DMD 3998

Accessibility & Inclusion in Interactive Media

Challenge 02

Can You See What Matters?

Central question: What evidence shows that a visual redesign improves access?

The Problem

The Campus Study Space Finder communicates important information through visual presentation. Your team will investigate one part of that communication, determine what evidence supports its judgment, and improve the relevant part of the experience.

Experience Under Review

Campus Study Space Finder

Open the experience ->

Team Assignments

All three team assignments are visible below so you can see the full challenge structure.

Cyan Triangle

Investigate when color choices or insufficient contrast prevent users from perceiving important information.

  • Which text or interface colors need a closer look?
  • Is any meaningful availability or status conveyed by color alone?
  • Which WCAG evidence applies to the specific visual claim?
  • What measurement or observation supports the finding?
  • What redesign communicates the same information more clearly?

Amber Circle

Investigate what happens when users need content to become larger or fit a different viewport.

  • What changes when text is enlarged or the page is viewed at 200% zoom?
  • Does content reflow without clipping, overlap, or loss of functionality?
  • Which parts are responsive-design preferences, and which are accessibility requirements?
  • What evidence supports your conclusion?
  • What redesign preserves the task at a different scale?

Violet Square

Investigate what information depends on color, shape, position, size, or component boundaries.

  • What status, selection, or distinction depends on a visual characteristic?
  • Is another perceivable cue available, or would a user need to infer the meaning?
  • Where is non-text contrast relevant to the finding?
  • What test or observation supports your judgment?
  • How could the redesign preserve the cue while making its meaning clearer?

Deliverable

Create one clear team package through HuskyCT/Blackboard. Use an appropriate medium for the redesign artifact.

Submit one clear package through HuskyCT/Blackboard. If the submission system requires one file, a PDF may contain the findings and screenshots or a link to the prototype, but a PDF is not the universal challenge format.

Barriers

Record the important barriers your team found.

Evidence

Support the findings with authoritative sources, measurements, observations, or testing.

Redesign

Create a redesigned version of the relevant part of the experience in Figma, an annotated mockup, HTML/CSS, an image/design artifact, or another suitable prototype.

Why It Is Better

Explain what changed and why the redesign improves access.

Re-test

Where practical, include evidence from testing at least one important claim about the redesign.

AI Use Note

Identify any generative AI tools used and briefly explain how they contributed.

Resources

Start with the source that fits your team's investigation.

Authoritative starting points

Use these resources to investigate the claim that fits your team lens.

WCAG 2.2 - Guideline 1.4: Distinguishable W3C Understanding 1.4.1 Use of Color W3C Understanding 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) W3C Understanding 1.4.4 Resize Text W3C Understanding 1.4.10 Reflow W3C Understanding 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast W3C How to Meet WCAG 2: Quick Reference W3C WAVE Browser Extensions WebAIM Contrast Checker WebAIM

AI Use

AI output is not evidence.

AI may help your team get oriented, interpret difficult material, organize ideas, or test possible answers. Important claims must still be verified against authoritative sources or direct testing.

Evaluation

The challenge is worth 10 points.

  • Investigation - 3 points

    Did the team investigate the important dimensions of its assigned problem?

  • Evidence - 3 points

    Are important conclusions supported by authoritative sources, measurements, observations, or testing?

  • Judgment and Solution - 2 points

    Did the team make a thoughtful redesign and distinguish what its evidence does and does not establish?

  • Communication - 2 points

    Is the work concise, understandable, and useful to the class?

Due

Due: EOD after Session 04

The official submission deadline and assignment submission are in HuskyCT/Blackboard.