| Mu number 1 tip from some 20 years of watching UI design evolve: Design that is more accessible for users with disabilities is more accessible for everyone. The first level of this is easy, but few do it. Step 1: use a desktop PC. Windows or Linux as you prefer, but not a Mac, and not a laptop. Step 2: unplug the mouse. Learn to do everything with the keyboard. The WWW is a pain but most other things are easy, but you'll need to learn the keystrokes. Few know them these days. Windows is good at this, and you'll quickly discover that most Linux desktops are poor. (For me, Xfce is about the best.) Spend a week working like this. You will discover a tonne of stuff about UI design you never noticed before. Step 3: for the most advanced users only. Now you are used to working without a pointing device, install a screenreader -- NVDA for Windows is good and free. Now, unplug your screen. Learn to work with keyboard and sound only. I am part way through learning this and it's savage, but it's like learning to play chess blindfold. Once you have the patterns in your head, you discover that you don't need to see them and you can still be fast and efficient. But steps 1 & 2 will put you in the 1% of best UI designers there are in the world today. |