Don't you just hate it when both the designers and the developers do their jobs, but somehow it doesn't all come together like it should? A little contrast issue here, a little tab order issue there. The headings are all out of whack.
Yeah, me too.
This is because the designers and developers are not in sync. The handoff between the two is where the problem is.
Tracking the designer-developer handoff as an accessibility KPI will help you make sure the accessibility requirements are carried through from design to implementation without losing key details. This KPI measures the number of inconsistencies between what the designer intended and what the developer implemented, with a focus on accessibility-critical elements like heading structure, colour contrast, tab order, touch target size and focus states.
When you reduce these inconsistencies you guarantee that accessibility principles are respected and that the end product meets both user experience and accessibility standards. You can help identify areas for improvement in the workflow when you notice where accessibility considerations are lost in translation from design to code.
If you identify frequent inconsistencies, you've uncovered a lack of clear documentation or communication during the handoff process.
How can you measure designer-developer handoff
- Before you start development, create a checklist of accessibility specifications, focusing on heading structure, contrast ratios, keyboard tab order, touch target size and focus states.
- Throughout development, take regular stock of what's going on by comparing design mockups or prototypes with the developed product. Check each key accessibility area on your checklist to ensure the developed product matches the initial design. You can implement checks at different stages, think code reviews or QA testing, to catch inconsistencies early.
- Keep a log to record each accessibility discrepancy identified during implementation.
The goal is to reduce discrepancies related to accessibility to as close to zero as possible.
If you track the designer-developer handoff properly, you can ensure that accessibility intentions from the design phase carry through to implementation. You're minimising inconsistencies and improving the user experience. And the only way to do that is to document, review and align all these details across your team.