Web Design Update: September 11, 2024

[Laura Carlson]

+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 23, Issue 11, September 11, 2024.

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

++ISSUE 11 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. BOOKS.
03: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
04: EVENTS.
05: HTML.
06: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE.
07: JAVASCRIPT.
08: MISCELLANEOUS.
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.

Should Form Labels Be Wrapped or Separate?
By James Edwards.
"…Wrapping is enough in theory, but isn't quite in practice…implicit association is not reliably supported by voice control software…"
https://www.tpgi.com/should-form-labels-be-wrapped-or-separate/

How to Find the Accessible Name of a Button With Google Chrome
By Erik Kroes.
"You just ran an automated test and it tells you your buttons don't have accessible names. What does that mean, why does it matter, and how do you check this yourself?…"
https://www.erikkroes.nl/blog/accessible-name-of-button/

Creating Accessible PDFs from Adobe InDesign (Video)
By Tufts Technology Services.
"…In this session we will cover what features a PDF document requires in order to be considered accessible, how InDesign works with Adobe Acrobat to facilitate the creation of accessible PDFs, and what export settings you need to be aware of to ensure that the accessibility features you add to the document are retained on export…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3_5k5KlDzw

My Grief With "In Brief"
By Eric Eggert.
"Just to preemptively state it: I appreciate what the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AGWG) is trying to do with the 'In Brief' sections in WCAG's Understanding documents. My criticism is about the execution of the information…"
https://yatil.net/blog/my-grief-with-in-brief

A11y-Syntax-Highlighting Has Been Updated
By Eric W. Bailey.
"I created the a11y-syntax-highlighting library seven years ago, forked from xiaozi's solarized-prism-theme for PrismJS…"
https://ericwbailey.website/published/a11y-syntax-highlighting-has-been-updated/

Revised ADA Title II in the Library (Video & Resources)
By Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Big Ten Academic Alliance's August 27, 2024 presentation and support materials.
https://btaa.org/accessibility-collaboration/LAG/resources

Accessibility Show with Joe Dolson, Episode 1: Mobile Menu Toggles (Video)
By Nathan Wrigley.
"In the first episode of the (WordPress Builds) Accessibility Show, accessibility expert Joe Dolson tackles an essential yet often overlooked component of web design: mobile menus…"
https://wpbuilds.com/accessibility/accessibility-show-with-joe-dolson-episode-1-mobile-menu-toggles/

Avoiding Accessibility Barriers With a Checklist for Custom Controls - Opinion
By Matan Shafran.
"Navigating mobile app accessibility challenges requires addressing common mistakes like labeling, target size, and comprehensive testing with all assistive technologies…"
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-817621


+02: BOOKS.

* Jan Jaap de Groot & Paul van Workum "Appt Accessibility Handbook", Ebook, 2024.
https://appt.org/en/handbook


+03: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

CSS Display Contents
By Ahmad Shadeed.
"…CSS display: contents is a useful feature when you don't have control over some parts of the HTML and can make you achieve things that aren't possible without markup change…CSS display: contents is known to cause accessibility issues when used with HTML tables, headings, buttons, and lists. Please make sure to avoid using it on such elements…"
https://ishadeed.com/article/display-contents/

Display: Contents Is Not a CSS Reset
By Adrian Roselli.
Adrian updated his article: "…More direct advice would be: do not use display: contents on anything that can take focus or is interactive. Probably avoid it on things with richer semantics (such as tables and lists and headings and so on)."
https://adrianroselli.com/2018/05/display-contents-is-not-a-css-reset.html


+04: EVENTS.

A11y Book Club Meeting: Web Accessibility Cookbook with Manuel Matuzović
September 17, 2024.
Online
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a11y-book-club-meeting-web-accessibility-cookbook-with-manuel-matuzovic-tickets-1007898701147

Understanding the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines with T.M. Weissenberger
September 18, 2024.
Online
https://events.uiowa.edu/88469

An Introduction to Standard Accessibility Reporting, Inc. (SAR)
September 18, 2024.
Online
https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/webinar-details?id=a0ATn000000bV1dMAE

Inclusive Marketing: Strategies for Success with Meryl Evans, Gerry Neustatl and Priya Addams Williams
September 19, 2024 at 10:00 am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).
Online
https://intopia.digital/articles/inclusive-marketing-strategies-for-success/

EvolveDrupal New York City Digital Summit
September 20, 2024.
New York, New York, U.S.A.
https://www.evolvedrupal.com/

Help Audit Nonprofit Websites for Accessibility
October 4, 2024.
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.
https://www.meetup.com/atlanta-accessibility-meetup/events/302697515/

Ask the Professionals Get Online Week
Ricky Onsman moderates a demonstration by Kylie Pollock and Scott Nixon
October 18, 2024 at 11am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).
Online
https://events.humanitix.com/ozewai-online-event-ask-the-professionals-18-october-2024-get-online-week

Developer Summit
November 27-28 2024.
Sydney, Australia
https://webdirections.org/dev-summit/index.php


+05: HTML.

The audio Element
Heydon Pickering.
"The ability to embed images in web pages has been officially supported since 1995. Whereas, the <audio> element was not added until 2015…"
https://heydonworks.com/article/the-audio-element/

The HTML History and Optimization Cheat Sheet
By Jens Oliver Meiert.
"If you're interested in HTML history and optimization, then this may be useful for you…"
https://meiert.com/en/blog/html-cheat-sheet/


+06: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE.

I Get Asked a Common Question by Junior Designers
By Christopher Nguyen.
"Is wireframe really necessary?…"
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uxchrisnguyen_i-get-asked-a-common-question-by-junior-designers-activity-7221888862522916864-ZJAz


+07: JAVASCRIPT.

Quick Tip: Using flatMap() to Extract Data From a Huge Set Without Any Loop
By Christian Heilmann.
"I just created a massive dataset of all the AI generated metadata of the videos of the WeAreDeveloper World Congress and I wanted to extract only the tags…"
https://christianheilmann.com/2024/09/06/quick-tip-using-flatmap-to-extract-data-from-a-huge-set-without-any-loop/

The Goal Isn't to Write Less Code
By Chris Ferdinandi.
"…It's to ship less code to users. Better code. Faster code. More resilient code…"
https://gomakethings.com/the-goal-isnt-to-write-less-code/

Manual 'Till It Hurts
By Jeremy Keith.
"…Making websites without a build step is a gift to your future self…"
https://adactio.com/journal/21397


+08: MISCELLANEOUS.

UNESCO Master Class on Disability Equality in the Media (Video)
By United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
"UNESCO, in collaboration with partners, has developed a Master Class Video Series on Disability Equality in the Media. The video series are designed for all media professionals, from editors and reporters to human resources officers and managers. Its objective is to contribute to the promotion of international standards in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities…"
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWuYED1WVJIMZBOnVYyfkNo-Q20DbUvLU

Disability Equality in the Media Practical Manual (PDF):
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391032

The Case for Standard Accessibility Reporting (Video)
By Lucy Greco.
"Lucy chats with Jack McElaney from accessibility in the news about the importance of adding accessibility and accessible features to products…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCqY8DzkAb0

Is AI a Silver Bullet?
By John Allsopp.
"…To me the single great challenge facing software engineering right now is addressing this issue."
https://webdirections.org/blog/is-ai-a-silver-bullet/

The LLM Honeymoon Phase Is About to End
By Baldur Bjarnason.
"It all began because one of the New York Times' professional opinion-havers didn't like how chatbots were describing him…"
https://www.baldurbjarnason.com/2024/the-llm-honeymoon-phase/


+09: TYPOGRAPHY.

3 Typography Mistakes That Hurt Accessibility (And How to Fix Them)
By Josh Crawford.
"…For a quick look at the accessibility barriers that typography mistakes can create, here are three common errors and how to fix them for a more inclusive and user-friendly experience…"
https://www.visionaustralia.org/business-consulting/digital-access/3-typography-mistakes-that-hurt-accessibility


+10: USABILITY.

Skeleton Screens vs. Progress Bars vs. Spinners (Video)
By Samhita Tankala.
"Skeleton screens, progress bars, and spinners all indicate the system is loading content, but they serve different purposes and work best in different contexts."
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/skeleton-screens-vs-progress-bars-vs-spinners/

Icon IQ: Test Your Digital Icon Knowledge with a Quiz
By Kate Kaplan.
"Test your icon knowledge with a 10-question quiz! Discover key insights from the first book from NN/g Press, 'Digital Icons That Work'"
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/digital-icons-ux-quiz/

The 6 Rules of Design Thinking  (Video)
By Tim Neusesser.
"Follow the 6 rules of design thinking during workshops to help participants embrace the core principles of design thinking and ensure successful outcomes."
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/design-thinking-6-rules/

Senior-Friendly Design: Do's and Don'ts for Designing for Older Adults (65+)
By Nufar Zisman.
"…Voice-activated interfaces, simplified user interfaces, and age-appropriate technology solutions are not just beneficial for seniors; they empower individuals with diverse needs to interact with technology more effectively and hold a significant business opportunity."
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/senior-friendly-design-dos-donts-designing-older-adults-nufar-zisman-jicwf/


+11: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

Data Centers Are Eating and Drinking Our Environment
By Gerry McGovern.
"In some ways, a data center moving into a community is like a prison setting up…"
https://gerrymcgovern.com/data-centers-are-eating-and-drinking-our-environment/

How Digital Sustainability Tells Powerful Thrutopian Stories
By Andy Davies.
"…I think thrutopian stories and ideals have the potential to change minds and shift behaviours. I think the digital sustainability movement is doing amazing work and accelerating fast. But as an industry we tell far fewer stories than the websites we build and control…"
https://www.wholegraindigital.com/blog/how-digital-sustainability-tells-powerful-thrutopian-stories/

[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.

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:lcar...@d.umn.edu


[Issue ends.]