Human-Level Accessibility Audit
Remove category barriers by redesigning every touchpoint around real human concerns.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
This framework begins with conversations about the emotional and practical barriers surrounding a category rather than assumptions about why prospects do not convert. Teams ask what feels intimidating, what would increase comfort, and whether customers can see themselves reflected in the brand. They then audit the complete journey—including curation, content, copy, onboarding, lifecycle marketing, and product interactions—from the perspective of an interested beginner. Findings become coordinated product and marketing changes that make the experience clearer and more welcoming. The mechanism is a recurring outside-in audit: collect human feedback, identify exclusionary signals, redesign touchpoints, and test whether newcomers now feel helped rather than judged.
Origin
Everette Taylor described how Artsy made art collecting more accessible after recognizing that its existing audience definitions, content, and product experience excluded many interested prospective collectors.
Core principles
- 01Understand people before redesigning the funnel.
- 02Treat intimidation as a product and marketing problem.
- 03Represent customers in content, curation, and language.
- 04Audit the company before blaming customer reluctance.
How to run it
- 1
Interview Interested Outsiders
Speak with people who are curious about the category but hesitant to participate. Ask what intimidates them and what would make them feel comfortable.
Pro tip Recruit people beyond the company's current customer profile.
Watch out Do not substitute internal opinions for direct conversations.
- 2
Find Representation Gaps
Identify where customers cannot see their identities, tastes, budgets, or backgrounds reflected in the offering.
Pro tip Review imagery, featured examples, curation, and editorial subjects together.
Watch out Token representation without broader experience changes will feel superficial.
- 3
Audit Every Touchpoint
Walk through acquisition, onboarding, lifecycle communication, and product use as an aspiring beginner. Label each interaction as welcoming, confusing, or intimidating.
Pro tip Include both product and marketing teams in the walkthrough.
Watch out Do not inspect the advertising while ignoring a confusing product experience.
- 4
Redesign the Experience
Change language, content, curation, and product flows to answer beginner needs without requiring insider knowledge.
Pro tip Use plain language while preserving expertise for advanced customers.
Watch out Accessibility does not mean removing quality standards.
- 5
Repeat the Audit
Collect new feedback after changes and continue correcting barriers across the journey.
Pro tip Track qualitative comfort alongside conversion metrics.
Watch out A one-time redesign will miss barriers created by later campaigns and features.
In the wild
Artsy broadened the artists and collectors represented in its content, reconsidered specialist language, and inspected onboarding and lifecycle touchpoints through the eyes of someone buying art for the first time.
→ The brand and product became warmer and more accessible to people previously excluded from art collecting.
A cybersecurity company interviews interested small-business owners, discovers that specialist terminology creates anxiety, and rebuilds onboarding around plain-language risks, guided setup, and relatable customer examples.
→ More qualified beginners complete setup without weakening the product's technical capabilities.
Common mistakes
Blaming the Prospect
Assuming people simply do not want the product prevents the company from seeing intimidating messages and confusing experiences it created.
Changing Marketing Alone
Inviting campaigns fail when onboarding and product touchpoints still communicate that beginners do not belong.
Mistaking Jargon for Authority
Insider language may signal expertise to existing customers while unnecessarily excluding interested newcomers.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for marketers and product leaders selling products that prospective customers perceive as exclusive, confusing, or not meant for them.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when adoption is constrained primarily by regulation, unavailable supply, or an objectively unaffordable price.
From the transcript
“I think first and foremost is just having an understanding of people at a human level.”
“What would make you feel more comfortable? And how can a company like Artsy make you feel more comfortable about this space?”
“Really looking at like your onboarding, looking at your life cycle marketing, all of your customer touch points internally and internally and externally, and ask…”
From the episode
Rethinking your Market with Everette Taylor (CMO of Artsy)
Everette Taylor