A Values Based Approach to Making The Web

HARM REDUCTION & THE WEB

Serious & SensitiveNothing Ironic or Sarcastic

Genuine, Authentic

FIRST THINGS FIRST

WHAT IS HARM REDUCTION?

Principles and Values

Harm reduction is a pragmatic and humanistic approach to diminishing the

individual and social harms associated with drug use.

The defining features are the focus on the

prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself, and the focus

on people who continue to use drugs.

Compassionate pragmatism instead of moralistic idealism

UNDERSTANDING HARM REDUCTION

Targets Risks & Harms

Evidence Based & Cost Effective

Incremental

Dignity & Compassion

Universality & Interdependence of Rights

Challenges policies and practices that maximize harm

Harm reduction is about people

Harm reduction is user centric

WHAT IS HARM REDUCTION?

Obviously Bad Web Design isn’t Drug

Addiction

What can we learn from Harm Reduction?Can we achieve better outcomes by using

the principles of Harm Reduction?

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE WEB?

THE PROBLEMWhat Am I Trying To Solve?

What am I trying to solve?We’ve all had client

frustrations…We need to avoid us & them

interactionsIt is our professional

responsibility to achieve the best possible outcome

THE PROBLEM

Sometimes clients make bad decisions

THE REAL PROBLEM

theoatmeal.com/comics/design_hell

Bit.ly/webhell

WHY ARE CLIENTS LIKE THAT?

Often, clients don’t understand the Web.

This means clients sometimes make bizzare requests…

WHEN CLIENTS ATTACK…

Client think we can do magic.

That’s Awesome.

USING OUR POWERS FOR AWESOME

CLARKE’S 3RD LAW

Any sufficiently

advanced

technology is

indistinguishable

from magic.

HARM REDUCTION FOR THE WEB

Inclusive DesignAX: Accessibility Experience

Progressive Enhancement vs. Graceful Degradation

Compassionate Pragmatism vs. Moralistic Idealism

HARM REDUCTION FOR THE WEB

Harm Reduction is about making a better choice

It isn’t about making the best choice“Best Practices” can be a contentious

term“Preferred Practices” aligns with the

idea of the better choice

PREFERRED VS. BEST

Misuse of headersMake everything an image

Belief that a web site can be finished

Assumption that disabled people don’t use the web

ACCESSIBILITY HARM

The Auto Redirect Page

Principle: Don’t take control of the User’s Experience

Preferred Practice: Don’t use an auto redirect

Client Decision: Use an auto redirect

A VERY SMALL EXAMPLE

Webpage takes an action that is not user-initiated

Short time to notice the changeLow Vision/Cognitive ChallengeScreen reader users may not get

focus in time

WHAT’S THE HARM?

Provide a clear advisory message of the autoredirect

Use the max acceptible time to redirect: 10 Seconds

Include a link so the user can go to the redirect page

Use a large font size and high contrast to increase readability to mitigate the short

time of the advisory messagePrefix the page title with “You are being

redirected to our new address –”

HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE HARM?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

• Is this a terrible idea?• Do you like this idea?• Does this help Make a Better Web?• Is this a good fit for Accessibility? • How does this not work?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

seanyo.ca

@seanyo

me@seanyo.ca

Accesconf.caa11ycamp.org

A11ycamp GuelphGuelph Web Makers Meetup

Hack GuelphK-W Web Design Meetup

Ignite Waterloo

HARM REDUCTION & THE WEB