Aaron Gustafson

Seattle

😷 he / they 💼 @Microsoft @WebWeWantFYI @AListApart @EasyDesigns 📣 Int’l Speaker 📚 Author, #AdaptiveWebDesign 🤬 Sometimes 📭 DMs open

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Articles

Passing Your CSS Theme to `canvas` :: Aaron Gustafson

2 weeks ago | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

While working on a recent project I noticed an issue with a canvas-based audio visualization when I toggled between light and dark modes. When I’d originally set it up I was browsing in dark mode and the light visualization stroke showed up perfectly on the dark background, but it was invisible when viewed using the light theme (which I’d neglected to test).
Exploring AI’s Role in Accessibility :: Aaron Gustafson

1 month ago | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

This site is undergoing an open redesign, so if it looks strange, that’s why. Published14 Apr 2025 by Reading Time1 minFiled Underaccessibility AI/MLReactionsLike this? Earlier this month I joined Jeremy Osborne and Andrew Miller to talk about the benefits and harms of AI as it relates to accessibility. It was livestreamed on a few platforms, but I wanted to drop links to the transcript and archival video in case you’re interested. https://www.youtube.com/live/7ObB4jM-QXU
Complaining About Designers Fiddling with Figma Solves Nothing :: Aaron Gustafson

1 month ago | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

Michael F. Buckley posted a somewhat imflamatory piece to the UX Collective blog over on Medium and I had some strong reactions to it I wanted to share. You should read it first before continuing. First off, I agree with his core message: designers should understand the medium they are working in, be it web or an OS-specific UI. That’s where my agreements end, however. They pat themselves on the back, believing they’ve mastered digital design.
On Diversity :: Aaron Gustafson

Jan 30, 2025 | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

I’ve been broadly working in the DEI (or DEIA if you like) sphere for decades now. Most of my work has been coming at it from the accessibility side of things, but I got really involved in allyship and more traditional DEI work starting in 2019. Seeing the current U.S. administration taking an axe to DEI programs in the government and bully private businesses to do the same has me incredibly frustrated, confused, and (yes) angry. I want more equality and more opportunity in the world, not less.
A Web Component for Conditional Dependent Fields :: Aaron Gustafson

Aug 13, 2024 | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

A few weeks back I released a web component to enable you to add requirement rules to checkbox groups. Continuing in the form utility space, I’ve created a new web component that allows you to make fields required based on the values of other fields: form-required-if.
On CrowdStrike, dependencies, and building robust products on the web :: Aaron Gustafson

Jul 24, 2024 | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

I have no opinion on CrowdStrike as a company or service. I’ve never used their products. In fact, prior to the incident last week, I had only a passing familiarity with their name — likely from headlines in the tech press I’d scrolled past at some point in time. I now have a vague understanding of what they do, but that’s only based on what I learned about the cause of the incident.
Requirement Rules for Checkboxes :: Aaron Gustafson

Jul 4, 2024 | aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

HTML checkboxes debuted as part of HTML 2.0 in 1995. Our ability to mark an individual checkbox as being required became part of the HTML5 spec that published in 2014. A decade later, we can still only make checkboxes required on a case-by-case basis. To overcome this limitation, I had created a jQuery plugin that allowed me to indicate that a user should choose a specific number of items from within a checkbox group. Yesterday I turned that plugin into a web component: form-required-checkboxes.
Embedding Accessibility

Jun 18, 2024 | presentations.aaron-gustafson.com | Aaron Gustafson

In this session, I discuss the many reasons companies should prioritize accessibility, how to build a culture of accessibility, and what it can mean for their bottom line.
To Ignite a Personalization Practice, Run this Prepersonalization Workshop

Apr 16, 2024 | alistapart.com | Colin Eagan |Jeffrey MacIntyre |Ste Grainer |Aaron Gustafson

Picture this. You’ve joined a squad at your company that’s designing new product features with an emphasis on automation or AI. Or your company has just implemented a personalization engine. Either way, you’re designing with data. Now what? When it comes to designing for personalization, there are many cautionary tales, no overnight successes, and few guides for the perplexed.
The Wax and the Wane of the Web

Feb 29, 2024 | alistapart.com | Aaron Gustafson |Jeffrey Zeldman |Justin Dauer |Colin Eagan

I offer a single bit of advice to friends and family when they become new parents: When you start to think that you’ve got everything figured out, everything will change. Just as you start to get the hang of feedings, diapers, and regular naps, it’s time for solid food, potty training, and overnight sleeping. When you figure those out, it’s time for preschool and rare naps. The cycle goes on and on.