/2025-feb

AI Is the Future of Accessibility
By Karl Groves.
"…let's be bold. Let's be curious. Let's treat AI not as a threat to
accessibility, but as a tool we must shape-because the future belongs
to those who build it. Stop being afraid of change and, instead, work
to make sure change is for the better."
https://karlgroves.com/ai-is-the-future-of-accessibility/

Accessibility Maturity Models Ask the Professionals (Video)
By Australian Web Accessibility Initiative.
"OZeWAI Member Greg Alchin (Accessibility and Inclusion Lead, Service
NSW) moderates a panel featuring Sheri Byrne-Haber (disabled)
(multi-award winning US accessibility advocate), Brigitta Norton
(Ability Works Australia Ltd) and Julia Hine (Australian Taxation
Office)…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhksRAi4kpM

Measuring the Success of Your Accessible Content Efforts
By Vision Australia.
"Content, communications, and marketing professionals can measure
accessibility success beyond technical compliance. Learn seven key
measurement areas with practical metrics that demonstrate impact and
build momentum for continued accessibility work…"
https://www.digitalaccesstraining.com/pages/articles?p=measuring-the-success-of-your-accessible-content-efforts

Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA)
By Léonie Watson.
"…we'd like to share our understanding of the EAA as it applies to
digital products and services…"
https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/03/19/understanding-the-eaa/

ADA Compliance vs. WCAG Conformance
By Gen Herres.
"What is the difference between ADA compliance and WCAG conformance?
This is a question that I get asked a lot. People don't understand
which one they're supposed to be using. When it comes to compliance
with a law, an entire organization must comply with an entire law.
What does that mean? Let's break it down."
https://easya11yguide.com/tips/ada-compliance/


+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

Style Legend
By Jeremy Keith.
"There's a new proposal for giving developers more control over
styling form controls. I like it…"
https://adactio.com/journal/21797

Quick Reminder That :is() and :where() Are Basically the Same With One
Key Difference
By Geoff Graham.
"…There's just one catch: the specificity. The selector's specificity
matches the most specific selector in the function's arguments…"
https://css-tricks.com/quick-reminder-that-is-and-where-are-basically-the-same-with-one-key-difference/


+03: EVALUATION & TESTING.

Conducting Accessibility User Testing: Expert Insights
By Amber Qualm.
"Elevate your accessibility testing skills. Learn expert techniques
for recruiting, conducting remote tests, and integrating user
feedback…"
https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/accessibility-user-testing/


+04: EVENTS.

Accessibility and Content Management Systems with Ricky Onsman, Amber
Hinds, Mike Gifford, and Ricky Blacker.
May 2, 2025.
Online
https://events.humanitix.com/ozewai-ask-the-professionals-2-may-2025

Accessibility Summer Camp
June 13, 2025.
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A.
https://www.accessibilityict.org/

UXPA International 2025
June 16-19, 2025.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
https://uxpa2025.org/

Pixel Pioneers Bristol
June 20, 2025.
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
https://pixelpioneers.co/

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
June 22-27, 2025.
Gothenburg, Sweden
https://2025.hci.international/

Digital Day (Nationwide Day of Action)
June 27, 2025.
Germany
https://digitaltag.eu/digitaltag


+05: JAVASCRIPT.

aria-label Is a Letdown
By Thibaud Colas.
"One in three aria-label implementations have likely issues…"
https://wagtail.org/blog/aria-label-is-a-letdown/

Polite is Often Better Than Being Alerted
By Andrew Downie.
"…In the vast majority of cases, when something on the page changes
that screen reader users need to know about and where focus change is
not necessary, 'polite' or perhaps 'assertive' are completely
adequate. Too many web pages and software (looking at you, Zoom)
overuse 'alert'…"
https://ozewai.org/blog/technical-articles/polite-is-often-better-than-being-alerted/


+06: MISCELLANEOUS.

Let's Knock Down Social Media's Walled Gardens
By Tim Berners-Lee.
"I envisioned the web as a place for the shared benefit of all - by
reclaiming our data we can make that happen…"
https://archive.is/4Vvms#selection-1711.0-1714.2


+07: NAVIGATION.

How Navigation Should Work for Keyboard Users
By Martin Underhill.
"…I've written about how button groups work for keyboard users, so in
the interests of completion I thought it would be worth doing the same
thing for navigation. Spoiler alert: it's much, much simpler…"
https://www.tempertemper.net/blog/how-navigation-should-work-for-keyboard-users


+08: TOOLS.

A Tools Errand
By Steve Faulkner.
"…Here is a list of WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA success criteria that I
think cannot be completely tested with automated tools. These criteria
require manual testing because they involve meaning, usability,
intent, or user experience that automated tools cannot fully
evaluate…"
https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2025/03/24/a-tools-errand/


+09: TYPOGRAPHY.

In Defence of Fluid Typography
By Richard Rutter.
"This is a response to Miriam Suzanne's excellent post on Reimagining
fluid typography. She poses lots of really interesting questions, some
of which I disagree with, but most of all they got me thinking… and
writing…"
https://clagnut.com/blog/2441/


+10: USABILITY.

Explicit Decisions: Help Your Users Choose Correctly (Video)
By Taylor Dykes.
"Make sure your users make the correct decisions the first time by
making distinctions between options clear by highlighting key
differences…"
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/explicit-decisions/

Bulk Actions: 3 Design Guidelines (Video)
By Rachel Krause.
"When designing bulk actions, provide a Select All option, use a
contextual action bar, and give users clear feedback with the option
to undo actions to ensure a smooth and efficient experience."
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/bulk-actions-design-guidelines/


+11: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

The Environmental Impact of the Web We Build
By Chris Ferdinandi.
"Today, I wanted to talk briefly about we, as people who build things
for the web, can do to reduce our environmental impact…"
https://gomakethings.com/the-environmental-impact-of-the-web-we-build/


[Section one ends.]


++ SECTION TWO:

+12: 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.

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As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to
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For TEN guideline information please visit:
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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:lcar...@d.umn.edu


[Issue ends.]