Design Driven Option

Introduction

This option for the design of Silver is most oriented toward using user research and data to design Silver and write the requirements. All the intensive research methods will be in this option.

This process specifically addresses the goals:

• Perspectives
• Evidence & data
• Scope

The emphasis for this process option is on:

• Gathering a broad range of insights and perspectives.
• Representing a broad range of roles and usage, so the outcome of the process better serves the full range of users and user needs.
• Using investigative and integrative research and sense-making to explore diverse options.
• Using evidence, data, and user perspectives to drive decision-making throughout the project.

Phase 1: Discovery

Understand needs, identify opportunities

User Research

In the user research phase we seek to understand and learn from people who use WCAG and people who are affected by WCAG.

These include people who use WCAG:

• As a design specification, to guide decision-making in the design of digital products
• As a technical standard, to build accessibility into digital products
• To measure compliance, evaluating whether digital products adhere to standards
• To document compliance, documenting accessibility in digital products
• To support laws and regulations, as a baseline standard for policies, laws, requirements
• To teach accessibility, providing design and technical guidance for teaching how to design and build accessible digital products

The roles include, but are not limited to:

• Web visitors
• Web/mobile application users
• Web/mobile content creators
• Web/mobile application creators
• IT Implementors/Support
• People who create adaptations of WCAG

Stakeholder Map

• What: Consolidate and communicate constituents and relationships
• Why: Learn about stakeholders for Silver user research
• How: Brainstorming session (phone or in person)

For the design driven process, with its focus on user research and data, the stakeholder map is the foundation for the entire process. For this option we must take the time to fully understand the different roles and responsibilities that are affected by WCAG. An clear and comprehensible map will be a critical asset to the project throughout. The stakeholder map will need to be flexible, adapting we gather additional insights.

For the design driven process, the stakeholder map will be:

• Exhaustive: includes all roles with vested interest
• Descriptive: shows roles and relationships
• Iterative: evolves over process

Survey

• What: Administer a survey
• Why: Learn about experiences, perceptions of using WCAG
• How: Online survey

Surveys can provide helpful general insights and perspectives. The design driven process will use surveys, but will focus more on direct research (e.g, phone interviews and in-person inquiry). The surveys will be role-based, targeting key stakeholders to gain specific and defensible insights.

For the design driven process, the surveys will be:

• Targeted: customized for different roles
• Credible: valid from a research perspective

Stakeholder Interviews

• What: Interview thought leaders, others on their use of WCAG
• Why: Learn about experiences, perceptions of using WCAG
• How: Could be done via phone

Interviews form the backbone of the design driven process. The interviews will have structure, but will also allow for open discussion to learn how WCAG influences different roles. The primary purpose of the interviews is to understand all the different ways WCAG is used, its strengths and shortcomings, and the constraints we must consider when designing the next major version.

For the design driven process, the stakeholder interviews will be:

• Comprehensive: engages many perspectives
• Structured: designed to answer key questions
• Personal: phone and in-person interviews

Contextual Inquiry

• What: Combination of interviews and observation of use of WCAG
• Why: Learn about experiences, perceptions of using of WCAG
• How: Observe how people use WCAG (best done in person)

The value of contextual inquiry is that insights come from direct observation rather than reported perspectives. Observing processes and practices that use WCAG (e.g., for teaching, decision-making, etc) will show how WCAG supports activities, and ways it can be improved.

For the design driven process, contextual inquiry will be:

• Comprehensive: addresses multiple roles
• Structured: designed to answer key questions
• Unstructured: also open-ended, for unexpected insights
• Personal: in-person observation

Self-reporting

• What: Combination of interviews and survey/reporting on use of WCAG
• Why: Learn about experiences, perceptions of using of WCAG
• How: Observe how people report using WCAG (could be done via phone and with self-reporting vehicle)

Self-reporting provides the means to understand the context of use without in-person observation. For the design-driven process, self-reporting provides the means to get a more comprehensive view of how WCAG is used day-to-day for roles that are not included in the contextual inquiry activities. To be effective, the self-reporting method must be carefully designed, with specific objectives. Design of the self-reporting study should follow the in-person research, to fill gaps in understanding.

For the design driven process, self-reporting will be:

• Comprehensive: addresses multiple roles
• Structured: designed to answer key questions

Research

For the design-driven process, research will focus on defining the problem space that we seek to understand and address with the next version of WCAG.

Secondary research

• What: Collect and synthesize existing information and data
• Why: Learn about standards evolution from comparable efforts with more data/evidence (look at HTML5)
• How: Done through literature/article reviews and interviews

We can learn from parallel initiatives about how standards and guidelines can advance social change (e.g., LEED standards for sustainability in the built environment). We can also learn from other W3C efforts about how to evolve standards over time.

For the design-driven process, the secondary research will be:

• Exploratory: looks into broad range of similar efforts, including those external to W3C and unrelated to digital accessibility
• Summative: comprehensive analysis and articulation

WCAG analysis

• What: Systematic examination of WCAG and its component parts, including the guidelines and the process of creating/maintaining WCAG
• Why: Learn about the technical, cultural, and practical aspects of WCAG
• How: Done through inventory and analysis

We must have a complete understanding of the various components that comprise WCAG, including the principles, guidelines, techniques, etc., as well as the process for maintaining WCAG. The next major version must address shortcomings not only with the guidelines but with the supporting processes that affect how the guidelines change over time.

For the design-driven process, the WCAG analysis will be:

• Investigative: includes full breadth of WCAG components
• Summative: comprehensive analysis and articulation

Analysis of WCAG adaptations

• What: Systematic examination of secondary adaptations/interpretations/resources
• Why: Understand the gaps adaptions seek to fill and how they differ from primary sources
• How: Done through inventory and analysis

Different organizations have adapted WCAG. We must understand the drivers behind creating adaptations, and the gaps the adaptations intend to fill. We can also learn from how adaptions succeed or fail to meet their objectives.

For the design-driven process, the WCAG adaptations analysis will be:

• Investigative: includes broad range of WCAG adaptations
• Summative: comprehensive analysis and articulation

Literature review

• What: Systematic examination of articles about WCAG
• Why: Learn about the technical, cultural, and practical aspects of WCAG
• How: Done through literature/article reviews and analysis

There has been a good deal of research, analysis, evaluation, and review of WCAG. We can learn from others about the strengths and weaknesses of WCAG, and where there are opportunities to build on successes and overcome shortcomings.

For the design-driven process, the literature review will be:

• Investigative: includes broad range of WCAG research
• Summative: comprehensive analysis and articulation

Phase 2: Interpretation

Transform data into insights

Synthesis

Personas

• Composite descriptions of people who use WCAG

User Stories

• Short stories describing how personas use WCAG

Analysis

Analysis / inventory

• included across all options
• Identify themes/insights
• Choose key themes/insights to pursue

Grouping

• Affinity diagram
  • Note individual observations on post-its, create clusters and describe them
• Card sorting
  • Participatory design method for creating groupings

Communication

Report

• included across all options
• Report of conclusions of the surveys/interviews
• List of topics for the ideation workshop (10 weeks before workshop date)
• Key themes/insights
  • Diagrams

Phase 3: Ideation

Choosing

Consensus decision of the subgroup

• presented to the WCAG WG for approval

Phase 4: Experimentation

Choosing

Consensus decision of the subgroup

• presented to the WCAG WG for approval

Phase 5: Production and Evolution

Resourcing

Establish resources

• what does that mean in this context?

Establish partnerships

• partner with W3C members to contribute fellow time or more time for Silver members to contribute

Hiring an editor for the spec

• editor would be responsible for proposals that implement insights from earlier phases

Management

Identify specific milestones

• included across all options

Production

Writing F2F meeting

• people can work in small groups to discuss and produce sections of the spec.