Today, we’re excited to share the story behind “Knock” - a professional development platform for aspiring home visitors. This isn’t just a training tool; it’s a resource-rich, assessment-driven professional community designed to help future home visitors determine if this path is right for them and access everything they need to get started confidently. From the outset, we made accessibility a core focus—because a product that works for everyone is what truly makes a difference.

1. High-Contrast Text and Elements

Once we defined the visual direction, our team ensured that all interface elements met contrast accessibility standards. We used contrasting colors for text, buttons, and icons against their backgrounds to improve readability and accessibility, especially in varying lighting conditions or for users with visual impairments.

2. Avoiding Color Alone for Information

We ensured that important information wasn’t communicated solely by color. Instead, we incorporated icons and text cues alongside color indicators to support users who may have difficulty distinguishing colors.

3. Readable Fonts

In our effort to make the platform easy to navigate, we carefully selected fonts that enhance readability. For headers, we chose PT Serif, a modern serif font known for its legibility and elegance. The slight serifs add character while maintaining a clean, professional look, making it easy to quickly identify and differentiate key content sections.

For body copy, we opted for Aileron, a versatile sans-serif font. Aileron’s simple, open letterforms and balanced proportions make it highly readable on screens of all sizes, reducing eye strain and improving the overall user experience. Together, PT Serif and Aileron provide a harmonious blend of style and clarity, ensuring that content is visually appealing and accessible to all users.

4. Larger Touch Targets

We ensured that buttons and other interactive elements met a minimum size of 44x44 pixels. This design choice accommodates users with motor impairments and reduces accidental taps, making the app more user-friendly.

4. Clear and Descriptive Iconography

We used universally recognized icons, like a magnifying glass for search or a house for home, and paired them with text labels. This approach helps all users, especially those new to digital interfaces, understand the icons’ meanings without confusion.

5. Responsive Design and Adjustable Layouts

Our design followed mobile-first principles to ensure accessibility and functionality on small screens as well as larger ones. Users have a smooth experience regardless of the device they’re using, from smartphones to tablets and desktops.

We created flexible layouts that adapt seamlessly to both portrait and landscape orientations, giving users the option to choose the orientation that works best for them.

5. Easy-to-Read Forms

Forms are often a critical interaction point in any app, so we paid special attention to making them accessible:

• Clear Labeling and Instructions: Each field is clearly labeled, with helpful placeholder text or guidance on the expected input content.
• Error Feedback: We provide specific feedback near form fields when errors occur, offering clear instructions on how to resolve them instead of generic error messages.

6. Inclusive Name Fields

We followed best practices to design name fields inclusively:

• Providing “Full Name” as a single input field, and adding a “Preferred Name” input field along with a note that explains the purpose of asking for it.
• No character length limitations.
• Support for punctuation marks like hyphens and apostrophes.
• Allowing accent marks where possible.
• Providing long input fields to accommodate lengthy names.
• Allowing spaces in names and make middle names optional.
• Disabling spell check on name fields to respect users’ names.

By integrating these accessibility features, we’ve created a platform that aims to be both inclusive and engaging for aspiring home visitors. While we understand that accessibility is a continuous process, we’re proud of the strides we’ve made to ensure a more user-friendly experience for everyone.