Eco-design & web accessibility: why does it matter to us?
Designing websites that are fast, accessible and scalable
Digital technology now sits at the heart of our organizations, our public services and our everyday interactions. Yet behind every website, application, service or piece of digital infrastructure there are very real impacts: environmental ones (energy use, extraction of raw materials, hardware replaced because of software obsolescence) and social ones (human exploitation, whole groups left out, the harmful effects of the digital sector).
A different digital path is possible.
When it comes to websites, plenty of them quickly turn heavy, complex, hard to maintain and, for some of the people using them, barely accessible.
A website has to look good, but that is not all! It also has to be efficient, useful, fast, accessible, lightweight and built to last.
We create websites and webshops that answer the real needs of non-profits, freelancers and small businesses, and those of the people or patients they serve.
We build only what delivers real value, in the way that is least harmful to the environment and in a more ethical* manner. All of it in full collaboration and transparency with you.
*By ethics we mean here steering clear of every data-capture, tracking and data-retention technique, of dark patterns (techniques that deliberately push a user into doing something they would not have done of their own accord) and of the giant platforms such as the GAFAM.
Our vision of web eco-design
Eco-design is not only about compressing images or pushing up a performance score. It is a design practice concerned with how useful, simple, coherent and sustainable digital solutions are. We favor:
- web architectures that are simple, maintainable and scalable
- clear, lightweight interfaces
- keeping pointless features, trackers and third-party tools to a minimum
- cutting back superfluous technical dependencies
- long-lasting technologies matched to real needs and able to evolve over time
- speed, ease, transparency and accessibility
- solutions that respect your data, hosted in Europe
- an ethical approach, with no dark patterns and no data capture
Eco-scores (EcoIndex, Website Carbon…) are useful to raise awareness, but they are no proof of real impact: we do not boil eco-design down to a score.
Want to get a better grasp of what is at stake? Take a look at our awareness training.
Digital accessibility is not optional
We pay close attention to digital accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities. That means thinking about web interfaces inclusively right from the design stage:
- clear navigation;
- sufficient contrast;
- keyboard support;
- a consistent semantic structure;
- support for assistive technologies;
- content that is structured, understandable and readable.
For online shops (webshops), we also go for a pragmatic, incremental approach. Rather than piling on dozens of features or extensions by default, we set out to build tools that are:
- reliable;
- easy to manage;
- matched to real needs;
- able to grow step by step.
Accessibility does not only help the people directly concerned. It raises the overall quality of digital services: readability, simplicity of use, robustness, comfort for everyone using them and better organic search results (SEO).
We are not experts in digital accessibility for people with disabilities, but we apply what we do know as far as we can so that our digital work is, by default, as accessible as possible to everyone. In particular, we rely on the WCAG and RGAA accessibility standards.
If you spot a serious accessibility problem in our work, get in touch with us.
A pragmatic approach
We do not believe in unrealistic promises, nor in the marketing talk around “green digital technology” or “sustainable digital technology” in the sense of being “good” for the environment. We question ourselves regularly on all this so we can work transparently and back up with facts what we claim and what we create, with the aim of limiting our impacts.
Every project is different and comes with its own technical, budget and organizational constraints. Our goal is to move forward pragmatically, working at the very least on:
- choosing solutions that respect our data and are hosted in Europe;
- significantly reducing the impact of our digital work whenever we can;
- favoring simple solutions and avoiding needless complexity;
- building tools that are useful, scalable and accessible.
What does that mean in practice on our projects?
- Optimizing the performance and page weight of websites and applications;
- Limiting pointless scripts and dependencies;
- Technical SEO optimization;
- Care given to mobile usage and slow connections (responsive design and universal accessibility, even in remote areas);
- Cutting back superfluous features;
- Putting good accessibility practices in place;
- Thoughtful maintenance and evolution of existing systems.
Our philosophy
We treat eco-design and accessibility as continuous improvement practices.
Every organization has its own constraints, resources and priorities. Within those constraints, we do all we can to build digital and web services that are lighter, more useful, more inclusive and more sustainable over time (in the sense of being able to evolve).
If these principles speak to you, we would love to work with you on your web projects.