WCAG Companion
Building a specialized accessibility evaluation tool from expert need to community adoption
The Challenge
As a certified WCAG expert, I struggled with existing accessibility evaluation tools that were either too simplistic, overly complex, prohibitively expensive, or packed with unnecessary features.
Core Problem
No existing tool provided the right balance of comprehensive WCAG evaluation capabilities, usability, and practical report generation needed for professional accessibility auditing.
Design Process
Discover
Market Analysis & Expert Insight
- Analyzed existing accessibility tools (free and paid solutions)
- Identified feature gaps in current market offerings
- Leveraged personal WCAG expertise to define functional requirements
- Researched European Accessibility Act compliance needs (effective June 2025)
Define
Product Strategy & MVP Scope
Key insight: Accessibility professionals needed a tool that matched their evaluation workflow, not generic audit software.
Core requirements: Comprehensive WCAG evaluation documentation, multi-format report generation, EU compliance features, and professional-grade interface design.
Design
Prototype-First Development
- Created initial prototypes to validate core concepts
- Iterative design approach with community feedback integration
- Balanced comprehensive functionality with clean user experience
- Designed step-by-step evaluation workflow (5-step process)
Deliver
Community-Driven Refinement
- Launched working MVP to accessibility community
- Gathered ongoing user feedback for continuous improvement
- Validated tool effectiveness through professional use cases
The Solution
Streamlined Evaluation Workflow
Five-step process guides users through comprehensive WCAG evaluations: Scope Definition → Website Assessment → Sample Selection → Criteria Audit → Report Generation.
Comprehensive Reporting
Multi-format report generation (PDF, Word, HTML) for professional documentation and client delivery
EU Compliance Integration
Built-in accessibility declaration generator for European Accessibility Act requirements
Professional Architecture
Robust data storage (JSON + database) ensuring evaluation data integrity and export flexibility
Expert-Designed Workflow
Five-step evaluation process matching professional accessibility auditing practices
Before & After
Existing Tools
- Too simplistic or overly complex
- Prohibitively expensive for professionals
- Packed with unnecessary features
- Poor report generation capabilities
- Mismatched evaluation workflows
WCAG Companion
- Balanced functionality and usability
- Professional-grade but accessible
- Expert-designed evaluation workflow
- Comprehensive multi-format reporting
- EU compliance integration
Impact & Results
Key Learning
Domain expertise combined with systematic market analysis can identify genuine product opportunities. Building for your own professional needs often leads to solutions others in the field also require.
Community Adoption Success
- Live tool receiving enthusiastic feedback from accessibility professionals
- Addressing real market gap identified through expert analysis
- Growing user base validating product-market fit
Technical Achievement
- Full-stack development demonstrating comprehensive product building skills
- Successfully balanced complex functionality with usable interface design
- Integrated regulatory compliance features ahead of EU deadline
Ongoing Evolution
- Continuous user feedback integration improving tool effectiveness
- Side project demonstrating initiative and domain expertise
- Potential for broader professional accessibility tool market impact