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01.25 - 04.25
FINRA
Accessibility Guidelines
FINRA
Accessibility Guidelines
Operationalizing Inclusive design via framework
Operationalizing Inclusive design via framework
Introduction
Introduction
Operationalizing Inclusive design
Operationalizing Inclusive design
Operationalizing Inclusive design
Overview
Overview
How might we enable product and engineering teams to make accessibility a standard through clear set of guideline, collaboration, and staying current with best practices?
Initial resistance to accessibility and the challenge of maintaining compliance with evolving regulations hinder the adoption of inclusive design practices.
How might we enable product and engineering teams to make accessibility a standard through clear set of guideline, collaboration, and staying current with best practices?
Initial resistance to accessibility and the challenge of maintaining compliance with evolving regulations hinder the adoption of inclusive design practices.
My Role
My Role
In this project, I served as a UI/UX Designer and Researcher, responsible for conducting primary user research, facilitating usability workshops, and designing wireframes and high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
In this project, I served as a UI/UX Designer and Researcher, responsible for conducting primary user research, facilitating usability workshops, and designing wireframes and high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
Solution
Solution
Create a comprehensive accessibility guide to help educate product and engineering teams on accessibility practices. Consolidate a enterprise wide design system and component library throughout the organization with the help of figma.
Create a comprehensive accessibility guide to help educate product and engineering teams on accessibility practices. Consolidate a enterprise wide design system and component library throughout the organization with the help of figma.
Peak into the solution
Peak into the solution
1.
Identify key challenges for FINRA internally when adopting WCAG
1.
Identify key challenges for FINRA internally when adopting WCAG
2.
Analyze existing accessibility guides or frameworks
2.
Analyze existing accessibility guides or frameworks
3.
Different user needs and workflows into one cohesive experience.
3.
Different user needs and workflows into one cohesive experience.
Secondary Research Insights
Secondary Research Insights
Lack of Awareness
Lack of Awareness
Many people and businesses don’t fully understand the importance of accessibility and accessibility standards.
Many people and businesses don’t fully understand the importance of accessibility and accessibility standards.
Inadequate Training & Resources
Inadequate Training & Resources
Teams lack access to comprehensive training, bootcamps, or materials on how to design and develop inclusively.
Teams lack access to comprehensive training, bootcamps, or materials on how to design and develop inclusively.
Stakeholder Buy-In
Stakeholder Buy-In
Difficulty convincing stakeholders, which leads to accessibility getting deprioritized.
Difficulty convincing stakeholders, which leads to accessibility getting deprioritized.
Late Integration
Late Integration
Accessibility isn’t considered until a project is well underway, causing frustration.
Accessibility isn’t considered until a project is well underway, causing frustration.
SME Interviews
1:1 Scheduled Interviews
SME Interviews
1:1 Scheduled Interviews
Concept Evaluation Survey
Contextual Questions, Card Sorting Activity
Concept Evaluation Survey
Contextual Questions, Card Sorting Activity
Approach Taken
Approach Taken
Primary Research
Primary Research
Primary Research
Concepts
Concepts
Concepts
Key Insights
Key Insights
Key Insights
SMEs
Engineering team
"Accessibility is a low priority gets put on the back burner often. Legally minimum vs kind. These legal minimums haven’t been updated since before the iPhone came out"
SMEs
Engineering team
"Accessibility is a low priority gets put on the back burner often. Legally minimum vs kind. These legal minimums haven’t been updated since before the iPhone came out"
SMEs
Director
"We want to shift the thought of accessibility “further left” down the timeline, closer to research and discovery phases."
SMEs
Director
"We want to shift the thought of accessibility “further left” down the timeline, closer to research and discovery phases."
SMEs
FINRA Product Team
"The APO also hosts weekly office hours where employees can bring their accessibility-related questions and get support from accessibility experts within the company."
SMEs
FINRA Product Team
"The APO also hosts weekly office hours where employees can bring their accessibility-related questions and get support from accessibility experts within the company."
SMEs
FINRA UX Writing
"At finra, its kind of iffy; since i have bg with accessibility, i keep track of color check and stuff but there is no process of rule at FINRA."
SMEs
FINRA UX Writing
"At finra, its kind of iffy; since i have bg with accessibility, i keep track of color check and stuff but there is no process of rule at FINRA."
SMEs
Director
"It involves accessibility experts and document a comprehensive accessibility plan to ensure it is properly addressed throughout the project."
SMEs
Director
"It involves accessibility experts and document a comprehensive accessibility plan to ensure it is properly addressed throughout the project."
SME's
Engineering team
"Different levels of “accessibility risk” is applied ot products (ex: wearables are high risk). Higher risk means more test."
SME's
Engineering team
"Different levels of “accessibility risk” is applied ot products (ex: wearables are high risk). Higher risk means more test."
We want to understand how…..
How can we best support accessible design for engineers and developers at FINRA?
We want to understand how…..
How can we best support accessible design for engineers and developers at FINRA?
500+
500+
Data points from Interviews and Survey responses.
Data points from Interviews and Survey responses.
Key Insight
Key Insight
Accessible design requires collaboration between developers, designers, and leadership.
Accessible design requires collaboration between developers, designers, and leadership.
Key Takeaway
Key Takeaway
All team members need a reliable unified source for accessible design practices.
All team members need a reliable unified source for accessible design practices.
Key Insight
Key Insight
Accessibility is best implemented when it’s considered early into projects.
Accessibility is best implemented when it’s considered early into projects.
Key Takeaway
Key Takeaway
Provide kickoff resources to help teams apply accessible practices as early as possible.
Provide kickoff resources to help teams apply accessible practices as early as possible.
Key Insight
Key Insight
Having a variety of resources leaves no questions unanswered about accessible design.
Having a variety of resources leaves no questions unanswered about accessible design.
Key Takeaway
Key Takeaway
Provide concise documentation that contextualizes accessibility practices to guide beginners and experts.
Provide concise documentation that contextualizes accessibility practices to guide beginners and experts.
Make accessibility a core design principle. Lead by living guidelines that can grow with FINRA.
Make accessibility a core design principle. Lead by living guidelines that can grow with FINRA.
Make accessibility a core design principle. Lead by living guidelines that can grow with FINRA.
Redefined HWM
Redefined HWM
Ideation
Ideation
Proposed Solutions
Proposed Solutions
Guidelines Website
A single unified source of truth that can answer questions for design teams, content writing, engineers!
Guidelines PDF
Easily Shareable Documents
Integrated Tools
Accessibility Worktools
Research
Card Sorting
Card Sorting
Home
Foundation
Getting Started
Resources
Accessibility and Inclusion
Learn how accessibility and inclusion are core design principles at FINRA.
Importance and Impact
Discover why accessibility and inclusion matter, shaping better experiences for all.
Feature Prioritization
Determining which elements and functionalities are most essential based on user needs.
Feature Prioritization
Determining which elements and functionalities are most essential based on user needs.
Organization Hierarchy
Establishing a clear structure for how content is grouped and categorized.
Organization Hierarchy
Establishing a clear structure for how content is grouped and categorized.
Guidelines Navigation
Ensuring users can easily find and access the guidelines within that structure.
Guidelines Navigation
Ensuring users can easily find and access the guidelines within that structure.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Learn how accessibility and inclusion are core design principles at FINRA.
Importance and Impact
Discover why accessibility and inclusion matter, shaping better experiences for all.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Learn how accessibility and inclusion are core design principles at FINRA.
Importance and Impact
Discover why accessibility and inclusion matter, shaping better experiences for all.
Home
Home
About the Guidelines
Discover how these guidelines empower inclusive and accessible product design at FINRA.
Using the Guidelines
Learn how to apply these guidelines to create inclusive and accessible digital experiences at FINRA.
About the Guidelines
Discover how these guidelines empower inclusive and accessible product design at FINRA.
Using the Guidelines
Learn how to apply these guidelines to create inclusive and accessible digital experiences at FINRA.
Foundation
Foundation
Management
Learn the foundations & help drive accessible and inclusive design.
Product Team
Explore the guidelines for crafting accessible and inclusive designs.
Developer Team
Learn to implement, apply guidelines for product development.
Getting Started
Getting Started
Tools
Explore the tools that support the creation of accessible and inclusive designs.
Plugins
Discover the plugins that enhance accessibility and inclusivity in design.
Resources
Branding
Designing the Components
Designing the Components
Design
Design
Wireframe to final design
Wireframe to final design
Refined the experience through iteration, usability testing and feedbacks. Through small tweaks, the usability was improved tremendously.
Refined the experience through iteration, usability testing and feedbacks. Through small tweaks, the usability was improved tremendously.
Refined the experience through iteration, usability testing and feedbacks. Through small tweaks, the usability was improved tremendously.
Updated Navigation
Permanent sidebar for consistency
Updated Navigation
Permanent sidebar for consistency
Condensed Cards
Reduces the need for scrolling
Condensed Cards
Reduces the need for scrolling
Design
Design
Final Walkthrough
Final Walkthrough
The final solution demonstrates how thoughtful UX can make complex financial systems design feel more accessible, usable, and human, enabling cross team collaboration.
The final solution demonstrates how thoughtful UX can make complex financial systems design feel more accessible, usable, and human, enabling cross team collaboration.
1
1
Sectioned Content
Sectioned Content
Brief and concise information
Brief and concise information
2
2
Supplementary
Content
Supplementary
Content
E.g., best practices, examples, & visual illustrations.
E.g., best practices, examples, & visual illustrations.
3
3
Designing graphics
Designing graphics
To better explain the content with the aid of graphic and visual.
To better explain the content with the aid of graphic and visual.
Wrapping Up
Wrapping Up
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
A Starting Point for Accessibility
A Starting Point for Accessibility
This project marked the beginning of my deeper interest in accessibility and inclusive design. It sparked a curiosity that eventually grew into my thesis, Beyond Vision, where I explored new ways of making print media more accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired.
This project marked the beginning of my deeper interest in accessibility and inclusive design. It sparked a curiosity that eventually grew into my thesis, Beyond Vision, where I explored new ways of making print media more accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Integrated Workflows
Integrated Workflows
The project also strengthened my experience with design systems, component design, and creating consistency across complex workflows. A key challenge was bringing different user needs and workflows into one cohesive experience balancing flexibility, scalability, and clarity within a unified system.
The project also strengthened my experience with design systems, component design, and creating consistency across complex workflows. A key challenge was bringing different user needs and workflows into one cohesive experience balancing flexibility, scalability, and clarity within a unified system.
Love this project as much as I do?
Love this project as much as I do?
Shivali Meenakshi Murali © 2026
Shivali MM © 2025
Shivali Meenakshi Murali © 2026