Design for sustainability :
As we are designing for the future, the prime features
in any app related to connected devices must be linked
to conservation & preservation. For example informing
and suggesting the user about his water and electricity
usage.
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User control and freedom :
Allowing increased personalisation is very important
while designing for connected devices .The context of
no two people is same. For example , a person might
be good in the mental space of “Self Care” and wishes
not to be reminded of it as opposed to someone living
with an elderly person. He would probably want tips,
medicine reminders and doctor appointments.
Therefore the design system should not be static,
features can be added.
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Do not Disturb :
Slip the notifications slightly into the users periphery
such that they inform but create calm. No loud
boisterous sounds or colours. Design such that the
notifications require the least amount of attention from
the user.
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Use a positive narrative :
It is very important to design things that have a positive
narrative. Rather than admonishing the user about his
high water wastage , present him with positive imagery
and guide him toward a sustainable way of life.
Accessibility
Coolplay urges that Designers should appreciate that users have different abilities, and strive to produce solutions that meet the needs of a diverse audience—including those with
disabilities that use assistive technology to access digital content. By including and respecting diversity in our design process, we can ensure that barriers are lowered and everyone can access the content they need.
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Coolplay urges designers to leverage the inclusive principles of universal design and are guided by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 A/AA in how users access and consume our content.
Categories of Accessibility
Perceivable
Information and user-interface components must be presented in a way that users can sense them easily.
The visuals and the sounds must be close to real life
and the user's mental model.
Example: Do users know that there is a clickable
button on the App?
Operable
Users must be able to operate the interface and easily perform the tasks required in order to achieve their
goals. The interface should have not interactions users cannot perform.
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Example: Can users interact with a button?
Understandable
Users must be able to understand the information as well as well as the operation of the user interface. Content cannot be beyond comprehension.
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Example: Does the button have a descriptive label? Is it clear to the user what will occur if they interact with the button?
Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted
reliably by a wide variety of assistive technologies. As
technologies advance and browser and assistive technologies evolve, the content should remain accessible.
Example: Does the button work reliably and predictably across broad range of devices?
Approach
Accessibility requires a variety of methods to ensure that all
users can access content in a way that works for them.
Designers can do the following to foster the understanding of all the users:
. Promote human-centered design
. Design products with the above principles in mind
. Work closely with all stakeholders, including our customer
partners and end users
. Get feedback on features and functionality by people
with disabilities.
Contrast Ratios
All text, images of text, and icons should provide sufficient contrast so that users are able to navigate and interact with your interface easily. Contrast is displayed as a ratio that ranges from 1:1 to 21:1.
The difference between the two numbers indicates how much relative luminance (the relative brightness of any point in a colorspace) there is between the foreground and background colors. Contrast ratio requirements ensure that foreground content can easily be seen in front of a background color.
Color-contrast ratios will vary depending on font size and weight, and will generally be lower as text gets larger because the strokes on larger letters are wider and easier to read at a lower-contrast ratio.
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Ensuring that contrast ratios are properly met will allow all users to read and understand content. These W3C guidelines apply to contrast ratios:
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Text that is 14 pt or below must meet a 4.5:1 contrast ratio.
Text that is 14 pt and bold or larger than 18 pt must meet a 3:1 contrast ratio.
Contrast ratios also apply to text, non-text content, and images of text.
Non-text content must meet a 3:1 contrast ratio.