You know that feeling when you land on a beautiful website but can’t figure out how to do the one thing you came for? That’s not just bad design — it’s exclusion in action. Interaction design, or IxD, isn’t just about making things pretty or smooth. It’s about making sure everyone – yes, everyone – can use, enjoy, and trust what you’ve built. And when designers overlook accessibility, entire groups of users get shut out of digital spaces they rely on. Let’s talk about what that really looks like.
The Subtle Art of Driving People Away
We’ve all been there:
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A form that traps you in a field when using the keyboard
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A modal that opens and steals focus, but won’t give it back
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A carousel that plays automatically, with no pause button in sight
These aren’t just annoyances. For users who rely on assistive tech, or who navigate with a keyboard, or who have cognitive processing differences, these “quirks” are hard stops. The result? Frustration. Isolation. And more often than not, abandonment. A badly designed interaction isn’t just clunky – it’s a door that’s slammed shut.
Blueberries and Cupcakes
Accessibility works best when it’s baked in. Picture this: you’re making cupcakes and someone hands you blueberries after they’re already in the oven. Too late, right? That’s how many teams approach accessibility. Instead of designing with it from the beginning, they try to add it on at the end – usually with some panic, a plugin, and a hope for the best. But when you mix accessibility into your design from the start, the experience just works. For everyone.
What Does Accessible Interaction Look Like?
It’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about making sure the wheel is usable. So what’s a great starting point?
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Clear focus states so keyboard users know where they are
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Intuitive controls that don’t rely on colour or icon-only labels
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Robust error messages that guide users gently, not cryptically
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Compatibility with screen readers, voice commands, and other assistive tech
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Low cognitive load through consistent patterns and simplified flows
These changes aren’t hard. But they do take intention. And that’s where designers come in.
Designers, This is Your Moment
Interaction tweaks can change everything. One decision, like setting the correct tab order or labelling a form field properly, can turn a frustrating experience into a welcoming one. You already have the skills. Now it’s just about applying them with a wider lens. Design for your ideal user, yes, but don’t stop there. Design for the real world. The messy, diverse, beautifully varied world we all live in. Next time you open Figma or sketch on a napkin, ask yourself: is this interaction usable by everyone? Would this experience still work with no mouse? No vision? Limited memory or mobility? And if not, what can I tweak to fix it? Small shifts in design can lead to big shifts in access. Accessibility isn’t the icing. It’s the batter.
