Discovery
RESEARCH ACCESSIBLE DESIGN SYSTEM PATTERNS
To understand how large organisations successfully embed accessibility into their design systems, I analysed mature systems such as the BBC GEL and IBM Carbon. Both place accessibility at the core — not as an afterthought, but as a design foundation.
I was especially interested in how they combine semantic structure, ARIA attributes, and clear documentation to support consistent, accessible component implementation across teams.
WHAT I TOOK AWAY
From BBC GEL:
• Prioritise clear guidance over visual flourish
• Build for lowest common denominator tech (screen readers, keyboard nav)
• Accessibility is enforced at the principle level, not just the component level
From IBM Carbon:
• Robust, component-level accessibility checklists
• Built-in keyboard interaction guidance
• Code examples with live ARIA behaviour baked in
These systems informed my direction for Hargreaves Lansdown — particularly in how we could structure documentation, support devs, and scale inclusive design without duplicating effort.
COMPETITOR AUDIT: FINANCIAL SERVICES
I also looked at digital products from key financial competitors. Despite modern branding, many fell short on:
• Focus indicators and tab navigation
• Form field accessibility (labels, error messaging)
• Colour contrast compliance
This confirmed an opportunity: Hargreaves Lansdown could differentiate through accessibility leadership.
