In 2018 Hearst Digital Magazines started an ambitious project to modernize its platform. The goal was to move the code and design to a modern and performant stack that would scale and accommodate our growth.

Faced with hundreds of templates and features to update across all of our sites, we seized the opportunity to refactor our design system and create a component library which would serve as a living single source of truth for all of product, design, and engineering.

In light of the upcoming EAA mandate as well as major accessibility lawsuits making the news we partnered with Deque Systems for a multi year contract for accessibility audits, training and education.

I was promoted to Staff Product Designer and took on the role as Accessibility Lead. Good design is usable, an inherent trait shared with accessibility.

In this case study I will share insight into developing a successful accessibility process that shifted accessibility left, incorporating it into the foundation and planning of our process and platform.

The accessibility initiative and worked with Deque Systems, industry leaders in accessibility that are actively involved with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) the W3C authoritative standard  for web accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.

In December 2024 the accessibility process and policies I proposed resulted in Deque Axe Monitor scores of 95% and higher for all US and European sites.

Due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, detailed designs, metrics, and internal materials cannot be shared. However, I am happy to discuss my role, process, and key outcomes in a private conversation—please reach out