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lang="en" href="/WAI/people/"><span>Accessibility is About People</span></a></li><li><a lang="en" href="/WAI/perspective-videos/"><span>Perspectives Videos</span></a></li><li><a lang="en" href="/WAI/perspective-videos/layout/" aria-current="page"><span>Clear Layout and Design</span></a></li></ul> </nav> <div class="default-grid with-gap leftcol"> <div class="sidenav"><nav class="sn-contents" aria-label="Secondary"> <ul class="sidenav--list"> <li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/" class="page-link"><span>Accessibility Fundamentals</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/" class="page-link"><span>Introduction to Accessibility</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/videos/standards-and-benefits/" class="page-link"><span>Video Introduction</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people/" aria-current="location" class="page-link"><span>Accessibility is About People</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/perspective-videos/" 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href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/story-four/" class="page-link"><span>Lexie's Story</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/story-five/" class="page-link"><span>Sophie's Story</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/story-six/" class="page-link"><span>Dhruv's Story</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/story-seven/" class="page-link"><span>Marta's Story</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/story-eight/" class="page-link"><span>Stefan's Story</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/story-nine/" class="page-link"><span>Elias' Story</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/" class="page-link"><span>Diverse Abilities and Barriers</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/auditory/" class="page-link"><span>Auditory</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/cognitive/" class="page-link"><span>Cognitive and Learning</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/physical/" class="page-link"><span>Physical</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/speech/" class="page-link"><span>Speech</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/visual/" class="page-link"><span>Visual</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/" class="page-link"><span>Tools and Techniques</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/perception/" class="page-link"><span>Perception</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/presentation/" class="page-link"><span>Presentation</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/input/" class="page-link"><span>Input</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/people-use-web/tools-techniques/navigation/" class="page-link"><span>Interaction</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/older-users/" class="page-link"><span>Older Users and Accessibility</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/older-users/developing/" class="page-link"><span>How WCAG 2 Applies</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/older-users/literature/" class="page-link"><span>Literature Review</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-usability-inclusion/" class="page-link"><span>Accessibility, Usability, Inclusion</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/components/" class="page-link"><span>Components of Web Accessibility</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/" class="page-link"><span>Accessibility Principles</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/research/" class="page-link"><span>Research</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/research/user-requirements/" class="page-link"><span>User Requirements</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/research/ai2023/" class="page-link"><span>AI and Accessibility</span></a></li></ul></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/courses/" class="page-link"><span>Digital Accessibility Courses</span></a><ul><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/courses/foundations-course/" class="page-link"><span>W3C Foundations Online Course</span></a></li><li> <a lang="en" href="/WAI/courses/list/" class="page-link"><span>Course List</span></a></li></ul></li></ul></nav><nav class="sidenav-languages" aria-labelledby="languagehead"> <header id="languagehead">Languages/Translations</header> <ul class="langlist"> <li style="margin-bottom: 2px;"><strong style="text-transform: capitalize;">English (original)</strong></li><li style="margin-bottom: 2px;"><a style="text-transform: capitalize;" href="/WAI/perspective-videos/layout/fr" dir="auto" translate="no" lang="fr">français</a></li></ul> <p><a href="/WAI/translations/">All Translations</a></p> <p><a href="/WAI/about/translating/">Translating WAI Resources</a></p> </nav> </div> <main id="main" lang="en"> <header class="in-resource"> <h1> Clear Layout and Design </h1><p>in <a lang="en" href="/WAI/perspective-videos/"><span>Web Accessibility Perspectives Videos: Explore the Impact and Benefits for Everyone</span></a></p></header> <p>Web accessibility is essential for people with disabilities and useful for all. Learn about the impact of accessibility and the benefits for everyone in a variety of situations.</p> <h2 id="film" class="no-display">Video on Clear Layout and Design</h2> <div class="video-container" data-video-type="" dir="ltr"> <video preload="metadata" data-youtube-id="tfkzj5VC9P8" data-youtube-nocookie="true" data-description-audible="false" playsinline=""><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/perspective-videos/en/layout.en.vtt" label="English" kind="captions" srclang="en" default="" /><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/perspective-videos/fr/layout.fr.vtt" label="français" kind="subtitles" srclang="fr" /></video> </div> <div class="video-container" data-video-type="audio-described"> <video preload="metadata" data-youtube-id="w-2nFEUBELo" data-youtube-nocookie="true" data-description-audible="false" playsinline=""><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/perspective-videos/en/layout_ad.en.vtt" label="English" kind="captions" srclang="en" default="" /><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/perspective-videos/fr/layout_ad.fr.vtt" label="français" kind="subtitles" srclang="fr" /><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/perspective-videos/en/layout_ad_desc.en.vtt" label="English" kind="descriptions" srclang="en" default="" /><track src="/WAI/wai-videos/perspective-videos/fr/layout_ad_desc.fr.vtt" label="français" kind="descriptions" srclang="fr" /></video> </div> <p><button id="audio_description_button"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="icon-audio-description "><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-audio-description"></use></svg> <span>Enable Audio Description</span></button></p> <script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <script src="//cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/js-cookie@3.0.1/dist/js.cookie.min.js"></script> <script src="/WAI/assets/ableplayer/build/ableplayer.min.js"></script> <script src="//apis.google.com/js/client.js?onload=initGoogleClientApi"></script> <script> (function () { 'use strict'; let player1 = new AblePlayer($('[data-video-type=""] video')); const audiodescribed = document.querySelectorAll('[data-video-type="audio-described"]'); const nonaudiodescribed = document.querySelectorAll('[data-video-type=""]'); if (audiodescribed.length > 0) { let player2 = new AblePlayer($('[data-video-type="audio-described"] video')); Array.prototype.forEach.call(audiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.setAttribute('hidden', true); }); const adbutton = document.querySelector('#audio_description_button'); adbutton.addEventListener('click', function(e){ player1.pauseMedia(); player2.pauseMedia(); if (e.currentTarget.getAttribute('data-status') === "audio-described") { Array.prototype.forEach.call(nonaudiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.removeAttribute("hidden"); }); Array.prototype.forEach.call(audiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.setAttribute('hidden', true); }); e.currentTarget.setAttribute('data-status', 'non-audio-described'); e.currentTarget.querySelector('span').textContent = 'Enable Audio Description'; } else { Array.prototype.forEach.call(nonaudiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.setAttribute('hidden', true); }); Array.prototype.forEach.call(audiodescribed, function(el, i){ el.removeAttribute("hidden"); }); e.currentTarget.setAttribute('data-status', 'audio-described'); e.currentTarget.querySelector('span').textContent = 'Disable Audio Description'; } }); } }()); </script> <p>This video information is available as a <a href="#transcript">Text Transcript with Description of Visuals</a> below.</p> <h2 id="what">What is “Clear Layout and Design”?</h2> <p>The different parts of a web page must be easy to locate and identify. This includes navigation menus, links, and text sections. These should be at predictable locations and consistently identified. Also form labels and instructions have to be clearly associated with their controls.</p> <h2 id="who">Who depends on this feature?</h2> <ul> <li>People with low vision who are using screen magnification and only see a portion of the screen at a time.</li> <li>People with cognitive and learning disabilities who need clarity and consistency to orient themselves on a website.</li> </ul> <h2 id="others">What are the additional benefits?</h2> <ul> <li>Content is more usable for people who are new to the particular website or application.</li> <li>Content is more usable for people who are not confident using computers and the web.</li> <li>Content is more usable for mobile device users who are seeing it on smaller screens, especially if they are in a hurry or distracted.</li> <li>Content and functionality is easier to locate and identify by most users.</li> </ul> <h2 id="action">What needs to happen for this to work?</h2> <p>Design clear structure, both visually and through the markup. For example, make it easy to distinguish sections such as navigation, group related controls in a form, and provide headers to identify groups of information. Provide consistent presentation and behavior of web pages across a website.</p> <h2 id="resources">Learn more</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Accessibility Principle:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/#navigable">Users can easily navigate, find content, and determine where they are</a></li> <li><a href="/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/#predictable">Content appears and operates in predictable ways</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Getting Started:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="/WAI/tips/designing/#provide-clear-and-consistent-navigation-options">Provide clear and consistent navigation options</a></li> <li><a href="/WAI/tips/designing/#ensure-that-interactive-elements-are-easy-to-identify">Ensure that interactive elements are easy to identify</a></li> <li><a href="/WAI/tips/designing/#ensure-that-form-elements-include-clearly-associated-labels">Ensure that form elements include clearly associated labels</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Easy Check:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="/WAI/test-evaluate/preliminary/#forms">Forms, labels, and errors</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>User Story:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/archived/#classroomstudent">Preety, classroom student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia</a></li> <li><a href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/archived/#retiree">Yun, retiree with low vision, hand tremor, and mild short-term memory loss</a></li> <li><a href="/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories/archived/#supermarketassistant">Luis, supermarket assistant with Down syndrome</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (<a href="/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/">WCAG Overview</a>):</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?tags=layout">Success Criteria relating to “layout”</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Tutorial:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="/WAI/tutorials/page-structure/">Page Structure - Web Accessibility Tutorials</a> (draft)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2 id="transcript">Text Transcript with Description of Visuals</h2> <table> <thead> <tr> <th width="65%">Audio</th> <th>Visual</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Web Accessibility Perspectives: Clear Layout and Design</td> <td>Web Accessibility Perspectives:<br /> Clear Layout and Design</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Poor layout can be very frustrating.</td> <td>A man in a kitchen is looking for things to make a coffee. The man is frustrated about not finding what he is looking for.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>And the same applies to the Web. Good design involves good layout and that means a better user experience.<br /></td> <td> The man rearranges the kitchen in a time-lapse.<br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td>This includes clear headings, navigation bars, and consistent styling.<br /></td> <td>The man is now browsing a badly laid out pizza delivery website and is shaking his head.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Any web user will get frustrated with bad layout and design.</td> <td>A woman is using the same complex website with screen magnification. She only sees a portion of the screen at a time, so the website appears even more confusing.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Complex layouts also make finding information difficult or impossible for people with visual disabilities.</td> <td>The woman is shaking her head and is unable to use that website.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>And they are confusing for people with cognitive and learning disabilities who need clarity and consistency of the presentation.</td> <td>The man calls a friend over to help.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Bad design also impacts anyone who isn't particularly confident around computers.</td> <td>The friend is just as confused and navigates to a different, better pizza website.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Web accessibility: Essential for some, useful for all.</td> <td>This second website is much clearer and easier to use. They are both happy. The woman using screen magnification has also used that website and is delightfully eating a pizza.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Visit w3.org/WAI/perspectives for more information on Clear Layout and Design</td> <td>Visit<br /> w3.org/WAI/perspectives<br /> for more information on<br /> Clear Layout and Design. <br /> W3C Web Accessibility Initiative logo</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <nav class="pager" aria-label="Previous/Next Page"> <ul><li class="pager--item previous"> <a href="/WAI/perspective-videos/contrast/"> <svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-left pager--item-icon"><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-arrow-left"></use></svg> <span class="pager--item-text"> <span class="pager--item-text-direction">Previous:</span> <span class="pager--item-text-target">Colors with Good Contrast</span> </span> </a> </li><li class="pager--item next"> <a href="/WAI/perspective-videos/speech/"> <svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-right pager--item-icon"><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-arrow-right"></use></svg> <span class="pager--item-text"> <span class="pager--item-text-direction">Next:</span> <span class="pager--item-text-target">Text to Speech</span> </span> </a> </li> </ul></nav><aside class="box box-icon box-space-above" id="helpimprove" aria-label="feedback"><header class="box-h box-h-icon box-h-space-above box-h-icon"> <svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-comments "><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-comments"></use></svg> <h2> Help improve this page </h2></header><div class="box-i"><p>Please share your ideas, suggestions, or comments via e-mail to the publicly-archived list <a href="mailto:wai@w3.org?body=%5Binclude%20a%20relevant%20email%20Subject%5D%0A%0A%5Bput%20comment%20here...%5D%0A%0AI%20give%20permission%20to%20share%20this%20to%20a%20publicly-archived%20e-mail%20list.">wai@w3.org</a> or via GitHub.</p> <div class="button-group"> <a href="mailto:wai@w3.org?body=%5Binclude%20a%20relevant%20email%20Subject%5D%0A%0A%5Bput%20comment%20here...%5D%0A%0AI%20give%20permission%20to%20share%20this%20to%20a%20publicly-archived%20e-mail%20list." class="button"><span>E-mail</span></a><a href=" https://github.com/w3c/wai-website/edit/main/collections/_perspective-videos/layout.md " class="button"><span>Fork & Edit on GitHub</span></a><a href="https://github.com/w3c/wai-website/issues/new?template=content-issue.yml&wai-resource-id=wai-perspective-videos&wai-url=https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/layout/" class="button"><span>New GitHub Issue</span></a></div></div></aside> <a class="button button-backtotop" href="#top"><span><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-up "><use xlink:href="/WAI/assets/images/icons.svg#icon-arrow-up"></use></svg> Back to Top</span></a> </main> </div> <footer id="wai-site-footer" class="page-footer default-grid" aria-label="Page"> <div class="inner"><p><strong>Updated:</strong> 23 January 2019. <a href="/WAI/perspective-videos/changelog/">Latest changes</a>.</p><p><strong>Editor and project lead:</strong> <a href="https://www.w3.org/People/shadi">Shadi Abou-Zahra</a>. Developed by the <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/">Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG)</a> with support from the <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/DEV/">WAI-DEV project</a>, co-funded by the European Commission. 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