How fixing internet coverage gaps 

News: “Backed by some of the biggest names in the mobile phone industry, including AT&T and Vodafone, it has been developing technology that would enable a mobile phone to connect directly to a satellite to place calls or use data at 5G speeds.”

That is incredible news! As much as this is something we don´t think about daily, there are huge areas on our planet that still have limited (or no) Internet access.

This is something that we as web designers, need to take into consideration. Most companies design websites for the target audience of those who have had the internet for an extended period. These people tend to have at least a basic level of English, and it is assumed that they instinctively know how to use apps, what certain symbols mean, etc.

When expanding our reach, we need to consider other audiences. For instance, Google had this case when they were developing an app and used a ♪ symbol. Most of you, reading this, know what this means. However, when they did user testing, they found that people in some countries do not have ANY association between music and ♪ symbol.

This teaches us that there is a lot to learn about different cultures. More and more people are getting access to our products and services. We need to be more considerate of how we present information about our business and sell our products/services.

We potentially need to think outside the box when creating user personas and think of people we didn´t include before. Inclusivity and accessibility are one of the huge trends for 2023 for everything digital. This is not just a fad. This is something that benefits both people and businesses. People get more services accessible to them, and companies get to increase their reach, making more money. This trend is actually “Making the World a Better Place.”