One of the challenges of modern web-based applications these days is how to visualize data so that complex ideas can be communicated beautifully and cleanly. Unfortunately, when you start researching which data visualization JavaScript library to use for creating fancy graphs, the sheer number of options (and the range of price points) can be completely overwhelming.

All of the major libraries are in a constant state of evolution and improvement, and there are a plethora of options when you're looking for a library to make excellent visualizations.

With the right library in your arsenal, you can vastly improve user experience by creating incredible-looking dashboards in your web app. All you have to do is plug in the data and be amazed by the visually appealing graphs that emerge.

Depending on your needs when it comes to customization, cost, capabilities, and more, one library is likely more suitable to your needs than others. Let's take a look at a range of options, including free, open-source libraries as well as powerful libraries for commercial use.

 library that is well suited for developers and teams looking for basic charting capabilities. Fast and lightweight, this charting library uses HTML5 Canvas for optimal performance and rendering, regardless of which browser is being used.

Fans of Chart.js love that it's easy to combine different datasets by mixing and matching bar and line charts. On top of that, it's responsive and will redraw the chart depending on the size of your window.

This is a great choice if you're looking for a free and open-sourced library. It has many simple examples to back up its detailed documentation, making it user-friendly regardless of your experience.

On the downside, though, there aren't a ton of customization options, and there are only eight different types of graphs you can choose from. It isn't ideal for nonvector formats because it's canvas-based. All that being said, it's a powerful and impressive tool considering it's completely free.

If you polled developers across the world to ask which data visualization library they use, you'd probably receive a lot of "D3.js" responses. Flexible, robust, and data-driven, this is an extremely popular tool for using data to manipulate documents.

You can use D3.js to build maps, pie charts, and, yes, fancy graphs. If you're looking for a fast and lightweight library with extensive capabilities, you'll want to check this one out. It supports interactivity, animation, and data-driven plots and also has support for declarative programming.

Some other things developers love about this library are that it has great community support and is easily customizable. However, it's not nearly as easy to learn as Chart.js and requires that you are fairly experienced in web development. Otherwise, there will be a steep learning curve.

If you're interested in building graphs for web-based stock and Forex trading applications, TradingVue.js lets you 

This is another open-source, free JavaScript library that can help you visualize data. With a responsive option, you can use TradingVue.js on devices and screens of different sizes and let you zoom in and out for optimal visualizations.

Open source and free to use, ChartKick allows you to use very minimal code to create impressive and visually compelling charts and graphs. One of the best features of this library is that it supports libraries in multiple programming languages. That being said, it isn't ideal if you're looking to have tons of customization options or you want to create intricate and complex charts.

No matter which data visualization library you choose to help display fancy graphs on your app, one step you won't want to skip in the development process is stress testing. 

 takes a deep dive into the what, where, when, and how of stress testing web apps.

While it's not cheap, FusionCharts Suite is a powerful tool that offers a huge range of mapping and charting capabilities. With more than two thousand maps and one hundred charts you can work with, you'll struggle to find a more comprehensive data visualization library.

If you want to have a lot of freedom when it comes to customization, FusionCharts Suite has you covered. Suitable for web and mobile platforms with decent performance and comprehensive documentation, this is probably one of the most complete solutions.

Also working in its favor is how easy it is to integrate with other tech stacks and how simple it is to learn. You'll find that making graphs, charts, and maps is straightforward and intuitive with this library.

The downside, though, is the price tag. The basic package for a single developer suite costs $499 per year, while the pro edition will cost you $1,299 for five developers and $2,499 annually, respectively. The pro edition supports five developers, while the enterprise edition supports ten.

For larger organizations, there is also an enterprise+ edition. The pricing isn't easily available for this option and must be requested.

Another data visualization library that lets you build visually appealing charts with a minimal amount of code is Victory. Designed specifically for React and React Native, using this library is intuitive and simple.

With over 9,000 stars on GitHub, Victory allows for simple cross-stage graphics by utilizing a comparable API for React Native and web applications.

A truly light data visualization JavaScript library that can create smart, beautiful outlines, Recharts uses D3 and is very simple to use. Created for React users, the library provides a lot of useful examples, and the charts are easily customizable.

This is a great choice if you're interested in making static charts. There are also built-in chart tools, including labels, legend tooltips, and more. That being said, it can be a bit slow if you want to incorporate large datasets or a number of animated charts on the same page.

It's worth noting that you can find a higher-than-usual number of unsolved problems when searching on GitHub. While this might not be a problem for experienced developers, new users might be frustrated by the lack of support from the creators. If you end up running into an issue, you might have to take matters into your own hand to figure out the best way to troubleshoot.

CanvasJS works with plain JavaScript in addition to jQuery, React, and Angular. This commercial tool doesn't have an endless supply of chart types, but it is capable of creating stunning graphs and charts across different browsers and devices.

If you're looking for a data visualization library that can handle as many as 100,000 or more data points, CanvasJS is worth exploring. This library is fast and works fairly seamlessly. In most cases, you will probably find that the handful of default themes will work well for your graphing needs.

This tool is used by tech companies including Microsoft, Apple, HP, and Bosch. Even NASA uses it! While this might provide some welcome proof of the library's capabilities, it's important to understand that the learning curve is steep and isn't as intuitive as some other libraries on our list.

When you're creating a web app, there are a lot of moving parts to consider. One thing that developers are increasingly interested in is how to reduce the carbon footprint of their apps. This is beneficial for several reasons, including appealing to your target audience by "going green" and ensuring that your apps perform optimally and provide the best possible user experience. Check out 

 to learn more about how to make a green web app.

While it's a bit pricey for commercial use, Highcharts is a JavaScript-based charting library that is popular among some of the world's biggest companies for creating web-based charts. Used by Visa, Samsung, the BBC, MasterCard, Sony, and more, this high-powered library can help you find the charting solution you require. The API is dynamic and open, and Highcharts supports multiple mobile or web-based platforms.

For developers looking to create highly interactive graphs, animations, and maps, HighCharts is incredibly capable. With multiple opportunities for customizations, this library is extensive.

For a single developer, the price for HighCharts starts at $430. For a team of five developers, the price starts at $1,935.

That being said, there are free trials you can take advantage of to determine whether this is the library for you. If you're planning on using it for noncommercial uses, it's free.

If you're aiming to create a highly interactive graph on your web app, you might be interested in learning about the ways that 

gamification is increasingly incorporated into apps

 across industries. By incorporating some of the principles of gaming into your app, you can help to increase the amount of time that each user spends with your web app.

This data visualization JavasScript Framework library is written in pure JavaScript. Created by Baidu, this is perfect for big datasets and is well-documented in English. The chart types are robust yet flexible and faired better in performance testing by GitLab than the alternatives. As the data points increase, the performance definitely does decrease a bit, but it remains highly usable.

While ECharts started off as an open-source project from Baidu, it has gone through a long process of being incorporated into the Apache Software Foundation. The development community that primarily uses ECharts is based in China, so some language barriers can emerge. That being said, the community surrounding ECharts has been becoming increasingly international.

How to Choose a JavaScript Data Visualization Library

Weeding through all of the different data visualization library options can feel like a big project. Understanding the different factors you'll want to consider and relating them to your needs and goals can help you narrow your focus to a short list of libraries.

As with all things, there will be pros and cons for each library. This means that you'll want to find a library that fulfills your needs without making any compromises you can't afford.

Some of the factors you'll want to take into account when choosing a JavaScript library for data visualization include:

Some of the most popular free libraries include Chart.js, D3.js, and Google Charts. We didn't include Google Charts on our list because it's not nearly as visually clean and minimalistic as options like Chart.js, nor is it immediately responsive. That being said, they offer one of the largest chart types.

If you're interested in paid commercial libraries (some of the popular ones including HighChart and FusionChart), you can often get a free license for personal use or a free trial for commercial use. When you require actual support beyond relying on the time and goodwill of an online development community, you might find that one of these paid libraries is worth the cost. For example, if you want to prioritize integration options and customization, a commercial library might suit your needs better from the get-go than one of the open-source libraries.

Want Help Creating Fancy Graphs For Your Web App?

Depending on how much experience you have as a developer, the entire world of data visualization JavaScript libraries might seem more or less accessible. These libraries also range widely in how intuitive and simple they are to use. In general, the simpler the library is to use, the less capable it will be of creating complex graphing solutions. On the other end, the steeper the learning curve, the more powerful the library tends to be.

If you're creating your dream web app and you're looking for some help, you've come to the right place. At Planetary, we work with everyone from small startups to Fortune 500 companies.

 to tell us about your project. Additionally, if you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out at any time! We'll be in touch!

10 Data Visualization JavaScript Libraries For Fancy Graphs

If you've been toying with hiring a software developer to join your company, you probably looked into the average salary for this role. With US News reporting that the average software developer makes between 

, you might be concerned that having an in-house developer is a bit out of reach from a financial standpoint.

However, you don't necessarily have to hire a full-time software developer to create your new project. On the other end of the spectrum, you can hire a freelance software developer and pay them by the hour for their work.

What is the average hourly rate for a freelancer in this role, though? Does hiring a freelancer or a software development company make more sense? Let's dive in and take a look at everything you need to know.

Freelance software developers choose to work as independent contractors rather than full-time employees at a company. These IT professionals work to design and build programs such as desktop and mobile apps or operating systems. It's common for freelancers to have a specific area of expertise rather than a well-rounded grasp of all aspects of software development.

This means you might need to hire several freelancers to complete your project in a way that fits your needs. It's also possible to hire a software development company, which typically has a full staff of IT professionals specializing in different aspects of the development process.

What Is the Average Hourly Rate for a Freelance Software Developer?

The hourly rate charged by freelance software developers can range enormously, depending on many different factors (which we'll touch upon in the next section.)

You typically find two types of developers that have branched out into the world of software development freelancing.

The first are people that are brand new to the world of development. They recently graduated from a software development boot camp and are often willing to take on just about any type of project for low rates.

You can sometimes find that newbie freelancers are actually quite skilled when you consider how little experience they have. That being said, you are gambling to some extent when you hire a new developer, particularly when it comes to a complicated project. It isn't uncommon for entry-level developers to not have the best gauge of their abilities. This can mean they make promises they can't keep and end up under-delivering.

The average hourly rate for a relatively inexperienced freelancer is about $50 to $75.

The second type of person who commonly works as a freelance software developer is a seasoned professional. These were once high-level salaried employees who decided to branch out on their own and get away from the 9-5.

These individuals are highly experienced and have worked on a long list of custom software projects over the years. It's common for seasoned pros to charge between $100 and $300 an hour. While this is a steeper price than newbie developers, you might find that a seasoned pro works more efficiently and can better estimate how much time it will take them to complete the project.

According to another data source, the lower range of freelance developers in North America is about $50 an hour, while the higher range is about $250. The average hourly rate for freelance developers in Western Europe is between $35 and $175, while Eastern European freelancers typically charge between $25 and $150 an hour.

The average rate for freelancers in Australia ranges from $50 on the low end to $150 on the high end, while Indian freelancers typically charge between $10 and $80 an hour.

It's worth noting that an hourly rate is only one of the options when it comes to paying a software developer. Another common pricing method is a fixed rate on a per-project basis.

What Factors Influence How Much It Costs to Hire a Freelance Software Developer?

As you can see, the range in the hourly rate for freelancers is pretty wide. Let's take a closer look at some of the factors that influence how much a freelancer charges for hourly work.

One of the primary factors that will influence how much it costs to hire a freelance software developer is where they are located. In general, freelance software developers tend to have a lower hourly rate in South America, Europe, and Africa than they do in the United States and Canada. For this reason, there are a lot of companies that will choose to hire tech services offshore.

That being said, you'll want to consider some of the downsides of hiring offshore software developers just to save money. You don't want to overlook the potential issues that can arise from communication bottlenecks, cultural differences, language barriers, and time zone incompatibility.

You'll also find that the hourly rate of freelance software developers can vary quite a bit depending on how much experience they have. Someone who is just starting out and has very little experience will most likely charge a lower hourly rate than someone who has worked as a software developer for ten or more years.

That being said, price doesn't always correlate with quality, and you might find an entry-level person that perfectly suits your needs and your budget. At the same time, it's worth considering that someone new to the field might take longer to create the same project as someone that has more experience. That means the cost difference might not be as large as you expect if you are planning to hire someone by the hour.

The complexity of your project will inform the technology required to produce it. This will impact who will be qualified to build your software, as well as how much it will cost.

Of course, tech skills are probably what you'll look for first when you're determining who you should hire as a freelance developer. However, you shouldn't overlook 

 as well. Freelancers are aware of the value of soft skills like adaptability, social skills, and communication skills, and people that are better able to handle the human-to-human aspect of the interaction will likely charge more.

If you are creating a highly complex project, you can expect that it will cost more than something that's quite simple. Complexity doesn't just apply to the development process, but it also has to do with 

Lastly, your anticipated time frame will also have an impact on the cost if you are hiring someone on an hourly basis. For this reason, it's important to be realistic about how long it will take to develop your new software. If you're overly optimistic, you might find that the total cost of hiring a freelancer was more than you were hoping to spend.

If you're planning on building a web app, you can learn about how long you should expect the whole project to take from start to finish in 

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Software Developer?

One of the primary reasons people are drawn to the idea of hiring freelancers for their software development needs is that it tends to be one of the most cost-effective solutions.

If you're running a small business, you'll likely find that hiring a full-time developer will be much more costly than hiring a freelancer, particularly if your software development needs are minimal. This is because full-time employees will require an annual salary and all of the additional benefits that come with being a W2 worker.

When you hire a freelance software developer, however, you won't have to deal with any of these additional costs. You can simply hire them hourly or project-by-project, making it much more straightforward as an investment.

What Are the Drawbacks of Working With Freelance Developers?

While many individuals and small companies are driven to hire freelance software developers to cut costs, there are several drawbacks you'll want to consider before you go this route.

One of the primary challenges you'll face is receiving ongoing support when it comes to maintenance. Since you don't have a team of dedicated developers to help you maintain your software, you might find you don't have the help you need once the project is technically completed. Depending on your project's complexity, this can pose some serious issues.

If you hire a software developer in a project-based way, they will simply move on to other projects with other companies when they complete the agreed work. So even if they'd like to offer maintenance support down the road, they might be too busy working on a new project to give you the help you need.

While it's possible to find a freelancer to replace the person who designed and built your software, this approach has some potentially frustrating aspects. Finding a new developer can take some time, and you might find that the time it takes for them to catch up to speed is more costly than you would have anticipated. If you are paying the developer by the hour, the cost of onboarding and training can start to add up fast.

It can be a good idea to discuss the potential of continuing to work with a freelancer on an as-needed basis in terms of software maintenance. This can help you stay ahead of the game and avoid the scramble to find someone who can help you with issues that crop up down the road.

Another potential downside to hiring a freelancer is that they tend to drop projects mid-way through, particularly new developers that are in over their head. It can be a struggle to find someone else that is willing to come on board and complete their partially-finished project.

It's also possible for freelancers to simply ghost you– disappearing with the code and never again responding to your messages. This will be much less likely if you hire an experienced developer that you found through personal recommendations, but it's still something you should be aware of before hiring someone for the gig.

Should You Hire a Freelance Software Developer or a Software Development Company?

If you're on a strict budget, it's easy to tunnel-vision on the cost alone when hiring a software developer. However, it's important to understand that the cost is only one of many factors you should be incorporating into your decision-making process.

After all, you're likely aware of how costly it can be to try and save money on important projects. For some situations, a freelancer might be a perfect choice. In others, though, hiring a freelancer could become more expensive when you have to hire a company to fix issues down the road.

Whether a freelancer or a software development company is a better fit for your project will depend on several factors. Hiring a company can be a better choice when you have more complex projects and are looking for ongoing support. You can also expect a software company to stay up to date with the latest IT trends, ensuring that your project isn't instantaneously behind the times. They will also have a complete team of experts with different specialties, while freelancers usually just specialize in one area.

On the other hand, a freelancer tends to cost less per hour but is generally only experienced in one particular area of focus. As a result, they can provide more flexibility than software development companies and less structure.

Are You Ready to Turn Your App Idea Into a Completed Digital Product?

Hiring a freelancer can definitely make sense for certain projects, but in other instances, a full team is better equipped to create the outcome you're looking for. If you have an idea for an app or a digital product that you want to make into a reality, we're here to help. At Planetary, we work with businesses of all sizes, from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Are you wondering if we're the right team to help you create your app? Then, get in touch and 

If you feel like Clubhouse seemed to come out of nowhere, you aren't wrong. The 

 occurred during the first year of the pandemic when it went from completely unknown to having more than ten million users.

In a world where social media has primarily been text, photo, and video-based, the Clubhouse app proposed a novel idea: what if we just 

Rather than the highly-edited and composed content on platforms like Twitter, Clubhouse offers the opportunity for people to exchange ideas in real-time. Regardless of why Clubhouse became so popular, it's hard to ignore just how quickly it rose to prominence, whether you're an experienced or an aspiring app developer.

Are you thinking of building an app that is similar to Clubhouse? Stick with us while we look at the nine steps you'll need to take.

Clubhouse is a social media app that is voice-only. Users can interact with each other over voice chat in "rooms." Members can create these rooms, and invitees only have to sign up with a name and a profile picture to become a member.

That's right– invitees. This audio app is invite-only, creating an air of exclusivity to the product. Only launched in the spring of 2020, it didn't take long for this app to become the 5th most popular Social Media Network app in the App Store.

In the rooms of Clubhouse, members can find a community built around different creators that are ongoing social spaces for discussion and conversation. When you first sign up, you're automatically muted and start by listening to the conversation of others.

To join Clubhouse, you have to be invited. Once you've received an invitation, you can set up your profile. As a part of your profile creation, you'll enter your interests and therefore receive suggested conversation rooms and people you might want to follow.

Once you're into the app, you'll find your main feed. This is where you can see chat rooms that are currently happening or those that will be soon. In each room, there are speakers, listeners, and moderators, and participants can raise a hand, add another person, or leave the room. The room is closed once the conversation is over.

In the explore section, users can find clubs, rooms, and people that they might be interested in. Users can either be added as a member by the club's creators, or they can follow a club.

If you want to invite someone else to join Clubhouse, you can do so in the invite section. Users can also see all of the rooms that have been created by the people they follow in the upcoming events tab, and they can see any and all happenings related to their membership in the activity section.

What Features Does the Clubhouse App Have?

Let's take a look at some of the most prominent features offered by the Clubhouse app.

On a user's feed, they can see a list of rooms that they might be interested in.

Clubs are groups of members that are based on specific topics. This is a way for people worldwide to find each other on the app when they share similar interests.

Each user can create a profile with their name, picture, and a short description. Rather than being an exhausting explanation of who you are, these are brief little intros.

Users can also take a look at all of the activity that has occurred on their account recently. In this section, they can find out who has followed them, who has recently joined Clubhouse, and what events are going on.

When a new conversation starts or new members have joined a room that you might be interested in, you can receive a notification.

Users can search for people they want to follow or topics they're interested in. This helps them find clubs that match their interests and allows them to participate in conversations they find interesting and meaningful.

There is also a feature that lets users know about the upcoming calendar of events. If they see an event that they want to attend, they can set up an alert, so they are later reminded when it will start soon.

9 Steps to Build an App Similar to Clubhouse

If you want to create an app similar to Clubhouse, you'll want to spend quite a bit of time with the app and identify its strengths and weaknesses. Basically, creating a carbon-copy of Clubhouse probably won't attract very many users. However, if you have ideas about how the general concept of Clubhouse could be improved upon, there's potential to create an entirely new online community through app development.

Performing market research is essential no matter what type of app you're creating. You will want to look into the existing competition and study the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. When you are aiming to create an app similar to one already on the market, (such as Clubhouse,) you'll want to come up with a way to create a competitive edge to give users a compelling reason to choose your app over the competition.

It doesn't matter if you create the most incredible app in the world– if a target audience isn't there that it appeals to, it won't be successful. You'll need to identify the precise demographics of people that you expect will want to use your app. Creating detailed outlines of buyer personas can help you understand the problems that these individuals have and how you can best solve them.

If you are building an app similar to Clubhouse, you will likely want to incorporate many of the same features. However, the app shouldn't just offer an identical set of features. After all, if you make your app just like Clubhouse, most users will likely stick with the better-known app than switch to a brand new alternative that doesn't seem to offer anything different.

It's easy to get carried away when choosing features for your app. Adding too many features can lead to an unpleasant user journey, making your app clunkier to use. Make sure you are being deliberate in your choice of features to ensure that your app has everything it needs and nothing it doesn't.

Now it's time to start designing your app. Consider creating a wireframe to create the basic skeleton to start with. While it can be tempting to try and create a finished product from the get-go, wireframing at an early stage can save you literally hundreds of hours in development.

Are you building a web app? If so, check out 

 to wireframe and prototype your web app.

Building a minimum viable product (MVP) is always a good idea when you're creating an app. This is a basic version of your app that allows you to get valuable feedback from your users before implementing the final stages of development.

We do a deep dive into the world of MVPs in 

, but, in short, this is a tool you can use to make the development process as efficient and successful as possible.

If you're planning on hiring a developer to build an MVP, make sure you check out 

 you should take before you hire someone.

Once you have built an MVP that has your app's basic and essential features, it's time to let users test the bare-bones version of your app. This can help you to work out any kinks before the product officially launches and also allow you to understand what users do and don't like about your app.

The outcome of this process is helping you and your team learn which aspects of your app you should put your focus on. Sometimes the result of user testing can be quite surprising. For example, a feature you expected would be a big hit might not be appealing to users, while another feature you added as an afterthought might be the main reason users are compelled to keep using the product.

Once you have gotten valuable feedback from users about your MVP, it's time to take all of that information and create your finished product. You'll want to remove any irrelevant features and focus on making improvements noted by test users.

Once you have completed the development and testing phases, it's time to put your app out into the world.

To launch your app, you'll need to submit them to the proper app stores. It's essential that you follow the guidelines of the app stores to the tee, whether it be App Store or Play Store. You can find tons of information online that will help you navigate the process.

 are rejected by Apple's App Store every week, according to a CNBC report. There are a lot of reasons that an app might be rejected, including bugs, crashes, software compatibility, privacy policies, and minimum usability.

For this reason, you won't want to leave this step in the process as an afterthought. You'll want to incorporate an understanding of app store guidelines into the earlier stages of design and development to ensure that you won't face a distressing obstacle when you're finally ready to launch your app.

On the Google Play Store, there are about 2.87 million apps available for download. On the Apple App Store, you can find nearly 2 million apps.

This means that you can't simply launch your product and expect users to start lining up. The reality is that the world of apps is incredibly saturated. However, that doesn't mean there isn't still tons of opportunity for success.

It does mean, though, that you must find ways to put your product in front of your target audience. If you have done a good job in the market research and audience identification portion of the process, your audience will be happy to download your app when they know it will solve a problem they are motivated to fix.

Many giant corporations have enormous marketing budgets that they can use to plaster their new products in countless venues. However, a small app developer will probably have a smaller budget and therefore want to be thoughtful about where, when, and how you display advertising about your app.

If you're on a strict budget, you'll want to think about three things to determine the best marketing outlets.

First of all, what is the problem that your app solves? Secondly, who makes up your target audience? And, finally, where can you find those people?

You might find that most of your users have chosen Facebook as their preferred social media platform, and you, therefore, might focus your marketing efforts there, for example.

Are You Looking For the Right Partners to Help Build Your Clubhouse-esqe App?

Judging from the incredible popularity of the Clubhouse app, it's obvious that the developers struck a chord with their user base. Something was lacking in the world of social media, and, particularly in the early days of the pandemic, people were itching for other ways to interact with one another virtually.

If the Clubhouse app inspires you, but you feel you can improve upon the idea, it might be time for you to build your own app. While you can certainly go it alone and build your own app, you might find that outsourcing some of the more technical aspects of the process is the most time and cost-effective way to achieve the outcome you're looking for.

Are you looking for the right people to partner with when it comes to building your new app? If so, 

 and tell us a little about your project.

[Guide] 9 Steps to Build an App Similar to Clubhouse

Over the past several decades, the internet has occasionally been touted as 

 and "the great democratizer." The idea is that the internet has leveled the playing field in many different regards, and you could definitely make a convincing argument that's been the case.

On the other hand, though, it's important to understand that there are still barriers for many people around the world when it comes to using the internet.

For this reason, more and more companies have been making moves to ensure that their digital products and sites are both inclusive and accessible.

What does this really mean, though? How can you implement accessible and inclusive design ideas into your front end? Let's explore everything you need to know.

refers to whether people of all abilities can use a product, whether it be physical or digital. You are likely more aware of accessibility considerations in the physical world, such as wheelchair ramps, handicap parking, or braille.

However, you'll also want to consider accessibility in the digital realm. If you aren't conscious of how your products create an accessibility barrier to some people, it can mean that there's a big chunk of your market that can't enjoy or benefit from your site or product to the fullest extent.

There are international standards that have been created for digital accessibility. Outlined by the 

, these standards were set to explain how businesses and individuals can make web content that's more accessible to people with disabilities.

You might wonder how important web accessibility is when you first come across the term. After all, how many people could this really impact?

Actually, it is estimated that there are 

 (about 15% of the entire world population) that experience a disability of one form or another. Even though the digital world can be a lot more accessible to people with physical disabilities, there are still a number of impediments that can stand between them and fully utilizing online spaces.

Some of the types of disabilities that web developers should keep in mind include:

It's also worth noting that we aren't just talking about permanent disabilities. It's also important to consider how we can make sites and digital products that are accessible to individuals that have either temporary or situation disabilities.

What are the differences between these types of disabilities?

A permanent disability is likely what you think of when you first imagine what demographic might have accessibility issues. These individuals have a permanent mental or physical condition that limits their ability to participate in certain activities, move, or use their senses in the same way as the general population. Deafness, blindness, and mobility impairments would all fit within this category.

A temporary disability, on the other hand, is when someone is limited in their ability to move, sense, or participate in activities for a short period. This could include having a broken bone that impacts your ability to use a computer or device easily.

Lastly, a situation disability is simply when the situation someone is in leads to impairment. This can be as simple as being in a noisy environment and therefore needing the help of captions when watching a video.

At the end of the day, web accessibility is important because you want to ensure that all of your users have the best possible experience on your site or with your digital product. On top of that, there are also legal considerations to take into account. If a big enough audience uses your website, you might face potential lawsuits down the road if your site isn't accessible to as many people as possible.

is just another term that refers to web accessibility, it does have a related but different meaning.

Accessibility is focused on making sure that people of all abilities can experience and enjoy your site. On the other hand, inclusivity is focused on designing sites built with an understanding of user diversity.

If you're performing a redesign of your website to make it more inclusive and accessible, this is a good time to check out 

What Are the Principles of Inclusive Design?

There are three design principles of inclusive design 

This principle focuses on the desire for design to reflect how humans grow and adapt to the world around them while also opening up products and services to as many people as possible.

The idea here is that there are tons of lessons to be learned from human diversity and the adaptability of people. By incorporating this concept into the design process, people are put at the center from the beginning to make the most of the insightful perspectives that diversity can offer.

This final aspect of inclusive design relates to implementing web accessibility. The idea is that by designing products and services for people with specific disabilities, the end result will benefit many more people in the long run.

Are you engaging in a full redesign to ensure that your web app reflects your values? If so, you might be interested in learning about the impact of websites on the environment. 

 to learn how to reduce your web app's carbon footprint.

What Can You Do to Improve Accessibility?

There are a lot of steps you can take to redesign your frontend to be accessible and inclusive. Of course, to what extent you can implement a full redesign will have to do with the available resources, including staffing and time.

There are many ways to improve accessibility on the frontend by redesigning the way you display content.

For one, you can make sure that the text on your site is resizable and that it's still easy to read when the size has been changed. In addition, it's a good idea to use a minimum font size of 16px to accommodate all users and devices.

It's also generally considered a mistake to set your font size with pixels, despite this being quite common. When you go this route, it can make it difficult for users trying to increase the size to read the text. A better unit of measurement is root em (REMs).

Another way you can increase accessibility is by making sure your content is broken up into different sections, each with its own heading. Making your headings stand out from the rest of the text makes it easier for people of all abilities to read and understand your content.

When it comes to images, there are also a lot of strategies you can adopt to increase accessibility.

When you include any data visualizations, graphics, or time-based media, always include a description or a caption. You can also be sure to identify the difference between decorative and informative images through the ALT text.

When you're creating forms for your site, you'll want to create clear labels for each form element. Instead of using placeholder text that disappears when a user starts typing, put this text on the outside of the form fields. This way, users don't have to remember what was in the field once they have started typing.

Forms should also be organized in a single column to make them simple and understandable to as many people as possible.

Contrast is another easy fix to help ensure that all of your users can read your content and navigate your site easily. Contrast refers to how much difference there is in brightness between two different colors.

Keeping your web app or site clean and simple doesn't just look super classy, but it can also make it easier for people with different abilities to understand and interact. Check out these 

 to help you find the inspiration you've been searching for.

For users that are blind, illiterate, visually impaired, or have a learning disability, screen readers can be an essential piece of assistive technology. Basically, they translate the text into a form of communication accessible to the user. For people with hearing or learning disabilities, this typically means reading the text aloud to the user. For individuals with visual disabilities, this generally means transmitting the text to a braille keyboard.

When you're redesigning your frontend to ensure your site is accessible to as many people as possible, you'll want to ensure that you don't include any information that could confuse screen readers.

For users who have difficulty with fine motor control, are blind, or have motor impairments, a keyboard might be the go-to way to navigate the web rather than a mouse. In some instances, individuals might not have any use of their hands, so they might be using assistive technology or modified keyboards to surf the web.

In order to navigate using only a keyboard or assistive technologies, users usually use the tab key and focus indicators to point out the current element in focus.

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