Accessibility in pattern libraries

Accessibility in
pattern libraries
Accessibility in
pattern libraries

In the past, many people approached
complex websites and web
applications as a series of “pages”.

These pages were often designed and
built as complete entities.

More recently, in complex websites
and applications, the focus has
shifted from full page layouts to  
re-usable components.

A re-usable component could be a
layout grid structure, a button, an
input, a drop-down, a menu, a
heading, a table, or even a pullquote.

So, what are
pattern
libraries?

Pattern libraries are a collection of
user interface components that can
be used multiple times across a
website or web application.

On large websites and complex
applications, pattern libraries have a
range of beneﬁts.

In many cases they make it faster
and easier to build.

If done well, they provide a shared
vocabulary across all teams.

And most importantly, they provide a
consistent level of quality.

Most complex pattern libraries follow
the “lego building block” concept.

This means that they start with
individual “lego building blocks”
and then use these block to build
larger and more complex
components.

Complex pattern libraries are often
broken down into categories such as
elements, modules and
components.

Elements are standard HTML
elements such as headings, labels,
inputs, buttons, etc.

They are the basic lego building
blocks of the pattern library.

Most of these elements are rarely
used on their own - they are used to
make modules and components.

Modules are small sets of elements
that are joined together in re-usable
chunks.

For example, an input module could
include a label, an input, a hint text, a
possible error message and then all of
the possible states including focus,
hover, and disabled.

Static Input
Disabled Input
This field cannot be filled in
Error Message
Additional Information
Invalid Input
Focussed Input
Invalid user data
Value
Inputs
Placeholder
Static Input
Value
Disabled Input This field cannot be filled in
Error Message
Invalid Input
Focussed Input
Invalid user data
Inputs - Side-By-Side
Placeholder
Input module

Components are modules that are
added together to build larger, more
comprehensive concepts.

An example might be a signup form
that includes various form control
modules, a button module and a
potential success/error module.

Screens are where modules and
components are combined into the
ﬁnal concepts that are presented to
the user.

An example might be a login screen,
which not only has the login form
component, but also the navigation
component, header component and
footer component.

A screen may also have diﬀerent
states depending on a number of
diﬀerent factors, such as the type of
user, where they are in the current
process etc.

Generally, screens are not part of a
pattern library. The pattern library is
used to help create these screens.

Different types
of pattern
libraries

Pattern libraries can and should be
used during all phases of the design
and development process.

There are three distinctly diﬀerent
types of pattern library:

UX/UI pattern libraries
Design style guides
Front end pattern libraries

UX/UI pattern libraries often include

comprehensive documentation
that:

1. Deﬁne all elements, modules and
components.

2. Deﬁne the various states for all
elements, modules, components (i.e.
hover, focus, active states, logged-in
or logged out etc).

3. Deﬁne key dynamic behaviours
(i.e. animations, transitions, ﬂy-outs,
drop-downs etc).

4. Deﬁne feedback and notiﬁcation
mechanisms (i.e. success messages,
error messages etc).

5. Deﬁne additional information
associated with modules (i.e. hints,
tips etc).

These pattern libraries normally take
the form of detailed wireframes and/
or prototypes along with additional
documentation.

They help to communicate to internal
teams and stakeholders how a
website or app should be built.

During the design phase, the
emphasis is less about deﬁning re-
usable modules and more about
deﬁning a consistent “look and feel”
across every aspect of the website or
application.

For this reason, they are more often
style guides rather than pattern
libraries.

Design style guides should address:

1. How core branding will be
implemented across the website or
app.

2. The overall “look and feel”.

3. How typefaces and font-size will
be used.

4. How colour schemes will be used.

Front-end pattern libraries should
produce fully functional HTML/CSS/
JS examples of all elements, modules
and components.

These examples should include all
states, dynamic behaviours and
feedback mechanisms.

These elements and modules can
then be used as needed to rapidly
build complex components and the
ﬁnal screens.

The danger of copy/
paste pattern
libraries

One danger with front-end pattern
libraries is where modules and
components are presented as
examples that have to be copied and
pasted by developers.

The problem is that they can easily
be applied incorrectly.

Pattern libraries should be built so
that modules and components are
referenced directly from the pattern
library in some way.

This means that they can be updated
automatically without leaving legacy
versions across an application.

More importantly, they cannot be
applied incorrectly.

What about
existing pattern
libraries?

There is a wide range of pre-existing
UX and front-end pattern libraries
available today.

Some of these pattern libraries have a
simple purpose - such as predeﬁned
sets of UI modules in wireframe form,
or front-end grid systems.

Others, especially in the front-end, are
full “frameworks” that oﬀer a wide
range of fully functional elements,
modules and components.

There are some great beneﬁts to
using a pre-existing framework.

They are often ready to use and are
therefore quick to implement.

They are also often useful for rapid
prototyping during the UX/UI phase.

However, there can be some
downsides as well.

The pre-build modules and
components may not suit your
project which means they have to be
heavily modiﬁed.

They often produce a generic look,
mainly because people are not
experienced enough to know how to
customise them.

You are also relying on someone else
for code quality.

This is especially true for
accessibility within pre-existing
frameworks.

Do you want to rely on others to make
sure all of your modules and
components are accessible?

Many people focus on addressing
accessibility during the front-end
phase only.

However, accessibility can be
addressed to some degree during the
UX/UI and design phases as well.

UX/UI pattern libraries should
describe solutions to some aspects
of accessibility such as states,
behaviours, proximity, notiﬁcations,
error messages etc.

Good UX/UI pattern libraries even
help to describe how keystrokes
should allow users to “travel”
through complex components.

These descriptions should help
front-end teams when building the
ﬁnal modules and components.

Design style guides should address a
range of design-related
accessibility concerns such as:
colour contrast, use of proximity, use
of iconography and font-size.

These requirements can then be
applied into the front-end modules
and components.

So, the UX/UI and design phases
provide recommendations and
requirements.

And these recommendations and
requirements can then be put into
action during the front-end phase.

In the old days, accessibility reviews
were often tacked on at the end of
major site or application builds.
Often just before launch.

Full site build with accessibility review
just before launch
UX Design Build Launch
Review

Even worse, in some circumstances,
reviews were carried out after launch
- only when someone made a
complaint.

Full site build with accessibility review
after launch
UX Design Build Launch
Review

Of course, that sort of thing never
happens today… does it?

With complex applications and
websites, there has been a shift away
from a single massive build cycle.

Instead, complex applications and
websites are often rolled out in a
series of feature releases.

Feature Feature Feature Feature
Rolling feature releases over time

A feature is a stand-alone section of
a web application. A new feature
may require anything from a single
screen to multiple screens.

For example, in a banking web
application, a new feature could allow
customers to add additional bank
accounts to the system.

Because features are released
individually, accessibility reviews can
be conducted on an individual
feature rather than an entire
application or site.

A single feature build process with
accessibility review before launch
UX Test Build Test Launch
Review

And, if accessibility is considered
during all phases of feature
development, the accessibility review
should be even less painful.

A single feature build process with accessibility
integrated throughout all phases
A A Review
UX Test Build Test Launch

However, with the use of pattern
libraries, accessibility can be “baked
in” even earlier in the process.

In many cases, an initial pattern library
is built before any features are
ready.

These initial pattern libraries often
include elements and modules but no
components.

Accessibility should be “baked into”
each of these modules. And, they
need to be carefully reviewed before
proceeding.

What does this mean?

Well, it means following basic
accessibility guidelines…

Making sure all modules use
semantic and well-formed markup.

Using alt attributes on images.

Making sure for and id attributes are
used correctly for labels and inputs.

Making sure th, thead, tbody are
used appropriately in tables.

Using additional aria roles, labels and
descriptions where appropriate.

If modules are built correctly, they
provides a solid foundation for all
future components.

The process is often similar to a
feature release, except the outcome
is the initial pattern library rather than
a feature.

Pattern library build with accessibility integrated
throughout all phases
A A Review
UX Design Build Ready

As new features move into
production, new components are built
and added into the pattern library.

Some people make the mistake of
assuming that these components will
automatically be accessible
because they use the tested modules
as a base.

However, components often present
their own accessibility issues.

For this reason, new components
should also be tested and reviewed
before launch, as part of the feature
release.

For large websites and complex apps,
pattern libraries are critical.

UX/UI pattern libraries and design
style guides should include
accessibility as part of the process.

For front-end pattern libraries, make
sure to bake accessibility into all
core modules and test carefully.

Make sure to test all components
and screens as they are released
with features.

And, avoid building pattern libraries
that rely on developers having to
copy/paste code samples.

These steps will save a world of pain
in the future.

Russ Weakley
Max Design
Site: maxdesign.com.au
Twitter: twitter.com/russmaxdesign
Slideshare: slideshare.net/maxdesign
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/russweakley

Accessibility in pattern libraries

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