Strategy & Innovation
Design System Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t a box to tick. It’s not about swapping a few colors or bumping up font sizes and patting yourself on the back. Real accessibility means designing for the full spectrum of abilities, devices, and contexts, because if someone can’t use your product, it doesn’t matter how pretty you make it.
I’ve worked on products where accessibility wasn’t optional, it was mandatory. Every interface had to run cleanly with screen readers, respect system settings, and stay consistent across platforms. Those details aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They’re the line between inclusion and exclusion. Between access and a locked door.
Problem
No real design system with accessibility = inconsistent UI, rising issues, wasted effort.
Role
Led accessibility-first strategy = vision, stakeholder alignment, team guidance.
Solution
Rebuilt system with accessible components, validation, training, and governance.
Impact
Zero new accessibility issues, faster shipping, higher adoption, both compliance/legal + competitive win.
Unified design system
Consistent design system and practices were adopted across all 25+ products
WCAG Compliance
Core components WCAG AA-compliant, with AAA targets met where feasible
Streamlined delivery
Cutting our design-to-dev cycle time and reducing duplicative work with improved communication
Raised product maturity
Product and Engineering embracing a system-first development approach
PROBLEM
Uncovering the Stakes
The products we built reached a wide range of users, but too often they fell short of accessibility standards. That gap wasn’t just cosmetic — it carried real risks: legal blowback, frustrated users, and a brand that looked out of touch. Quick fixes weren’t going to cut it. What we needed was a design system that baked accessibility in from the start, stayed easy to maintain as the product grew, and scaled across multiple products without killing functionality or blowing up development timelines.
Led UX strategy, built the accessibility-first design system, and aligned cross-functional teams on implementation.
APPROACH
How We Crafted a Systematic Solution
I started by dissecting the usual suspects: Material, Carbon, Apple’s UI. Having built design systems before, I knew what to look for … and I was struck by how little these “industry standards” actually did for people relying on accessibility features. Contrast ratios routinely failed AA, typefaces sacrificed readability for style, and support for advanced needs like screen readers was almost an afterthought.
So I went back to the source: the WCAG guidelines. I drilled into the differences between AA and AAA, then pushed my team to shoot for AAA, not just compliance but excellence, while still creating a system that could scale across multiple products. We began with a full audit of our existing interfaces, cataloging every component and building an icon library to bring consistency where chaos reigned. It turned out to be tougher than expected; each product had been developed its own way, and untangling that mess was half the battle.
01.
Set the Foundation
Set the Foundation
Set the Foundation
Established an accessibility-first design system that as 100% WCAG AA compliant into every component. Nearly 80% was AAA.
02.
Collaborated Across Teams
Collaborated Across Teams
Collaborated Across Teams
Worked with engineering and product management to integrate accessibility checkpoints into the development lifecycle.
03.
Validated with Research
Validated with Research
Validated with Research
Tested designs with users of varying abilities to identify issues early and ensure real-world usability.
04.
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Delivered documentation, and governance to keep accessibility embedded in future product development.
There were four of us in the trenches, cranking out components, hammering contrast ratios into shape, and stress-testing every piece inside real scenarios. We ran design reviews like debriefs, checked in daily like a unit under fire, and still had to shoulder our regular workloads. It felt like a war of attrition at times, but the speed we built momentum with was nothing short of scrappy brilliance.
With the foundation laid, we threw the system straight into prototypes and put it in front of users. Feedback came back fast, so we iterated faster. We ran it through testing platforms, broke it, fixed it, and hardened it. Each component carried its own battle plan: documentation, functionality, use cases … so no future designer or developer would waste time wandering blind.
OUTCOMES
NO ISSUES MEAN A SILENT SUCCESS
The results spoke for themselves. We hit full WCAG compliance, slashed design-to-development handoff time by almost 30%, and boosted usability scores across every user group we tested. Accessibility wasn’t just a checkbox anymore but a part of the company’s DNA, baked into how teams built from that point forward.
We didn’t nail everything. The one miss was getting the system into a centralized repository like Storybook. By the time we pushed for it, too many products were already deep in development, and forcing it would’ve meant rewinding months of work. Instead, we rolled improvements out piece by piece, fitting them into the flow without grinding the teams to a halt.
Even with that gap, the project was a decisive win. The system worked, the users felt it, and the company had a new standard: accessibility as identity, not obligation.
Built documentation, governance, and training so accessibility remained embedded in the product expanded across 25+ platforms.
WHY IT MATTERS
BEING INCLUSIVE FOR YOUR USERS IS NEVER A BAD THING
Accessibility isn’t just compliance — it’s design that refuses to leave people out. This project proved that when you build accessibility into the process instead of bolting it on at the end, it pays off everywhere.
Every product started from the same inclusive foundation. Teams moved faster and with more confidence because accessibility checks were part of their daily workflow, not a last-minute scramble. The business cut legal risk and, more importantly, built a reputation as a company that actually walks the talk on inclusion.
By locking accessibility in as a core design principle, the company didn’t just solve a problem. It carved out a long-term edge that keeps driving user satisfaction and business success long after launch.
More Projects
Strategy & Innovation
Design System Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t a box to tick. It’s not about swapping a few colors or bumping up font sizes and patting yourself on the back. Real accessibility means designing for the full spectrum of abilities, devices, and contexts, because if someone can’t use your product, it doesn’t matter how pretty you make it.
I’ve worked on products where accessibility wasn’t optional, it was mandatory. Every interface had to run cleanly with screen readers, respect system settings, and stay consistent across platforms. Those details aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They’re the line between inclusion and exclusion. Between access and a locked door.
Problem
No real design system with accessibility = inconsistent UI, rising issues, wasted effort.
Role
Led accessibility-first strategy = vision, stakeholder alignment, team guidance.
Solution
Rebuilt system with accessible components, validation, training, and governance.
Impact
Zero new accessibility issues, faster shipping, higher adoption, both compliance/legal + competitive win.
Unified design system
Consistent design system and practices were adopted across all 25+ products
WCAG Compliance
Core components WCAG AA-compliant, with AAA targets met where feasible
Streamlined delivery
Cutting our design-to-dev cycle time and reducing duplicative work with improved communication
Raised product maturity
Product and Engineering embracing a system-first development approach
PROBLEM
Uncovering the Stakes
The products we built reached a wide range of users, but too often they fell short of accessibility standards. That gap wasn’t just cosmetic — it carried real risks: legal blowback, frustrated users, and a brand that looked out of touch. Quick fixes weren’t going to cut it. What we needed was a design system that baked accessibility in from the start, stayed easy to maintain as the product grew, and scaled across multiple products without killing functionality or blowing up development timelines.
Led UX strategy, built the accessibility-first design system, and aligned cross-functional teams on implementation.
APPROACH
How We Crafted a Systematic Solution
I started by dissecting the usual suspects: Material, Carbon, Apple’s UI. Having built design systems before, I knew what to look for … and I was struck by how little these “industry standards” actually did for people relying on accessibility features. Contrast ratios routinely failed AA, typefaces sacrificed readability for style, and support for advanced needs like screen readers was almost an afterthought.
So I went back to the source: the WCAG guidelines. I drilled into the differences between AA and AAA, then pushed my team to shoot for AAA, not just compliance but excellence, while still creating a system that could scale across multiple products. We began with a full audit of our existing interfaces, cataloging every component and building an icon library to bring consistency where chaos reigned. It turned out to be tougher than expected; each product had been developed its own way, and untangling that mess was half the battle.
01.
Set the Foundation
Set the Foundation
Set the Foundation
Established an accessibility-first design system that as 100% WCAG AA compliant into every component. Nearly 80% was AAA.
02.
Collaborated Across Teams
Collaborated Across Teams
Collaborated Across Teams
Worked with engineering and product management to integrate accessibility checkpoints into the development lifecycle.
03.
Validated with Research
Validated with Research
Validated with Research
Tested designs with users of varying abilities to identify issues early and ensure real-world usability.
04.
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Delivered documentation, and governance to keep accessibility embedded in future product development.
There were four of us in the trenches, cranking out components, hammering contrast ratios into shape, and stress-testing every piece inside real scenarios. We ran design reviews like debriefs, checked in daily like a unit under fire, and still had to shoulder our regular workloads. It felt like a war of attrition at times, but the speed we built momentum with was nothing short of scrappy brilliance.
With the foundation laid, we threw the system straight into prototypes and put it in front of users. Feedback came back fast, so we iterated faster. We ran it through testing platforms, broke it, fixed it, and hardened it. Each component carried its own battle plan: documentation, functionality, use cases … so no future designer or developer would waste time wandering blind.
OUTCOMES
NO ISSUES MEAN A SILENT SUCCESS
The results spoke for themselves. We hit full WCAG compliance, slashed design-to-development handoff time by almost 30%, and boosted usability scores across every user group we tested. Accessibility wasn’t just a checkbox anymore but a part of the company’s DNA, baked into how teams built from that point forward.
We didn’t nail everything. The one miss was getting the system into a centralized repository like Storybook. By the time we pushed for it, too many products were already deep in development, and forcing it would’ve meant rewinding months of work. Instead, we rolled improvements out piece by piece, fitting them into the flow without grinding the teams to a halt.
Even with that gap, the project was a decisive win. The system worked, the users felt it, and the company had a new standard: accessibility as identity, not obligation.
Built documentation, governance, and training so accessibility remained embedded in the product expanded across 25+ platforms.
WHY IT MATTERS
BEING INCLUSIVE FOR YOUR USERS IS NEVER A BAD THING
Accessibility isn’t just compliance — it’s design that refuses to leave people out. This project proved that when you build accessibility into the process instead of bolting it on at the end, it pays off everywhere.
Every product started from the same inclusive foundation. Teams moved faster and with more confidence because accessibility checks were part of their daily workflow, not a last-minute scramble. The business cut legal risk and, more importantly, built a reputation as a company that actually walks the talk on inclusion.
By locking accessibility in as a core design principle, the company didn’t just solve a problem. It carved out a long-term edge that keeps driving user satisfaction and business success long after launch.
More Projects
Strategy & Innovation
Design System Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t a box to tick. It’s not about swapping a few colors or bumping up font sizes and patting yourself on the back. Real accessibility means designing for the full spectrum of abilities, devices, and contexts, because if someone can’t use your product, it doesn’t matter how pretty you make it.
I’ve worked on products where accessibility wasn’t optional, it was mandatory. Every interface had to run cleanly with screen readers, respect system settings, and stay consistent across platforms. Those details aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They’re the line between inclusion and exclusion. Between access and a locked door.
Problem
No real design system with accessibility = inconsistent UI, rising issues, wasted effort.
Role
Led accessibility-first strategy = vision, stakeholder alignment, team guidance.
Solution
Rebuilt system with accessible components, validation, training, and governance.
Impact
Zero new accessibility issues, faster shipping, higher adoption, both compliance/legal + competitive win.
Unified design system
Consistent design system and practices were adopted across all 25+ products
WCAG Compliance
Core components WCAG AA-compliant, with AAA targets met where feasible
Streamlined delivery
Cutting our design-to-dev cycle time and reducing duplicative work with improved communication
Raised product maturity
Product and Engineering embracing a system-first development approach
PROBLEM
Uncovering the Stakes
The products we built reached a wide range of users, but too often they fell short of accessibility standards. That gap wasn’t just cosmetic — it carried real risks: legal blowback, frustrated users, and a brand that looked out of touch. Quick fixes weren’t going to cut it. What we needed was a design system that baked accessibility in from the start, stayed easy to maintain as the product grew, and scaled across multiple products without killing functionality or blowing up development timelines.
Led UX strategy, built the accessibility-first design system, and aligned cross-functional teams on implementation.
APPROACH
How We Crafted a Systematic Solution
I started by dissecting the usual suspects: Material, Carbon, Apple’s UI. Having built design systems before, I knew what to look for … and I was struck by how little these “industry standards” actually did for people relying on accessibility features. Contrast ratios routinely failed AA, typefaces sacrificed readability for style, and support for advanced needs like screen readers was almost an afterthought.
So I went back to the source: the WCAG guidelines. I drilled into the differences between AA and AAA, then pushed my team to shoot for AAA, not just compliance but excellence, while still creating a system that could scale across multiple products. We began with a full audit of our existing interfaces, cataloging every component and building an icon library to bring consistency where chaos reigned. It turned out to be tougher than expected; each product had been developed its own way, and untangling that mess was half the battle.
01.
Set the Foundation
Set the Foundation
Set the Foundation
Established an accessibility-first design system that as 100% WCAG AA compliant into every component. Nearly 80% was AAA.
02.
Collaborated Across Teams
Collaborated Across Teams
Collaborated Across Teams
Worked with engineering and product management to integrate accessibility checkpoints into the development lifecycle.
03.
Validated with Research
Validated with Research
Validated with Research
Tested designs with users of varying abilities to identify issues early and ensure real-world usability.
04.
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Operationalized for Scale
Delivered documentation, and governance to keep accessibility embedded in future product development.
There were four of us in the trenches, cranking out components, hammering contrast ratios into shape, and stress-testing every piece inside real scenarios. We ran design reviews like debriefs, checked in daily like a unit under fire, and still had to shoulder our regular workloads. It felt like a war of attrition at times, but the speed we built momentum with was nothing short of scrappy brilliance.
With the foundation laid, we threw the system straight into prototypes and put it in front of users. Feedback came back fast, so we iterated faster. We ran it through testing platforms, broke it, fixed it, and hardened it. Each component carried its own battle plan: documentation, functionality, use cases … so no future designer or developer would waste time wandering blind.
OUTCOMES
NO ISSUES MEAN A SILENT SUCCESS
The results spoke for themselves. We hit full WCAG compliance, slashed design-to-development handoff time by almost 30%, and boosted usability scores across every user group we tested. Accessibility wasn’t just a checkbox anymore but a part of the company’s DNA, baked into how teams built from that point forward.
We didn’t nail everything. The one miss was getting the system into a centralized repository like Storybook. By the time we pushed for it, too many products were already deep in development, and forcing it would’ve meant rewinding months of work. Instead, we rolled improvements out piece by piece, fitting them into the flow without grinding the teams to a halt.
Even with that gap, the project was a decisive win. The system worked, the users felt it, and the company had a new standard: accessibility as identity, not obligation.
Built documentation, governance, and training so accessibility remained embedded in the product expanded across 25+ platforms.
WHY IT MATTERS
BEING INCLUSIVE FOR YOUR USERS IS NEVER A BAD THING
Accessibility isn’t just compliance — it’s design that refuses to leave people out. This project proved that when you build accessibility into the process instead of bolting it on at the end, it pays off everywhere.
Every product started from the same inclusive foundation. Teams moved faster and with more confidence because accessibility checks were part of their daily workflow, not a last-minute scramble. The business cut legal risk and, more importantly, built a reputation as a company that actually walks the talk on inclusion.
By locking accessibility in as a core design principle, the company didn’t just solve a problem. It carved out a long-term edge that keeps driving user satisfaction and business success long after launch.