Overview
For this UX research project, I investigated how color use impacts accessibility in digital design, focusing on real‑world guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). The goal was to evaluate tools that help designers identify and remediate color and vision accessibility issues—especially for users with color vision deficiency and low vision. 

Problem & Context
Designers often rely on color as a primary means of conveying meaning (e.g., errors in red, success in green), yet such reliance creates barriers for users with color blindness or low contrast sensitivity. Approximately 300 million people worldwide are estimated to have some form of color vision deficiency, and poor contrast can also impact users with aging eyesight or in challenging lighting conditions. 

Approach
Using the Stark plugin within Figma, I conducted a series of tests to:

• Assess how accurately contrast checking features detect WCAG‑compliant ratios (e.g., 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text) and flag violations. 

• Simulate common types of color vision deficiencies (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia) to understand how interface elements are perceived. 

• Evaluate usability and ease of integration of accessibility tooling into a typical design workflow.

I documented both strengths and limitations of the tool, noting instances where automated suggestions failed to capture context‑specific issues or required additional manual interpretation. 

Key Insights

• Tools like Stark significantly improve awareness of color contrast problems early in design. 

• Simulated vision deficiency previews helped me prioritize adjustments that improve legibility and inclusivity. 

• Automated checks must be complemented with manual review—especially when color conveys critical meaning without other supporting cues. 

Outcome & Takeaways
This project strengthened my understanding of inclusive design principles and tools, reinforcing that accessibility isn’t just a checklist item but a core design consideration that affects usability for a broad audience. Insights from this work would directly inform future design systems and UI patterns to be more perceptually equitable and compliant with WCAG standards.