Trauma-informed design for the next generation

When we think about what makes technology or a website accessible, we consider things like color contrast and keyboard accessibility as checkboxes. However, accessibility can be different for those struggling with mental health.

Seventy percent of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. UX can have a massively positive impact whether or not people who struggle with mental health have their needs met and feel included.

Together, we will navigate trauma-informed, mental-health-driven principles and how to integrate them into our design practices.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• Why users’ mental health should play a larger role in our practice
• The most common cognitive barriers that may trigger anxieties during the human-computer interaction
• How to put on a trauma-informed lens when designing

Who will benefit most: This session is for people who yearn for more ethical work, especially in a time with large-scale negative impacts of attention-extracting tech. It’s an excellent opportunity for people who want to adapt their design choices post-COVID-19 with mental health at the forefront.