Design Justice
When creating my website I considered the numerous design justice theories and the one that I incorporated was “affordance” in terms of technology design. Chock, S. (2020) defines affordance as “an object’s properties that show the possible actions users can take with it, thereby suggesting how they may interact with that object. For instance, a button can look as if it needs to be turned or pushed.” (p. 36). I wanted my website to be as accessible and interactive as possible, so I chose to use “action” elements like “ read more” or “ view more” buttons to help users navigate the website. In addition users are able to engage with buttons on my website that invite them to learn more about my experience, along with topics regarding technology and the world of communications. My website also involves designing for equity, accessibility, and inclusion, ensuring that the design doesn’t reinforce existing inequalities or marginalize certain groups. Lastly, the use of consistent design on similar functions were also essential to providing a well organized and visually appealing website. Incorporating affordances into a website can improve the user experience by making it easier for users to interact with the site and understand its functionality.
The 4 elements below are the elements of affordance I included in my website to help enhance and improve user experience.
Using visual elements: I made sure to incorporate the use of color, shape, and size to use clickable elements on my website. For example, I use contrasting colors for my buttons so they are easily recognizable.
Providing feedback: When my users/viewers click on any button, it provides them visual feedback. An example of this is the change of color, blinking, or a loading icon after they’ve clicked on it.
Consistent elements: On my website I made sure to include consistent styling elements that perform the same function. For example: all my “read more” buttons are all the ame. This way, it becomes easier for individuals to navigate throughout the website.
Natural Metaphors: I incorporated natural metaphors that users are familiar with, such as using an envelope icon for email or a shopping cart icon for a checkout process. This will help my users understand the purpose of the element without further explanation.
References:
Chock, S. (2020). Design justice. MIT Press.
