Developing an NGO website with feminist design and development principles, alongside permacomputing guidelines, involves creating an inclusive, sustainable, and ethical digital platform. Here's a step-by-step approach to achieve this:
Feminist design emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and equity. Key considerations include:
- Ensure diverse representation in imagery, language, and content.
- Use gender-neutral or inclusive language.
- Highlight marginalized voices and stories.
- Follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure the site is usable by people with disabilities.
- Provide alternative text for images, captions for videos, and keyboard navigation.
- Use readable fonts, high-contrast colors, and scalable text.
- Involve diverse stakeholders (e.g., women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and marginalized groups) in the design process.
- Conduct user testing with a focus on underrepresented groups.
- Prioritize ease of use and intuitive navigation.
- Be transparent about data collection and usage.
- Avoid exploitative practices like tracking or selling user data.
- Provide clear opt-in/opt-out options for data sharing.
Permacomputing focuses on sustainability, resilience, and minimizing environmental impact. Key considerations include:
- Optimize the website for energy efficiency by reducing server requests and minimizing resource-heavy elements (e.g., large images, videos, or animations).
- Use static site generators or lightweight frameworks to reduce server load.
- Choose a green hosting provider powered by renewable energy.
- Use servers located close to the target audience to reduce data transmission energy.
- Design the website to be easily maintainable and updatable.
- Use open standards and avoid proprietary technologies to ensure long-term accessibility.
- Regularly audit and optimize the site for performance.
- Prioritize essential content and features to reduce digital clutter.
- Avoid unnecessary plugins or scripts that increase load times and energy consumption.
- Define the NGO's mission, target audience, and goals for the website.
- Conduct workshops with diverse stakeholders to gather input and ensure inclusivity.
- Create wireframes and prototypes that reflect feminist design principles.
- Use inclusive imagery, colors, and typography.
- Ensure the design is responsive and works across devices.
- Use lightweight, open-source technologies (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to build the site.
- Implement accessibility features from the start.
- Optimize media files (e.g., compress images, use modern formats like WebP).
- Write content that is clear, inclusive, and empowering.
- Highlight the NGO's feminist values and commitment to sustainability.
- Provide resources and educational materials that align with the NGO's mission.
- Conduct thorough testing with diverse users to ensure accessibility and usability.
- Perform performance testing to ensure the site is fast and energy-efficient.
- Launch the site with a clear communication plan to engage the community.
- Regularly update content and features based on user feedback.
- Monitor the site's environmental impact and optimize as needed.
- Ensure ongoing accessibility and inclusivity.
- Design Tools: Figma, Adobe XD (for inclusive design prototyping).
- Development Frameworks: Static site generators like Hugo or Jekyll.
- Hosting: Green hosting providers like GreenGeeks or A2 Hosting.
- Analytics: Ethical analytics tools like Plausible or Fathom.
- Track metrics like user engagement, accessibility compliance, and energy usage.
- Gather feedback from users, especially marginalized groups, to ensure the site meets their needs.
- Regularly assess the site's alignment with feminist and permacomputing principles.
By integrating feminist design and permacomputing principles, the NGO website will not only serve its mission effectively but also contribute to a more equitable and sustainable digital ecosystem.