Accessibility-First Animation: Make Sure Nobody Gets Left Behind
Irrespective of whether you’re creating a 30-second quick update or a longer, 2-minute training video, accessibility can’t be ignored. If someone can’t read, hear, or see what you’re trying to convey, it isn’t clear.
Accessibility isn’t a nice to have – it’s an essential component in your content strategy; it’s how your message lands with more people, across more devices, in more situations. While it’s impossible to cover everything in one post, let’s explore a few vitally important accessibility concerns.
At-a-Glance
Start with people, not pixels
We all want to imagine our new brand demo or product explainer being shown on a massive screen, with surround sound.
After all – what better way to show of our shiny new video than via a 4K production?
In reality, things are not usually so rosy. Your viewers are more likely to be watching your video on the train with the sound off; or they’re skimming it for updates between meetings.
Their ability to follow along using subtitles often takes higher precedence than the nuance of your message.
Those with specific needs –such as those with colour blindness or other audio/visual conditions must have their requirement considered, too.
In many jurisdictions, this isn’t just a curtesy – it’s a legal requirement.
A sober, no-nonsense approach to this reality is vital; it makes your work easier to understand for everyone, not just those with specific needs.
Readable text and captions by default
Small, wispy text looks elegant in a style frame and unreadable on a mobile screen.
Your text should always start big: as a rule of thumb, headlines should sit ≥ 44px and body copy ≥ 24px for video. Choose sturdier weights: Regular or Medium is far more visually appealing that Ultra-Thin – not to mention, thin weights shimmer when compressed.
Write your copy with size in mind. You have limited space. Don’t overcomplicate. If the sentences are too long to fit, chop it out.
To test this in practice, hold your phone at arm’s length. Can you read every line without effort? If not, you still have work to do.
In tandem, captions are non-negotiable. Think back to that person on the train – surrounded by noise and distractions, a transcript is an anchor that might just prevent them from tapping away.
Keep your captions short – aiming for 5-9 words per line, aligned left. It might look tidy, but aligning your text centrally makes it difficult to read, particularly when your sentence length vacillates line-by-line. Instead, keep it simple and concise.
Contrast that survives greyscale
Pretty gradients are great… until your captions vanish into them. High contrast is your best friend.
As part of your production process, conduct a greyscale test: convert a representative frame to black-and-white. If your CTA and captions still stand out clearly, you’re set. If not, rework your colour palette.
Let’s look at an example in action:
Here, we can clearly see that contrast is maintained both in colour and in greyscale. Text labels are easy to read, elements are defined, and the meaning behind the content is not effected.
In addition, be sure to support text with shapes: use a soft shadow or semi-opaque text box behind important lines. This doesn’t just help them stand out visually – it creates hierarchy. Keep the most important messages here, so those with limited time can garner the key takeaways quickly.
And always be consistent: light on dark or dark on light. Don’t flit back and forth without reason.
Finally, avoid text laid directly on busy footage; it’s noise fighting words.
Apply manners to your motion
Content should always be easy to follow; any friction is negative. Negative friction creates frustration and very quickly converts into the viewer tapping away.
Rapid flashes and frantic camera movement makes content hard to follow. So, always restrict your production to one idea per screen (See our recent blog, here, about story beats): if you have two concepts, you have two shots.
Give actions time: the viewer must always feel in control. Gentle transitions, smooth camera movements, and crystal-clear on-screen text are your best friends. If the viewer can’t explain what they just watched, the shot is doing too much.
Instead, let the viewer set the pace. The easiest elements to incorporate right away – because they’re typically found in all popular video players, are:
◼️ Pause, replay, and mute buttons that are clear and obvious.
◼️ Avoidance of autoplay with sound: it's noisy and exludes viewers.
◼️ If the platform offers playback speed or captions toggles, ensure they're set to on - by default.
In Summary
Accessibility is a craft, and an essential one at that! Bigger, friendlier type; contrast that survives greyscale; captions that carry meaning; motion with manners; and respectful controls. Nail those, and your message travels further with less friction.
◼️ Our Project Managers spend time during Client Onboarding understanding your audience and their unique challenges.
◼️ Your products key points are shown, not told. Every element is crafted to ensure that it shows up - for everyone.
◼️ Through iterative script revision, our script writers test and refine the language and visuals until you're completely satisfied.
