Denni Bakardji

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Denni Bakardji

Colourful Braille lego blocks spelling the word hello

Proceess

Fostering
accessible
design

Colourful Braille lego blocks spelling the word hello

Proceess

Fostering
accessible
design

Accessibility design champion

Accessibility design champion

I have a passion for inclusivity and ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity, which led me to becoming an Accessibility Design Champion at Stepstone. I helped establish processes that supported a design team of over 45 people in creating more inclusive experiences. I also framed our company accessibility goal.

I have a passion for inclusivity and ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity, which led me to becoming an Accessibility Design Champion at Stepstone. I helped establish processes that supported a design team of over 45 people in creating more inclusive experiences. I also framed our company accessibility goal.

ACCESSIBILITY GOAL

We want everyone to be able to complete their journey on our platforms

Speaking the language of leadership

Building accessible products requires design allies who are willing to go the extra mile. I needed to create those allies with clearly communicating why accessibility matters.

28

%

↑

HIgher revenue

Driving better outcomes by committing to disability inclusion.

50

%

↑

Higer performance

Outperforming cometitors when your digital products fully comply with WCAG.

30

%

↑

Higer profit margins

Surpassing competitors when investing in accessibility.

Design responsibilities

Design responsibilities

I co-created experience and accessibility design checklists based on WCAG, and conduct regular accessibility audits of the design system with recommendations to meet accessibility standards.

I co-created experience and accessibility design checklists based on WCAG, and conduct regular accessibility audits of the design system with recommendations to meet accessibility standards.

Design system teal button hierachy matching contrast ratio of 8 WCAG
Design system outline button hierachy matching contrast ratio of 12 WCAG
Design system red button hierachy matching contrast ratio of 6 WCAG

Accessibility trainings

I run a range of in-person and online training sessions for the team:

  • Screen reader training

  • Designing with accessibility in mind from the outset

  • Handover to development with clear accessibility annotations

  • Onboarding new designers with accessibility best practices.

Deni explaining how to design for Autism in front of a laptop

Accessible design is better user experience

User testing with non-disabled users highlighted issues with some toggles on our platform, but when we designed with accessibility in mind (especially for autistic users), those issues were resolved.

Happier development teams

Accessibility annotations leads to happier development teams. 

Accesibility lab

Accesibility lab

I run accessibility labs tailored for the design community, alongside sessions for the wider company and external stakeholders.

I run accessibility labs tailored for the design community, alongside sessions for the wider company and external stakeholders.

Peers completing exercises during the Accessibility Lab
Peers completing exercises during the Accessibility Lab
Hands interacting with colourful Braille lego
A variety of low vision simulation glasses
lab attendant using tring to tie their shoelaces with the Cambridge simulation gloves - creating physical resistance and limit mobility, dexterity, and grip strength

Opportunity

Opportunity

Removing bias from
job listings

Removing bias from
job listings

I co-created experience and accessibility design checklists based on WCAG, and conduct regular accessibility audits of the design system with recommendations to meet accessibility standards.

I co-created experience and accessibility design checklists based on WCAG, and conduct regular accessibility audits of the design system with recommendations to meet accessibility standards.

Collaboration

I collaborated with our Accessibility & Digital Governance Manager, Data Science and Linguists teams who provided a dictionary of over 31,000 (lines of) biased terms and suitable alternatives. 

Cards showing different biased words and suitable replacement words
Cards showing different biased words and suitable replacement words

AI implementation

AI implementation

With the help of AI - using Chat GPT, Figma Make, Supabase and our dictionary, I created the Listings Biased Decoder, which removes gender and neurodiversity bias from job listings in both English and German.

With the help of AI - using Chat GPT, Figma Make, Supabase and our dictionary, I created the Listings Biased Decoder, which removes gender and neurodiversity bias from job listings in both English and German.

Logos of Figma, Supabase anf Figma Make

How it works

How it works

Recruiters can now paste a job ad into the tool to identify biased terms, review suggested replacements, and choose the most appropriate alternatives to make their listings more inclusive.

Recruiters can now paste a job ad into the tool to identify biased terms, review suggested replacements, and choose the most appropriate alternatives to make their listings more inclusive.

Interface with title “Make your listing inclusive” with a big input field with a job listing in it. In the sidebar there are cards with the biased words and their replacements
Interface with title “Make your listing inclusive” with a big input field with a job listing in it. In the sidebar there are cards with the biased words and their replacements

My accessibility mentor

My accessibility mentor

Thank you

Thank you

I’ve had the privilege of working with our Accessibility & Digital Governance Manager and founder of the Stepstone Accessibility Lab, Mimouna Mahdaoui, whose support has been invaluable throughout my accessibility journey.

I’ve had the privilege of working with our Accessibility & Digital Governance Manager and founder of the Stepstone Accessibility Lab, Mimouna Mahdaoui, whose support has been invaluable throughout my accessibility journey.

IMAGE: Attending the Accessibility Discovery Center at Google

Studio image of Denni wearing a yellow blouse on a teal backdrop
Studio image of Denni wearing a yellow blouse on a teal backdrop

To help you foster accessibility

To help you foster accessibility

Feel free to contact me to discuss possible permanent & contract opportunities at deni.red@gmail.com and LinkedIn.

Feel free to contact me to discuss possible permanent & contract opportunities at deni.red@gmail.com and LinkedIn.

Get in touch

Get in touch

Designing for an
AI-first world

Designing for an AI-first world

Reimagining existing platforms as AI-first experiences, helping users make better decisions.

Reimagining existing platforms as AI-first experiences, helping users make better decisions.

View case study

View case study

Driving product direction

Driving product direction

Shaping product strategy through collaborative design and vision sprints.

Shaping product strategy through collaborative design and vision sprints.

View case study

View case study

Click through rate boost

515

515

%

%

↑

↑

A redesigned dashboard drove users deeper into the platform and increased engagement.

Coming soon

Coming soon

Engagement growth

40

40

%

%

↑

↑

A digital transformation and redesign that achieved higher event attendance.

Coming soon

Coming soon

Conversion success

42

42

%

%

↑

↑

An experiment that grew into a standalone product across two countries.

View case study

View case study

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