includEd

Human-Centered Alt Text: Advocating for Inclusive Digital Practices through Education

Context

As digital content becomes increasingly visual, alt text is essential for making the internet accessible to people who use screen readers or cannot view images. Despite its importance, alt text is often missing or poorly written.

My thesis investigates why this is the case and advocates for human-written alt text over AI-generated alternatives. To address the educational gap, I designed and prototyped includEd, an open-source, gamified learning platform that empowers content creators to write meaningful, inclusive alt text.

My Roles & Responsibilities

UX Research
Product Designer 

Team

Thesis Supervisor
D. Shalom

Problem Statement

Billions of images are uploaded online daily, but many lack descriptive alt text, excluding people with disabilities and reinforcing the digital divide. Existing educational resources are mostly static articles, which are not engaging or effective for most users. Meanwhile, AI-generated alt text is often vague, inaccurate, or biased. My goal was to create an interactive, user-centered educational tool that motivates and equips people to write high-quality, human-centered alt text.

Research

Primary Research

I surveyed 47 internet users who regularly publish media. While 78% knew what alt text was, 83% of those did not write it, citing lack of knowledge, perceived irrelevance, or simply forgetting.

Key Findings

  • Most free resources are passive and text-heavy, leading to low engagement and poor retention.

  • People lack confidence and motivation to write alt text, even when aware of its importance.

  • Human-written alt text is more accurate, inclusive, and context-sensitive than AI-generated alternatives.

Interviews

Most participants were unsure what details to include in alt text and found existing resources unmemorable. A digital accessibility expert stressed the need to move people from awareness to action.

Design Process

Concept Development

Based on my research, I envisioned includEd: an interactive, gamified platform that teaches users how to write effective alt text tailored to their goals (e.g., social media, academic publishing, creative work). The platform leverages Self-Determination Theory to boost motivation and Cognitive Load Theory to improve learning retention.

Prototyping

I developed low- and mid-fidelity prototypes of includEd in Figma, focusing on bite-sized lessons, personalized learning paths, and gamified elements like streaks and instant feedback. Usability testing revealed that users wanted more engaging visuals, clearer progression, and content relevant to their own publishing needs.

Evidence-Based Design Decisions

Personalization

Learning modules adapt based on user goals, making content more relevant and motivating.

Gamification

Features like streaks and a friendly mascot (Ada) encourage habit formation and reduce anxiety.

Feedback

Instant, clear feedback helps users learn from mistakes and build confidence.

Final Product

Developed in Framer