Whimsy
Whimsy is a platform to buy and sell gently used children’s clothing, toys and gear. The target audience is parents of children ages 0-12 years old.
This is a student project.
My role
Accessibility designer
Product Designer
UX Researcher
Responsibilities
Wireframing
Prototyping
User research
UI design
Accessibility
Branding
Project overview
The problem
Plenty of websites buy and sell only used clothing, or toys, or gear, but there isn’t one easy, profitable website where you can buy and sell all three.
The goal
Create an easy way for parents to buy and profitably sell good quality, second-hand children’s clothing, toys, and gear in one place.
Accessibility
I plan for accessibility throughout each stage of development.
These are a few examples of what I include in the design phase.
Text Size
I designed a responsive layout to ensure text will adapt to user font size preferences.
Type is set to minimum of 16 pt and the ability to resize text up to 200% of original size.
Original font size
Font size adjusted
for visibility
Gesture Labels
I include clear descriptions for UI elements that require user input. Here, I label gesture instructions for a screen reader.
Swipe left
Swipe left
Gesture labels
Alternative Text
I include alternative text for each image so a screen reader can describe its purpose, function, or content.
Alternative text
Design Process
A little crowded.
Some breathing room helps.
The picture helps too.
Getting there.
Looks good!
User Flow
Initiating sale of clothing on Whimsy
Design System
Style Guide
Typography Scale
Color
I made an accessible color scheme with a WCAG AA and AAA compliant color matrix.
Takeaway
Lessons Learned
Working on my app while learning about accessibility meant there were a lot of revisions. As soon as I learned about something new, I could picture the part of my app that was non-compliant. At first, I kept having these Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moments when I realized a feature I had just built was non-compliant. Then, I remembered that when you know better, do better. Learning is my favorite part of any activity, and I'm enjoying the journey!
Impact
Outgrown clothing, toys, or gear that might otherwise end up sitting in the garage can now be easily sold. Clothing that does not qualify for sale will be recycled instead of ending up in a landfill. Families who want good quality, affordable kids' products can save time and money by shopping for what they want all in one place.
See my other case studies
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