Unpopular opinion: I thought alt text for decorative images was a waste of time

A blind user on a test panel in Chicago last month told me our 'decorative' icon was the only clue they had for a critical form step. I was wrong. How do you decide what's truly decorative versus functional?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_clark1mo ago

Ask yourself if removing the image would change the page's meaning.

the_jenny1mo ago

But is it that deep though

wren30120d ago

Oh man, I've totally been there! What helped me was actually stepping away for a bit and then coming back to look at it with fresh eyes. That little break made it way easier for me to figure out if the image really mattered or if I was just overthinking it.