Feminist Development Guidelines

guidelines_dev.md

To develop a website aligned with feminist design principles, focus on technical implementation, infrastructure, and code practices that prioritize accessibility, privacy, sustainability, and inclusivity. Below is a structured approach:

1. Accessibility-First Development

   • Semantic HTML: Use HTML5 elements (<header>, <nav>, <article>) and ARIA roles for screen-reader compatibility.

   • Multiple Interaction Modes:

     Build a text-only toggle using CSS display: none/block or a separate lightweight HTML page.

     Implement audio descriptions via HTML5 tags or Web Speech API.

   • Offline Access: Use service workers for caching static assets (HTML, CSS, JS) via a manifest.json file.

   • Low-Bandwidth Optimization: Serve compressed images (WebP/AVIF), lazy-load media, and use static site generators (SSGs) like Hugo or Jekyll to minimize server load.

2. Privacy-Centric Architecture

   • Data Minimization: Collect only essential user data. Use anonymized identifiers for analytics (e.g., Plausible or self-hosted Matomo).

   • Encryption: Enforce HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt, encrypt sensitive data at rest (AES-256), and hash passwords with bcrypt.

   • Anti-Surveillance Tools: Avoid third-party trackers; use privacy-first APIs (e.g., Tor-friendly CAPTCHAs).

   • Moderation Features: Integrate report/block functionality with a backend moderation dashboard (e.g., Django Admin).

3. Inclusive Development Practices

   • Diverse User Testing: Use automated tools (axe-core, Lighthouse) and recruit beta testers via community partnerships.

   • CMS Customization: Implement a headless CMS (Strapi, Decap) with multi-language fields (i18n) and alt-text enforcement for images.

   • Non-Discriminatory Language: Use libraries like gender-neutral-language to scan content, or integrate inclusive language guidelines into CMS workflows.

4. Democratized Knowledge Infrastructure

   • Open-Source Codebase: Host code on GitHub/GitLab with AGPL licensing. Use open-source frameworks (React, Django).

   • Collaborative Tools: Embed federated platforms (Matrix for chat, PeerTube for video) or integrate wiki.js for community editing.

   • Multi-Language Docs: Use GitLocalize or Weblate for crowd-sourced translations.

5. Ecofeminist Technical Implementation

   • Static Site Generation: Deploy via Hugo/11ty to reduce server processing. Host on green providers (GreenGeeks, Netlify’s green hosting).

   • Energy Efficiency: Minimize client-side JS; use server-side rendering (SSR) or pre-rendering. Opt for dark mode via CSS prefers-color-scheme.

   • Hardware Longevity: Avoid heavy frameworks (e.g., use vanilla JS over React). Support older browsers with polyfills (core-js) and progressive enhancement.

   • Low-Tech Practices: Serve SVG icons instead of images, use system fonts, and disable non-essential animations.

6. Global & Intersectional Infrastructure

   • Localization: Implement i18n routing (e.g., example.com/es/). Use CDNs with global edge nodes (Cloudflare) for faster access.

   • Low-Data Optimization: Create a ?lite=true version with stripped CSS/JS and cached assets.

   • Economic Accessibility: Offer downloadable content (ZIP) for offline use and ensure compatibility with low-cost devices (test via BrowserStack).

7. Care-Centered Codebase

   • Mental Health UX: Add screen-time reminders using JavaScript setInterval() and provide a “pause animations” button.

   • Community Feedback: Build a public issue tracker (GitHub Issues) and embed anonymous feedback forms with encrypted submissions.

   • Boundaries in Code: Avoid infinite scroll; implement pagination. Rate-limit APIs to prevent burnout.

Tech Stack Example

Frontend: Static HTML/CSS, vanilla JS, Hugo SSG.

Backend: Strapi (headless CMS), Python/Django for moderation tools.

Hosting: GreenGeeks (renewable energy), Cloudflare CDN.

Privacy: Plausible Analytics, Let’s Encrypt SSL.

Accessibility: axe-core, Pa11y CI in GitHub Actions.

Sustainability: Service workers for offline mode, WebP images, system fonts.

Implementation Checklist

• Conduct automated accessibility audits in CI/CD pipelines.
• Test site performance on 2G/Low-End devices (via Chrome DevTools).
• Document code publicly with contribution guidelines.
• Implement HTTP/3 and Brotli compression for faster loads.
• Use localStorage for user preferences (dark mode, text size).

By prioritizing these technical choices, the website becomes a feminist praxis in action—ethical, sustainable, and equitable.