Web Design Update: August 11, 2026

[Laura Carlson]

+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 27, Issue 07, August 11, 2026.

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

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.
04: EVENTS.
05: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE.
06: JAVASCRIPT.
07: TOOLS.
08: USABILITY.

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

[Contents ends.]


++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

A11y 101 - 3.3.4 Error Prevention
By Nat Tarnoff.
"…3.3.4 is about preventing catastrophic mistakes before they happen…"
https://tarnoff.info/2026/08/03/a11y-101-3-3-4-error-prevention/

A11y 101 - 3.3.7 Redundant Entry
By Nat Tarnoff.
"…remembering what your users told you yesterday isn't advanced tech.
It's essential baseline courtesy…Because, remembering what your users
told you yesterday isn’t advanced tech. It's essential baseline
courtesy."
https://tarnoff.info/2026/08/10/a11y-101-3-3-7-redundant-entry/

The Anatomy of Accessible Forms: Required Form Fields
By Aparna Pasi.
"…Tell people which fields are required before they start, not after they fail…"
https://www.deque.com/blog/anatomy-of-accessible-forms-required-form-fields/

Fixing My Tooltip Accessibility Mistake
By Jake Archibald.
"I made an accessibility error, and I want you to learn from my mistakes…"
https://jakearchibald.com/2026/my-tooltip-a11y-mistake/

How to Navigate Headings With NVDA Screen Reader (Video)
By Whitney Lewis.
"…Sighted users scan a page by scrolling down and looking for
headings. Screen reader users do the exact same thing, but they rely
on structural HTML headings, like H1, H2s, and H3s…"
https://blog.pope.tech/2026/08/06/how-to-navigate-headings-with-nvda-screen-reader-video/

Vale a Pena Usar Um Plug-In De Acessibilidade? (Is it worth using an
accessibility plug-in?)
By Patrícia Mendes.
Article about accessibility overlays in Portuguese.
https://uxpatriciamendes.wixsite.com/patricia-mendes/pt/post/vale-a-pena-usar-um-plug-in-de-acessibilidade

Accessibility Getting Dropped in the Process
By Nicolas Steenhout.
"…The relay isn't over until accessibility crosses the finish line…"
https://buttondown.com/nic-steenhout/archive/accessibility-getting-dropped-in-the-process/

Is Your Board Getting Accessibility Governance Right?
By Léonie Watson.
"…Accessibility risk needs ordinary, disciplined, and mature risk
oversight. Without this, you put revenue, profitability, reputation,
procurement, operational efficiency, and potential mergers and
acquisitions at risk…"
https://tetralogical.com/blog/2026/08/10/board-getting-accessibility-governance-right/

Promises of Accessibility ComplAIance
By Bogdan Cerovac.
"…AI for accessibility compliance without people that can actually
verify - a disaster waiting to happen…"
https://cerovac.com/a11y/2026/07/promises-of-accessibility-complaiance/

Accessibility-ready Theme (WordPress) Reviews: Extending the Deadline
By Joe Dolson.
"When we announced the new accessibility-ready theme guidelines in
May, the accessibility time set an ambitious timeline to re-review all
themes and require action from theme authors by June 30th of this
year…" Check the comments.
https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/07/23/accessibility-ready-theme-reviews-extending-the-deadline/

A Model for WordPress Accessibility (Updated August 6, 2026.)
By Adrian Roselli.
Background on WordPress accessibility.
https://adrianroselli.com/2019/05/a-model-for-wordpress-accessibility.html#Update07


+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

Don't Use A Class For That!
By Álvaro Montoro.
"Developers love classes. They pile on custom classes everywhere, but
HTML already counts with many attributes that do a better job. So why
not use them?…"
https://alvaromontoro.com/blog/68107/dont-use-a-class-for-that

Improved CSS Text-Stroke
By Tyler Sticka.
"…I thought I'd share in case this flew under anyone else's radar…"
https://tylersticka.com/journal/improved-css-text-stroke/


+03: EVALUATION & TESTING.

Can We Trust AI to Moderate UX Interviews?
By Jeff Sauro, Lucas Plabst, and Jim Lewis.
"…None of this is really a checklist. Instead, it's judgment applied
in real time to what a specific person just said…"
https://measuringu.com/can-we-trust-ai-to-moderate-ux-interviews/


+04: EVENTS.

Accessibility Testing: What Automated Tools Will NEVER Catch
August 18, 2026.
Online
https://www.meetup.com/a11yatx/events/315760157/

The Standards and the Users: What Is Needed for a PDF to be Accessible?
August 21, 2026.
Online
https://trk.idrelay.com/3038/web?q=bde-9faa-00009fa70bde000000000000000095e1&c=e7812b77d9

Building Slack's Simplified Layout Mode
September 1, 2026.
Online and New York, New York, U.S.A.
https://www.meetup.com/a11ynyc/events/315708657/

How to Learn WCAG
September 3, 2026.
Online
https://www.meetup.com/a11yatx/events/315761347/

The Accessibility Leader's Guide to the Year Ahead
September 9, 2026.
Online
https://abilitynet.org.uk/resources/financial-sector/free-webinar-accessibility-leaders-guide-year-ahead

Web Accessibility in Mind Conference
September 15-16, 2026.
Online
https://conference.webaim.org/

Paris Web
September 24-25, 2026.
Paris, France
https://www.paris-web.fr/


+05: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE.

What's the Purpose of Information Architecture?
By Jorge Arango.
"…The purpose of information architecture is increasing agency by
making systems more legible…"
https://jarango.com/2026/08/07/whats-the-purpose-of-information-architecture/


+06: JAVASCRIPT.

Progressive Enhancement Inside of JavaScript
By Remy Sharp.
"…Progressive Enhancement doesn't only apply to HTML being enhanced
with JavaScript. It also applies within JavaScript…"
https://remysharp.com/2026/08/05/progressive-enhancement-inside-of-javascript


+07: TOOLS.

Color Blindness Simulator and Filter
By Ethan Zachery Scott.
"Browser-based color blindness simulator: protan, deutan, and tritan
at adjustable severity (including partial forms), on live camera or
photos. Machado 2009 model, client-side, no signup…"
https://colorvisionlabs.com/color-blind-filter


+08: USABILITY.

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Presenting Complex UX Maps (Video)
By Therese Fessenden.
"UX maps clarify complexity but are often presented poorly. Prepare
audiences by communicating early, speaking plainly, and focusing on
collaborative outcomes…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As6P-mq7sKU


[Section one ends.]


++ SECTION TWO:

+09: 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:lcar...@d.umn.edu


[Issue ends.]