Individuals with visual, hearing, or cognitive impairments face specific challenges when interacting with visual elements such as logos. Design that does not take these needs into account can inadvertently exclude a significant part of society. What’s more, in several countries, legislation is becoming stricter about digital accessibility, making this a legal obligation as well as a moral one.

In this context of inclusion and diversity, an accessible logo is not just an example of good design; it is a conscious and responsible design.

In this article, we cover good practices and essentials of a logo developed from scratch with accessibility in mind, to make your brand accessible to everyone.

Inclusive logos: there’s more to it than alt-text

Logos are often overlooked when organizations or companies set out to make their websites more accessible. However, given their widespread use, they should be high on the list of accessibility updates and priorities. This doesn’t mean that you need to create an entirely new logo; even small adjustments can have a significant impact on users.

Many people believe that as long as you provide the right alt-text in the logo, you don’t need to worry about aspects such as color contrast, letter sizes, or focus effect. While this may be technically correct, since the logo is treated as an image and not as web content, we argue that true accessibility means providing an optimal experience for each user.

Below, we’ll describe the essential steps for creating an accessible logo, how to use it on the web, and some useful resources.

What makes a logo affordable

Colors: They should be high-contrast and easy to read. The colors of the brand should complement each other and, most importantly, have sufficient contrast so as not to blend in, especially for visually impaired users.

Source: Chris Holloway, Digital Accessibility Manager PwC (via Linkedin)

Source: Upanup

Read more: Color trends in 2023

Fonts: They should be easy to read. It is recommended to use simple, sans-serif fonts, avoiding fancy writing styles and typefaces. In addition, fonts should be large enough to be easily read in different contexts and locations.

Logos don’t always need to include the font; however, in most cases, the font can add additional context and value. It is also important to ensure that you choose a font that is clear, legible, and easy for the client to read. Using a thin, script or joined fonts can cause problems for clients who rely on optical character recognition (OCR) software.

Source: Upanup

Complexity: This should be kept to a minimum. The logo should be easy to identify and not too visually complex. Avoid using too many color palettes, gradients, or too many shades of the same color.

Source: Upanup 

Alternative Text: This should describe what is represented in the logo. If the logo is not a clickable element, it must describe what is in the image. If it is a clickable element, the context must also be provided.

Dark mode: Dark mode has become an option on many devices, and is a comfortable option even for those without vision problems. Most of today’s devices often use dark or high-contrast modes. Apple and Android devices don’t even have programs set up to turn off blue light, warm up the screen color, and invert colors like black and white. This in turn means that if you’re using a logo with a dark background and you haven’t provided alternatives, it will be harder to see. Try creating two logos, one to complement the dark mode and one for the light mode.

On her YouTube channel, Visually Impaired Designer, Angela, a graphic and user experience designer who is also visually impaired, tackles various issues related to accessible design, including logo design.

“Accessible design is good design – it benefits people who don’t have disabilities as well as people who do. Accessibility is all about removing barriers and providing the benefits of technology for everyone.” – Steven Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft Corporation

Define the basics: start with an accessible color palette

When it comes to color accessibility, contrast is fundamental and is a decisive factor in the readability of your content.

WCAG Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) establishes standard indices for the color contrast required between foreground and background elements for them to be accessible to individuals with color vision deficiency (CVD), low vision, or blindness.

It is important to note that color accessibility is not subjective. A color combination either meets the Level AA criteria or does not. Conveniently, there are online tools (such as Stark) that tell you whether a color combination passes or fails the accessibility test at the touch of a button.

If you want your brand to transition seamlessly between print and digital spaces, you need a distinctive and consistent color palette – which means that considering accessibility in the early stages of creative direction is imperative.

What if your current palette doesn’t meet the requirements?

Sometimes, small adjustments to your existing color palette can increase the contrast enough to meet accessibility requirements (make this blue a little darker, give this green a touch more, etc.). The image below shows a brand’s colors before and after being adjusted for accessibility – a relatively easy fix that keeps brand recognition intact.

Source: Radish Lab

Whether your company is tweaking its existing brand or doing a complete redesign, accessibility should always be considered in the early stages of the project.

If you’re working with a marketing agency, make sure you communicate that having an accessible color palette and typography is important to you (although a good agency should already have this in mind). This way, you’ll avoid blowing the budget on future changes.

Mission: to build a Digital World for all

Source: Diversability

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the already heavy reliance on digital platforms grew exponentially. As the mass inequalities disproportionately affecting people with disabilities became apparent, advocates turned to social media to spread messages of inclusion, equity, and justice.

The use of the digital space increased rapidly and became a central focus of disability activism, and advocates took the opportunity to highlight long-standing inequalities and barriers to access that had been largely ignored before.

Redesigning or creating inclusive logos is just one way of making brand content more accessible to all consumers, but it is also a must for brands that want to become or remain relevant in the increasingly diverse world we inhabit.

As we have seen, digital accessibility has become a must for brands wishing to become or remain relevant in the increasingly diverse world we inhabit.

Let’s remember that the digital world is vast and diverse, and each person has a unique way of interacting with it. Our mission is to open the doors of the digital experience to everyone, without exception.

Accessibility guidelines are like roads that we continually explore and improve. Consistently maintaining accessibility is our compass, ensuring that we never stray from the path of inclusion.

We will create content that is more than functional, that is welcoming, comfortable, and accessible for everyone. Exceeding compliance guidelines isn’t just an act of kindness, it’s a reflection of our commitment to making everyone feel at home in our digital world. Together, we build a space where no one is left behind.

If your brand needs a rebranding, read this article. If you need help, get to know the Scallent model and work with us!