Practical UX: A Hands-on Guide to Getting Industry-Recognized Experience

Half Title....2

Title....4

Copyright....5

Dedication....6

Contents....8

Author Note....24

Introduction....20

Chapter 1: Find the Right Size Business....28

What This Process Teaches....28

Why Accessibility-Focused Evaluation and Design Is Important....29

Aim Small, Miss Small....30

How to Right-Size Your First Projects....31

Get Comfortable Delivering Value....31

Identifying Potential Customers....32

Tracking Your Outreach....33

Creating a “Someday Maybe” List....33

Follow Your Interests....34

Why They Say “The Riches Are in the Niches”....34

Suggestions For Small Businesses You Can Approach....35

Do you love animals?....35

Are you into food?....36

Are you a music fan?....36

Are you passionate about sustainability and eco-friendly living?....36

Are you into beauty and fashion?....37

Do you like education and lifelong learning?....37

Do you enjoy gaming or geek culture?....38

Do you love weddings?....38

Are you a DIYer or love handmade goods?....38

Do you enjoy physical activities and sports?....39

Do you love traveling or exploring?....39

Focus on What You Already Know....40

Start Local....41

Find Hidden Businesses Near You....41

Build Personal Relationships by Connecting in Person....42

Who Do You Know?....42

Who Do They Know?....44

Chapter 2: How to Approach the Business....46

Understanding Small Business Goals....46

What Kind of Customers Small Businesses Need....47

Likely Goals for Small Businesses....47

Quickly Assessing Success Metrics....48

The First Impression....49

Communicating the Value You Bring....50

Approach with Empathy....50

Communicating the Value of an Accessible Website....51

Making Money....51

Saving Money....52

Reducing Spending....52

Getting Comfortable Talking About What You Do....53

Describe What You Do....54

Follow a Script....55

Practice Makes Proficient....55

Chapter 3: Sell Your Service....58

Introduction to Selling....58

Understanding the Importance of Selling....59

Getting into a Sales Mindset....59

What You Are Selling....60

Why Offer a Website Evaluation for $100?....60

What Makes This an Easy Yes....61

How to Ask for the Sale....62

Be Honest About Your Experience Level....62

Use Plain Language, Not Industry Jargon....62

The Most Effective Communication Channels....63

Contact Form....63

Email....63

Phone....64

In Person....64

How to Use Social Media to Connect with Small Business Owners....65

Find the Right Businesses to Connect With....65

Engage First, Don’t Sell Immediately....65

Slide Into the DMs (Professionally!)....65

Use Instagram and TikTok Stories for Visibility....66

Join Small Business Facebook & LinkedIn Groups....66

Follow Up Without Being Pushy....66

Say the Words....67

Go for “No”....68

Expect Them to Say “No”....68

Set a Goal: 100 No’s....69

Handling Rejection Gracefully....69

How to Overcome Objections and Ask Again....70

Thank Them for Their Time....71

What to Do If They Say “Yes”....71

Always Get Paid Before Starting the Work....72

How You Can Receive Payment....72

Basic Legal Considerations....73

Reporting Requirements....73

Business Structure....74

Collecting Sales Tax....74

Written Agreements....74

Liability Insurance....74

Limitation of Liability....75

Example Statement of Limitation of Liability....76

Chapter 4: Evaluate the Website....78

Conduct a Stakeholder Interview First....78

Follow a Stakeholder Interview Template....79

Timeliness....79

Completeness....79

About the Business and Customers....80

Website Design Questions....81

Alternatively, Treat This Like Speculative Work....81

Identify the User Goals....81

Conduct a Website Evaluation....82

First Impressions and Seven Basic Requirements....82

Privacy Policy....84

Terms and Conditions....84

Accessibility Statement....84

Cookie Policy and Consent Notification....85

Data Storage Policy....85

Copyright Notice....85

If the Website Sells Products or Services, Is It Using HTTPS?....86

Why HTTPS Matters for Every Website....86

How SSL Certificates Work....86

How to Check if a Website Has SSL....87

How to Get an SSL Certificate for Your Website....87

Troubleshooting Common SSL Issues....88

Final Thoughts....88

Understanding POUR Principles....89

Perceivable....89

Operable....89

Understandable....89

Robust....89

Scoring and Prioritizing....90

Scoring....90

Priority....91

Completeness of Assessment....91

Accessibility Tab....91

Interactions Do Not Require a User to Use a Mouse. Every Functionality Is Fully Keyboard Accessible....92

Target Areas and Calls to Action (CTAs) Are Set to Be at Least 44x44 Pixels....92

There Are Clear, Visible Indicators Set on All Active Elements as They Receive Focus....93

Pages Have Meaningful Title Text, with Page-Specific Information Going First....93

Page Titles and Primary Headings (’s) Are the Same or Similar....93

Pages Have Meaningful Headings for Each Section....94

Links’ Purpose May Be Discerned from Link Text Alone, or the Immediate Context....94

A “Skip Link” Is Provided at the Very Top of the Page and Is Revealed on Focus....95

Organization of Navigation Is Logical and Facilitates Users Finding What They Need....95

Content That Looks like a Heading Is Defined as Such....96

Heading Structure Hierarchy Does Not Skip Any Levels....96

Navigation Menus Are Structured Using Lists....97

Form Controls (Inputs) Are Assigned a Meaningful, Visible Text Label....97

Groupings of Form Elements Share a Common Group Label....98

Information Conveyed Through Sensory Characteristics Is Also Supported in Text....98

Data Tables Are Clearly Assigned Header Columns and/or Rows....98

Labels and Instructions Are Worded in Text to Provide Users with Adequate Support....99

Labels and Instructions Are Located in Close Proximity to Their Controls....99

Required Fields Are Identified as Such in the Label Text....100

Users Are Not Required to Remember Information Between Pages in a Multi-Step Process....100

Body Text (and Other Small Text) Should Have a Contrast Ratio of at Least 4.5:1....101

Large Text Should Have a Contrast Ratio of at Least 3:1....101

Link Text Copy Has a Contrast Ratio of at Least 3:1 Against Its Surrounding Text....101

Foreground/Background Contrast Ratio of Meaningful Graphics Is at Least 3:1....101

Images Do Not Have Text Embedded in Them....102

Line Spacing (Also Known as Leading) Is Set to at Least 1.5 in Paragraphs, and Twice as Much Between Paragraphs....103

Selected Typefaces Are Easy to Read and Render Properly on Mobile....103

Content Is Designed in Short Blocks of Text That Are Easier to Manage Cognitively....103

Headings and Form Labels Are Worded So They Are Meaningful to Users....104

Changes in Language Within the Page Are Specified for Assistive Technologies....104

Content Is Made Easier to Understand by Leveraging Plain Language Principles....105

Repeated Elements Are Consistent Throughout the Website....105

The Number of Steps Required to Complete an Action Are Minimal....106

Functionalities and Features Are Easily Discoverable....106

Both Portrait and Landscape Orientations Are Supported....107

Users Are Informed When Providing Input Triggers a Change of Context....107

Users Are Informed When Setting the Focus on a Control Triggers a Change of Context....108

Users Are Provided with a Mechanism to Ask for Time Extensions Ahead of Time....108

Upcoming Session Timeouts Are Clearly Identified as Such in the Design....109

Users Can Turn Off, Adjust, or Extend Time Limits When Sessions Are About to Run Out....109

Options to Postpone or Suppress Interruptions Are Offered. Users Should Be Able to Request Content Updates Rather Than Content Being Updated Automatically....110

There Are Mechanisms to Save Data and Allow Data Recovery After User Re-Authenticates....110

Moving and/or Animated Content Can Be Paused, Stopped, or Hidden....111

Video and Audio Files Are Not Set to Auto-Play....111

Audio Volume Is Adjustable via a Visible, Labeled Control....111

Flashing or Blinking Effects Are Slower Than Three Times per Second....112

Informational Images Are Provided With Meaningful Alt Text Describing Their Content....113

Decorative Images Are Identified So They Can Be Ignored By Assistive Technologies....113

Active Images Are Provided With Meaningful Alt Text Describing Their Purpose....113

Complex Images Are Given Alt Text and An Extended Full Text Description....114

Transcripts Are Provided for Audio-Only and Video- Only Content....114

Synchronized Captions Are Provided for Pre-Recorded Videos....115

Audio Description Tracks Are Provided for Pre-Recorded Videos....115

Transcript Content Is Formatted for Scannability and Readability....115

Tab 1: Wayfinding and Organization....116

The User Understands Where They Are Within the Website....116

Menu and Button Labels Have the Keyword(s) First, Forming Unique Labels with Semantic Meaning....116

Related and Interdependent Form Fields Appear on the Same Screen in All Situations....117

Progress Is Displayed Throughout Multi-Page Processes....117

Tab 2: Visibility of System Status....118

Disabled Fields Are Clearly Discernible from Enabled Fields....118

Actionable Content Is Obvious....119

Selected Options Are Clearly Indicated with the Help of Highlights....119

Table Sorting: It Is Clear What Is Sortable and What Is Currently Sorted....119

Table Filtering: It Is Clear If a Filter Has Been Applied and What Is Currently Filtered....120

There Is Feedback for Meaningful User Interaction....120

Widget Response Time Is Brief and Provides User Feedback....121

What Is a Widget?....121

Processes Over Two Seconds Show Progress....122

Tab 3: Content Clarity and Readability....122

Form Field Labels Are Arranged in a Readable Vertical Format....122

Obvious Distinctions Are Made Between Choose One and Choose Many Options....123

The Website Uses Font Sizes That Are Large Enough to Be Comfortably Read on Standard Displays....123

The Website Uses Larger Font Sizes for Metrics and Data....124

Dates Are Clear for All Users, Including International Users....124

Metrics Are Labeled Clearly, with Detailed Information About the Data Easily Available as Needed....124

Tab 4: User Control and Freedom....125

Informed Choices: The Consequences of Actions a User Can Take Are Communicated Clearly....125

In the Context of a Multi-Step User Flow, the User Can Go Back to Previous Steps and Make Changes....126

Users Can Cancel an Operation in Progress and Be Returned to the Immediate Point from Where They Started Within the Process....126

Users Are Prompted to Confirm Commands That Have Destructive Consequences....126

Users Can Easily Undo an Action....127

Users Can Easily Redo an Action....127

User-Created Data Can Be Changed or Deleted....128

Tab 5: Consistency and Standards....128

Most Important Information Is First or Near the Beginning of the Page....128

Icons Used Follow a Design Scheme That Is Consistent Across the Website....128

Field Labels Are Left-Justified and to the Left of the Input Field or Above It....129

Selected Colors Are Consistent with Common Expectations About Communicating with Color....129

Titles and Labels Are Semantically Consistent....129

Numbers, Currency, and Symbols Are Shown Consistently Across the System....130

Tab 6: Recognition Rather Than Recall....130

Consistent Use of Visual and Text Prompts....130

Main Icons Are Easily Remembered After Initial Experience....130

Icons That Are Custom to the Product Are Consistently Used....131

Icons That Are Less Familiar Have Labels Near the Icons....131

Tab 7: Flexibility and Efficiency of Use....131

For All Transaction Sequences, All Required Data Is Obviously Marked for the User....132

Users Are Not Asked for Too Much Information, or More Than the Bare Minimum for the Task at Hand....132

Users Are Able to Customize Information, Selections, or Views to Suit Their Needs....132

The System Supports Accelerators, Such as Keyboard Shortcuts....133

Information Is Filled in for the User as Much as Possible....133

Tab 8: Aesthetic and Minimalist Design....134

Headings Are Brief, Yet Long Enough to Communicate....134

The Interface Is Uncluttered, and Contains No (or Minimal) Decorative Elements....134

Content Is Brief and Concise, Providing Enough Information for Users to Understand What Actions to Take....135

Content Is Prioritized to Support User Goals....135

Tab 9: Error Prevention and Recovery....136

Required Format Shown When Users Need to Enter Information Formatted Specifically....136

Forms Give a Clear Indication of the Number of Character Spaces Available in a Field....136

The System Warns Users When They’re About to Make a Potentially Serious Error....137

Errors and Informational Messages Have a Link for More Details When Appropriate....137

Error Messages Use Consistent and Traditional Grammatical Style, Form, Terminology, and Abbreviations....138

Error Messages Are Clearly Worded and Use the Normal Action-Object Syntax Consistently....138

Error Messages Suggest the Cause and Solution to the Problem....138

Prompts Are Clear and Concise, Providing Preventive Measures to Be Taken....139

Prompts Are Expressed in Plain Language with No Error Codes or Jargon....139

Tab 10: Help and Documentation....139

The Help System Interface Is Consistent with the Navigation, Presentation, and Conversation Interfaces of the Application It Supports....140

Assistive Documentation Is Easy to Find and Search, and Is Offered in the Context of the Tasks the User Is Trying to Complete....140

Assistive Documentation Offers Concrete Steps That Users Can Follow to Complete Their Tasks....141

Users Can Start Work Where They Left Off After Accessing Help and Switch Back to Help Again Easily, If Required....141

Chapter 5: Synthesize and Recommend....142

Assessment Results....142

Automated Tools....142

Summary Tab....143

Evaluation Details....143

Score Legend....144

Evaluation Scores....144

Scores Above 3....144

Identify Must-Fix Issues....145

Prioritize the Issues and Make Recommendations....146

Prioritize High-Impact Problems....146

Example 1: Beauty Services....147

Example 2: Bar, Restaurant, and Music Venue....148

Example 3: Non-Profit Website....149

Create Recommendation Visuals....151

Screenshots with Annotations....151

“Franken-Mockups”....152

Wireframes....154

High-Fidelity Mockups and Prototypes....154

Chapter 6: Report and Present....156

Use a Slide Deck Template....156

Update the Template....157

Slide 1....157

Slide 2....158

Slide 3....158

Slide 4....159

Slide 5....160

Slide 6....160

Describe the Most Important Issues....161

Slide 7....161

Slide 8....162

Show Your Ideas for Improvement....163

Slide 9....163

Slide 10....164

Slides 11–13....164

Call out Legal and Financial Implications....165

Slide 14....166

Schedule a Meeting with Stakeholders....166

Follow Proper Meeting Etiquette....167

Respect Everyone’s Time....167

Wrap It Up....168

Follow Up....168

Chapter 7: Sell Yourself to Do the Work....170

Pitching Your Services....170

What to Charge....170

Having the Money Conversation....171

What to Say When Offering Your Services....172

Understanding Proposals vs. Statements of Work (SOWs)....173

What Goes Into a Website Design Refresh Proposal?....173

How to Estimate UX Work (Especially Small Fixes)....174

Suggested Time For Fixing Accessibility Issues....175

Be Honest (With Yourself) About Your Abilities....177

What is the Meaning of “Done”....179

Your Legal Requirements....180

Business Entity or Independent Contractor....180

How to Get Paid....180

Check Local Requirements....181

Getting Started On the Work to Be Done....181

Creating an SOW (Statement of Work)....181

Establish Communication Guidelines....183

Document Everything....183

Manage Scope Creep....184

What is the Meaning of “Done” For Real?....184

Chapter 8: Create a Case Study....186

Describe Impact....187

Using Second-Order Thinking....187

Focus on Business Value....188

Make Metrics Meaningful....189

Show Outcomes over Output....190

Use a Template for Showing Outcomes....192

Make the Minimum Viable Case Study....193

Update Your Professional Details....194

Update Your Resume....195

Update Your LinkedIn Profile....195

Finally, Congratulations!....196

Citations....198

Index....200

Landing your first UX design job is tougher than ever. Practical UX: A Hands-on Guide to Getting Industry-Recognized Experience provides the missing piece: a proven methodology for gaining real-world experience while you build your portfolio and earn income. This book provides a complete roadmap for conducting accessibility-focused website evaluations for small businesses, giving you the edge you need in today's competitive job market. Learn how to identify clients, price your services, conduct professional evaluations, and create compelling case studies that showcase your skills. Includes practical resources like templates, spreadsheets, and documentation samples to get you started immediately.