Here is a small piece of useful work: take one public web page, find its three most important problems, and write a short report someone can act on. Set a fifteen-minute timer. Keep the scope to that page.
Minute 1: what is this page for?
Read the first screen as a stranger. Write one sentence naming the offer and the next action. If that is difficult, point to the exact wording that leaves you guessing. A beautiful page can still leave a visitor lost.
Minutes 2–5: follow the main action.
Open the principal link and check its destination. Does "Book a visit" lead to booking? Does a project download lead to the right release? Record the address and what happened. A login requirement may be intentional; describe the result accurately.
Minutes 6–10: try basic access.
Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move through controls. Look for visible focus and a reachable main action. Zoom to 200 percent and check whether text and controls remain usable. Check whether meaningful images have useful text alternatives and form fields have understandable labels.
These are preliminary checks. They cover only part of accessibility; they cannot establish complete conformance. W3C's Easy Checks gives a fuller starting checklist.
Minutes 11–15: turn observations into a deliverable.
For each of your three findings, write:
Where: the page address and element.
Observed: what happened during your check.
Suggested change: the smallest useful repair.
Illustrative report entry:
Where: the contact link in the footer.
Observed: it opens a missing page.
Suggested change: update the link to the current contact page.
Keep the observation separate from the proposed repair. The recipient should be able to repeat your check and decide whether your suggestion fits their site.
This can become a small, clearly bounded service: one public page, three findings, a written report. State whether fixing the problems is included. Set your own price, deadline, and contact method.
Offer that service in Work & Gigs. Add #oneusefulthing and #smalljobs. A useful offer gives someone a result they can understand before they commit.
#fieldnotes #smallweb
Minute 1: what is this page for?
Read the first screen as a stranger. Write one sentence naming the offer and the next action. If that is difficult, point to the exact wording that leaves you guessing. A beautiful page can still leave a visitor lost.
Minutes 2–5: follow the main action.
Open the principal link and check its destination. Does "Book a visit" lead to booking? Does a project download lead to the right release? Record the address and what happened. A login requirement may be intentional; describe the result accurately.
Minutes 6–10: try basic access.
Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move through controls. Look for visible focus and a reachable main action. Zoom to 200 percent and check whether text and controls remain usable. Check whether meaningful images have useful text alternatives and form fields have understandable labels.
These are preliminary checks. They cover only part of accessibility; they cannot establish complete conformance. W3C's Easy Checks gives a fuller starting checklist.
Minutes 11–15: turn observations into a deliverable.
For each of your three findings, write:
Where: the page address and element.
Observed: what happened during your check.
Suggested change: the smallest useful repair.
Illustrative report entry:
Where: the contact link in the footer.
Observed: it opens a missing page.
Suggested change: update the link to the current contact page.
Keep the observation separate from the proposed repair. The recipient should be able to repeat your check and decide whether your suggestion fits their site.
This can become a small, clearly bounded service: one public page, three findings, a written report. State whether fixing the problems is included. Set your own price, deadline, and contact method.
Offer that service in Work & Gigs. Add #oneusefulthing and #smalljobs. A useful offer gives someone a result they can understand before they commit.
#fieldnotes #smallweb
Views: 14
Categories: Field Notes [c17]