Deeper Frontend
Welcome to Deeper Frontend, a series of articles that explores the expansive field of frontend development from a non-coding perspective. This series is designed for those interested in the strategic, design, and user-experience aspects of digital projects. While traditional technical topics such as WCAG, a11y, and ARIA are essential, we’re broadening the discussion to include methodologies that shape user interaction, accessibility, and usability in profound ways. Below, you’ll find a series of themes we’ll delve into, each paired with practical techniques and insights to enhance the digital experience.
Looking at frontend development from a non-coding perspective, there are several key areas beyond WCAG, a11y, and ARIA that can be explored to improve user experience, accessibility, and usability. Here are some valuable techniques and methodologies:
1. UX & UI Design Principles
Understanding the fundamentals of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design will help you create intuitive and accessible designs.
Gestalt Principles – How users perceive visual elements
Hick’s Law – Limiting choices to reduce cognitive load
Fitts’s Law – Optimizing interactive elements for usability
Color Theory & Contrast – Ensuring readability and accessibility
These principles form the backbone of effective design. By recognizing how users naturally perceive and interact with visual information, you can create interfaces that not only look appealing but are also intuitive to use.
2. Inclusive Design
This goes beyond accessibility to ensure equitable experiences for all users, including those with different abilities, cultures, and backgrounds.
Microsoft Inclusive Design Principles – Recognizing exclusion, learning from diversity, solving for one, extending to many
Cognitive Load Reduction – Using simple layouts, familiar patterns, and progressive disclosure
Inclusive design challenges us to rethink the way interfaces are built by acknowledging diversity and striving to accommodate every user’s needs. It emphasizes the importance of simplicity and clarity, ensuring that everyone can interact with digital products comfortably and effectively.
3. Usability Testing & User Research
Even if you're not coding, you can help shape frontend development by gathering user feedback and testing designs.
Heuristic Evaluation – Following usability principles (Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics)
A/B Testing – Comparing different UI versions to see what works best
User Personas & Journey Mapping – Understanding user needs and pain points
User research and testing are crucial for validating design decisions. Through structured feedback mechanisms and real-world testing, you can identify usability issues and opportunities for enhancement, ensuring that the final product aligns with user expectations.
4. Performance & Optimization Awareness
A slow site affects usability and accessibility. While developers handle the technical side, you can focus on:
Core Web Vitals – Metrics like LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift), and FID (First Input Delay)
Lazy Loading & Efficient Asset Management – Ensuring media and images don’t slow down the site
Mobile-First Approach – Ensuring seamless experience on small screens
Performance is a shared responsibility. Understanding the key metrics and strategies behind site optimization allows non-developers to contribute meaningfully to performance discussions, ensuring that the user experience remains smooth across all devices.
5. Content Strategy & Readability
Great frontend experiences rely on clear, concise, and accessible content.
Plain Language Guidelines – Writing simple, direct, and easy-to-understand content
Microcopy & UX Writing – Making buttons, forms, and error messages user-friendly
Typography & Readability Standards – Choosing fonts and spacing for readability
Content is at the heart of every digital interaction. An effective content strategy not only supports usability but also reinforces the overall design by ensuring that information is presented in a clear and engaging manner.
6. Ethical & Psychological Design Considerations
Dark Patterns Awareness – Avoiding deceptive design practices
Neurodiversity-Friendly Design – Considering ADHD, dyslexia, and cognitive disabilities in UI/UX
Privacy & Consent UX – Creating ethical, transparent experiences with GDPR-friendly cookie banners and data collection
Finally, ethical and psychological considerations remind us that design choices carry significant impact. By avoiding manipulative practices and prioritizing user well-being, we create digital experiences that are both respectful and empowering.
Each section of this series will unpack these topics further, providing insights and actionable strategies to help you engage with frontend development from a broader, more holistic perspective. Enjoy the journey as we explore how thoughtful design can transform the way users interact with digital content.