Designing for the university community
We partner with you to create more accessible, usable and inclusive digital spaces for all students, faculty and staff.
Let’s connect
We consult, design, research, and evaluate digital content for the university. If you are wondering how UX can help you, please fill out our form and we will reach out to learn how we can work together.
Make it accessible
Self-service accessibility
With this robust self-service guide, learn about many areas of digital accessibility, from accessible document creation to best practices in procuring accessible technology.
Support all people, including people with disabilities.
What we offer
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Accessibility evaluations
We can evaluate the accessibility of digital technology for free. This includes products already in use on campus, or products that are in consideration for purchasing. Complete our contact form to begin.
UX consultation: Improve your website, application, or online service
Partner with us for a project to improve your website, application or online service. Here’s how it works:
- We will schedule an initial consultation, where we will figure out how we might work together.
- We will send you an estimate. We bill at $85/hr for UX consultation.
- If you wish to hire us, you will be put in a queue of work.
- Complete our contact form to begin.
Training
We can consult with you for free for up to two hours about accessibility and usability, and what tools might help you. Fill out our contact form to chat with us. Other training opportunities include:
- Attend Design Community events: training, workshops, and community-building opportunities are available through our Design Community
- Digital accessibility liaisons (DALs): we are building a network of digital accessibility liaisons (DALs) to support the work across campus. If your supervisor has designated you to be a DAL, sign up through our DAL form, or learn more in our section on the digital accessibility policy.
- Self-service UX: we maintain several online guides for UX and accessibility. See our section Guides and Online Training.
When do I need UX?
Here are a few scenarios when a UX architect is helpful (there are many!):
- Starting a new project with good design practices and user feedback
- Defining the top goals for your application or website (planned or existing)
- Prioritizing improvements
- Creating a strategy for your service based on data and insights from users
- Designing with inclusion and accessibility in mind
- Generating a holistic view of your product or service
Possible outputs include:
- Written recommendations
- Content strategy for your website
- An evaluation based on best practices for usability and accessibility
- Journey maps, empathy maps, service blueprints or other UX mapping
- Interface design prototypes
The new digital accessibility policy
Policy overview
UW–Madison approved a digital accessibility policy which will take effect on July 1, 2023.
The first phase of an 8-year rollout is document accessibility. The core steps needed for accessibility are the same regardless of whether your document is in HTML, Microsoft Word, PDF, or another document format:
- Use headings
- Use lists
- Add alternate text to images
- Identify document language
- Use tables correctly
- Export from one format to another
For more detail, please see the guide How to follow UW–Madison’s digital accessibility policy.
Digital accessibility liaisons
Digital accessibility liaisons will partner with the Center for User Experience to provide consultation and implementation guidance for their units and will be the primary points of contact for procurement, technical consultations and policy compliance for their units.
As a digital accessibility liaison, you will:
- get support and access to self-paced, asynchronous training
- be part of a network of individuals from all university units
- have the opportunity to attend office hours and synchronous training
For more details, please see Digital accessibility liaison network.
Guides and online training
Campus IT accessibility & usability information (KnowledgeBase)
Learn what accessibility barriers exist for university technologies, possible workarounds, and how to get help.
Make it accessible guide
Incorporate accessibility into your content, design, and development or even your procurement process.
Content strategy guide
Best practices to plan, create, and manage digital content that is accessible, usable, and meets the needs of your audience.
How to follow UW–Madison’s new digital accessibility policy
A guide to help prepare for the new policy.
How to host inclusive hybrid meetings
A checklist and accessibility guidance to consider when planning a meeting that may include in-person and virtual participants.
accessible.wisc.edu
Accessible.wisc.edu is a centralized location for all accessibility and disability resources at UW–Madison, both physical and digital.
