Blog Post
JodiSansone
2 years agoCommunity Member
Alt Test Quiz--What Alt Text Would You Use?
Demo: https://jodisdemos.s3.amazonaws.com/429+Alt+Text/story.html
I confess I am lazy on writing alt text (and I had to miss Ginger's webinar today, but I'll watch it tomorrow). So I decided to challenge myself and write alt text that did a good job of describing a visual and adding context so the visual is more than "decorative". Let me know if you agree/disagree with my quiz answers. Thinking through the alt text examples took me longer than actually developing the slides for this demo.
Demo: https://jodisdemos.s3.amazonaws.com/429+Alt+Text/story.html
I confess I am lazy on writing alt text (and I had to miss Ginger's webinar today, but I'll watch it tomorrow). So I decided to challenge myself and write alt text that did a good job of describing a visual and adding context so the visual is more than "decorative". Let me know if you agree/disagree with my quiz answers. Thinking through the alt text examples took me longer than actually developing the slides for this demo.
- Jonathan_Hill2 years agoSuper HeroThis is great. Pitch perfect examples and questions. Just used this to facilitate a discussion on Alt Text with my team.
- JulieDall2 years agoCommunity MemberReally liked this example. Just one think (and it might just be me), but from a user point of view, I found the red continue buttons making me think I got it wrong.
- JodiSansone2 years agoCommunity MemberThank you for taking the time to give me that feedback. I was so focused on the text I wasn't thinking about color communication.
- ThierryEMMANUEL2 years agoCommunity MemberBravo for this demo, Jodi. You've inspired me to do my own.
I followed the link to WCAG, very interesting. But, in my opinion, the image + alt text example is curiously not very relevant. According to the site, the best alt text should be: "A distraught man hugs his daughter in front of the crumbling walls and scattered debris of their home destroyed by a tornado". I didn't SEE it was a father and daughter, I can't SEE it. I didn't see that it was after a tornado, I didn't see that it was a tornado, I can't see it (it could have been an earthquake, a bombing, destruction for eviction, etc). So, in this example, there's a lot more information (contextual and especially emotional) in the alt text than in the image. Is it a good alt text? Does anyone have an opinion?- JodiSansone2 years agoCommunity MemberIn that WCAG example it looks like the visual came with the context of a written news story in USA Today about a tornado outbreak. Perhaps that allows the alt text to refer to things we cannot see.
- HannahRadant-002 years agoCommunity MemberI really liked this quiz, Jody. Ginger did something similar at the beginning of the webinar and then revealed the answers at the end. It definitely made me think harder about what really is decorative and what image (or description of the image) could actually add content/info to the course.
- KateORourke2 years agoCommunity MemberHi Jodi! This is so well done. I think it's a great way to help people practice their skills in ALT text. It's challenging, yet well scaffolded. I was thrown off by the colleagues in safety goggles talking "intensely" - that word seemed subjective - as well as the "demoralized" businessman with "demanding" colleagues. When writing ALT text myself, I find it's a great challenge to balance descriptive detail with objective language!