Every day we make decisions when writing and sending our JavaScript out onto the web. We make decisions about what JavaScript features we're going to use, what version of EMCAScript, what framework, and many more. Each one of those decisions comes with a consequence or a compromise. Some of our choices affect us; most of them affect our users.
Tim-Berners Lee, The Web Developer, says of the Web: "This is for everyone." Some of the decisions we make have consequences that go against that grain. Using lots of client-side JavaScript or including large JavaScript libraries may make things easier for us as developers, but it also means raising the barrier to entry of our sites and apps, excluding large numbers of people from using our stuff. This is particularly true for South African audiences who don't all have the newest, shiniest, tech.
I'll be talking about how User-Centered Design (UCD) can help us mitigate those problems, how it helps us make better products, and better compromises. I'll be talking about Progressive Enhancement as UCD-flavoured Front-end development, and why it's a pragmatic and user-friendly choice.