The Challenge
Zalando is one of Europe’s largest e-commerce retailers, where many designers and developers work together to shape the customer experience. At that scale, accessibility cannot be something that is checked only after a solution is complete.
The challenge was to create better conditions throughout the entire design process: in individual product experiences, in the components teams use to build, and in the shared tools and ways of working used across the organization.
With WCAG 2.2 and the European Accessibility Act, the need became even clearer: to make accessibility easier to understand, design for, and implement from the outset.
About the assignment
For one year, Mikaela worked as an external product designer on Zalando’s Design System and Accessibility team. Her role ranged from hands-on product design and reviewing existing user flows to developing the design system and the organization’s approach to accessibility.
Improved components and user flows
We reviewed existing components and user flows from an accessibility perspective and redesigned solutions where we identified barriers.
Built accessibility into the design system
We created new variables and support for features such as 200% text scaling, enabling designers to test their solutions against different user needs directly in Figma.
Designed for Zalando Assistant
We worked on the UX and UI for Zalando Assistant, translating complex functionality into clear and inclusive user experiences.
Strengthened accessibility expertise
We developed internal guidelines and training materials that gave more designers the knowledge and tools to incorporate accessibility into their daily work.
Improved collaboration between design and development
We developed principles and annotation practices for clearer handoffs and collaborated with developers on implementation, Dev Mode, and branching.