The design system of the Christmas Factory

Foreword

This article was published initially in French on the website 24 jours de Web (24 days of Web), on December 13th 2025.

The Elves Oli Daynight and Any Goodcookie have been called into Santa’s office. Oli Daynight is the elf responsible for the design of the platform and Any Goodcookie is the accessibility expert, hired recently following Candy Canes’ recommendation.

The Elves enter Santa’s office. Everything is huge in Santa’s office, but they themselves are very tiny… of course they are, since they are Elves! Oli and Any therefore have to literally climb to be able to sit on the armchairs Santa is showing them. Oli grumbles, mumbling that those chairs are not very accessible to Elves.

“As you already know, we have worked on our corporate identity, ensuring it is both inclusive and accessible. We received a lot of mail from kids and their parents from all over the world, thanking us for the work we have done. We also had a lot of very good feedback from the Elves and from our toy suppliers. However, many mention that our platform is not accessible. What do you think? Where should we start with this?”

Santa sets both his elbows on his giant desk and settles his round face in his hands, arching an eyebrow.

Illustration by Eléa Moreau

Both Elves explain to Santa that the platform of the Christmas Factory is very dense, with numerous functionalities: some destined to their toy suppliers, others to the Elves of the Factory.

Oli Daynight explains that a good starting point would be to work on the components of the design system because they represent a good part of the elements used in the platform.

“What’s a design system?”, asks Santa, a little vexed, as usually, he’s the one who knows everything.

“In layman's terms, a design system is a set of components that are found repetitively across a website or an application. It allows to unify the design of those recurring components, and even to provide a coded version that designers and developers will be able to integrate to the pages.” explains Oli.

Any Goodcookie intervenes, explaining that it’s unfortunately not magical and that, although it is a good way to start, it won’t make the whole platform fully accessible instantly. To reach this goal, it will be necessary to also review the different pages, the rest of the components, and the interactions between each of them as well as between the pages. If the means allow it, then this work could be done in parallel. Else, it will need to be done afterwards.

Planning & Inventory

Oli and Any review what is necessary to put in place for this huge project.

Training the teams

Any insists on the fact that, before anything, it is important to set up a series of training sessions for the teams of Elves responsible for the design and development of the platform. The elf organises training sessions with Candy Canes for each job type (e.g.: elves that are designers, developers, project managers…).

Audit or immediate revamp?

Oli asks Any to audit the different components to evaluate the extent of the work to be done. After giving it some thought, Any doesn’t find it very efficient. Indeed, the components will need to be entirely reworked following the changes linked to the new corporate identity. In addition, considering the little time granted to them, it seems more pertinent to ensure the accessibility of the components directly from the beginning of their revamp.
Oli is not very convinced as it implies that there won’t be any traces left of the initial components, and with that, no way to know their initial accessibility level.

“True. But, if you think about it, you didn’t need to measure the height of the chair in Santa’s office before sitting on it, did you? You knew at a glance that it was high. Yet you climbed it anyway and comfortably sat on it, didn’t you? Well, it’s the same here. The step is high, but if we climb it directly, we will reach our goal more quickly. Then, we will be able to evaluate our level of accessibility and already know that we reached a relatively comfortable level.” explains Any Goodcookie with a wink.

Illustration by Eléa Moreau

With those arguments, the elf manages not only to convince her coworker, but also Santa: for him, the faster, the better! (And the cheaper, too, because an audit would cost him a lot in cookies and sweets…!)

Compliance or accessibility?

Any asks Oli and Santa if they would prefer:

• To comply strictly with accessibility guidelines, thus ensuring access without any major blocking issues to their users as well as compliance with multiple accessibility and inclusion laws across the world?
• Or to comply with accessibility guidelines, but also work further towards more accessibility and usability for proper comfort for all users?

Although all of them would rather go for the second option, the little time left before Christmas does not allow for this. Therefore, Oli suggests that they work to ensure compliance, all the while trying, through little touches here and there, notably on the design, to ensure better accessibility and usability, as long as it doesn’t require much additional work.

Once this decision is established, Any suggests to use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as main guidelines. Indeed, as the Christmas Factory works with toy suppliers across the world, it needs to follow a standard that is legally recognised across the world. Moreover, these guidelines were recently recognised as an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 40500).

In action

Integrating accessibility in the processes

Any explains to Oli and Santa that, to ensure the components are as accessible as possible, it is important for her to be involved at each and every step: from conception to development, as well as during the testing phase.

Gradually, Any becomes the designers’ and developers’ favorite elf. She’s always there to help them by sprinkling little bits of knowledge here, watching out for them with benevolence there, or even making new ideas spring to life and swirl in their minds…

Sprinkling little bits of knowledge

For each component, Any writes documentation including basic recommendations for designers and developers.

This documentation is available to all teams, not just for the design system team. Thus, other teams will be able to start making all custom components accessible based on the recommendations provided in this documentation.

Watching out with benevolence

To better support the elves, Any defines a set of control checkpoints at two levels.

As soon as designers and developers start to have something concrete to show, Any checks it out.

Often, this allows her:

• to immediately help correct the biggest accessibility issues;
• to immediately spot frustration points disabled users may encounter — for example, when facing a component that is too complex;
• or, to spot functional or technical accessibility issues.

She also checks their work right before the final validation of each step, in order to ensure nothing was forgotten.

Test Phases

Any and Oli would have loved to have organised user testing sessions with various disabled users of the Factory’s platform as well as disabled elves and Toy suppliers.

“We don’t have enough time with Christmas approaching fast! We will be able to do it after Christmas, as an improvement phase.” says Santa. “The toys I create are never perfect at first! I observe kids playing with them over the first year to improve them the next year. Let’s do the same in this case.” he adds with a wink.

Any explains that the test phase is important when it comes to accessibility. All the more since the Christmas Factory does not have a QA team, which implies designers and developers often use the “peer review” technique, asking the other members of their teams to test out their work.

Any has the idea to create shared testing sessions that she calls “In their slippers” where designers and developers meet to test their peer’s work and test its accessibility.

To that end, Any proposes a few magical test ideas:

• A red and green powder that simulates some types of color blindness and visual impairments;
• A rainbow-colored powder to make the code-based accessibility errors stand out;
• A magical keyboard that prevents the mouse from functioning;
• A golden powder that makes your computer speak…

Any also provides them with a checklist of various things they should check during the sessions.

Illustration by Eléa Moreau

Conclusion

We’re now in November, and Christmas is right around the corner. Santa summons Oli Daynight and Any Goodcookie again so they may explain where the project is at.

The elves revel: almost all the components of the design system have been revised and are now mostly accessible.

Even if the platform isn’t fully accessible yet, good efforts have been made and the design system’s components provide a solid foundation for the accessibility of the platform. Processes defined by Any have paid off, and the “In their slippers” sessions have also brought an unforeseen perk: it has allowed the teams to learn more and further their knowledge of accessibility!

Indeed, the hands-on approach, as well as Any’s daily advice, have allowed the teams to find new solutions, test further, and to learn much more than they had during their initial training.

Throughout the year, some of the other design and development teams’ elves have followed suit and have contacted Any to ask her help to improve some of the pages they manage in the platform.

Santa is extremely happy to see that Christmas magic is operating at all levels thanks to the drive and enthusiasm of elves for accessibility!

However, he remains well aware there is still work remaining and steps to follow for the platform of the Christmas Factory to be fully accessible. He has assured Any Goodcookie that next year, everyone in the factory will buckle up for the remaining work — he has already informed Lena Candelight, the elf responsible for the whole platform (Oli’s manager) about it. But he has also assured Any that he would love to organise those user tests Any had talked about. Any is glad and she already knows she will recommend Molly Chamalow for the job!

Author’s notes:

• Many many thanks to my little elf Eléa for the illustrations!🥰
• Many thanks as well to Corey Psoinos for proof reading this article!🧐

What is it like to have dyscalculia?

I have dyscalculia. It's one of the learning and reading disorders cousins with dyslexia. They usually go by pair.

People tend to talk about dyslexia, but dyscalculia is rarely explained and therefore, much less known and understood. 

Dyscalculia symptoms involve (non-exhaustive list) difficulties with:

• Identifying numbers
• Counting
• Orientation in space
• Reasoning and solving mathematical problems

Identifying numbers 

Distinguishing them through their shape : 

Just like a dyslexic person may confuse letters that have similar shapes, a dyscalculic person may confuse the shape of numbers (2 and 5, 6 and 9, 3 and 8). 

Making the link between the numbers and their name

Making the link between the numbers themselves and their name, both when said out loud and written in letters: it will be hard for them, when they hear someone say or read the word(s) corresponding to the number(s), e.g.: "ninety-five", to transcribe it into the Arabic number 95.

Identifying quantities and measures

The notion of the quantity the numbers will represent will be very abstract and hard to identify for someone with dyscalculia. This means they will struggle with notions of measures: weights, distances, time... 

But also with grouping similar elements to identify the quantity of the elements in the group.

Counting numbers 

Sequencing numbers

People with dyscalculia may skip or mix up numbers when sequencing a string of numbers, whatever the order (in an ordered string of numbers: forward - 1, 2, 3,... - or backward - 9, 8, 7,... - or worse, in an unordered string of numbers like a phone number for example - 9, 3, 5,...)

Understanding notions of calculation

More, less, multiplied, divide, but also all other notions as the person progresses through school (percentages, square root,...). Because understanding basic notions of quantities and calculations is hard, they will struggle deeply with mental calculations. They will need to rely on more concrete ways of calculating (whenever possible), like counting on their fingers or by using objects, drawings,... 

Writing calculations

Transposing the calculations on paper car be hard: following the rules of calculation (where do you start, where you should add a carried number, division transpotion rules...), transposing a horizontal to vertical calculation... 

Orientation in space

Spacial orientation can be difficult for dyscalculic people too. Because of this, reading a table or a graph can be a struggle. Remember that it combines with difficulties to read numbers, understand them, to identify quantities and measures, to count, etc. The more complex the table or graph, the more difficult it will be. 

It also means that people who are dyscalculic are often very bad at reading the time on an analogic clock - digital clocks are easier but still requires a few more seconds to read it - and very bad copilots as they will be extremely bad at giving directions! 

Reasoning and solving mathematical problem 

People with dyscalculia have difficulties understanding the reasoning behind mathematical problem solving.

Indeed, all of the difficulties stated above, in addition to memory, and focus problems (that often come with most Dys disorders), lead to strong difficulties in reasoning. Because of all this, in a simple mathematical problem, instructions clues will be misunderstood or misinterpreted, leading to a wrong choice of calculation method. 

Often, on top of it, a calculation error will also happen, making the resolution of the problem wrong on different levels.

Dyslexia in application

Let me give you an example through a simple mathematical problem:

"In a class of 50 pupils, 32 are did their homework, of which 20 gave them ahead of time to the teacher and 16 had help from their parents.

Provide the percentage of pupils that did their homework ahead of time and of pupils who where helped by their parents."

A dyscalculic person like me could make the following mistakes:

- Calculate the percentages based on the total number of pupils in the class instead of basing it on the number of pupils who did their homework.

- Read 26 pupils had help from their parents instead of 16 pupils.

- Calculate 20-16 and then calculate the percentage - based of the number of pupils who did their homework, or,  here again, the total number of pupils, thus doubling the mistakes in their calculations. 

- calculating that 16/32 = 0.2 instead of 0.5... (because in their mind, they will know 16 is half of 32, so it's like dividing it by 2 but they won't identify the decimal ratio as 0.5 but 0.2 instead, their mind mixing everything up)

Being a dyscalculic kid vs. being a dyscalculic adult

The learning curve

Now, if a kid is helped through out school by therapists, parents, etc., it will be able to aquire enough tricks to bypass most of its difficulties with calculations, maths problems, etc. 

It was my case. My dyscalculia was detected very early - aged 6 yo - right when you start to properly count and to make basic calculations. I was supported by a therapist on a weekly basis for over 7 years, and my mother was a maths teacher, who tried all the techniques she knew to manage and get me to understand mathematics, learn the logic and surpass my difficulties. 

Don't get me wrong, I still clearly am dyscalculic. But I managed to learn enough, develop enough tricks and pathways in my mind to be able to go through a Scientific baccalauréat. This cost me all my free time during my childhood and adolescence, endlessly doing exercises after exercises to "master" mathematics to be able to reach a level similar to my classmates and to have my baccalauréat. Though "master" is a big word because I'm no "master" at mathematics, I'm mearly someone who "manages" with a lot of time and work.

The plateau

As a working adult, all this hurdle led me to be at a similar level as my peers whenever maths are involved. Indeed, in the different jobs I've had over the years, I've had to analyse data, learn how to use a pivot table in Excel for this, learn how to create some calculation formula,...etc. 

All of this is still a struggle for me. Each time, it implies that I need to:

• First manage to read, identify, quantify and group the numbers I see, whether it's in a table or a graph, either way, both are difficult. 
• Then, I need to wrap my head around what information I am looking for and then wrap my head around how to tweak the table to be able to get what I need out of it : What set of data vs. what other set of data? With which calculation? Ratios? Percentages? Averages?... 
• From there, I also need to remember how to do those calculations. They may seem basic to you. To me, it requires a lot of thinking, remembering, even some times trials and errors before I get the calculations right. 
• And then, when I managed to do all of this, which was already painful and tiring, I have to interpret the new data in front of me, match it with the knowledge I have of things in my line of work to draw conclusions. 

Most of the time, I manage to do things right in the end, pulling the wool over everyone's eyes around me so they don't see all of that struggle. Hell! I even manage to fool myself sometimes into believing I overcame it all and that I'm may be at the same level as everyone else in the end...

But sometimes, I make mistakes. Mistakes in the reasoning, leading me to make the wrong calculations, or mistakes in the calculation itself...both leading inevitably towards wrong results. 

This really brings my confidence down. It's when I realise that I'm still dyscalculic, that I'm not at the same level as my peers...

Having the support of my family, my friends, even my manager, has always helped me get back on the horse and carry on trying, taking on new chalenges whenever I have to analyse data. Because the next one may be easier, or may be I'll just manage better and get things right.

Indeed, even though it's tough to be dyscalculic, if you focus on your successes when facing numbers and carry on fighting against your difficulties, it is most rewarding when you manage to run calculations, analyse data and graphs, and find interesting insights out of it. 

It feels like you WON against your struggles and conquered new territories and THAT is priceless! 

Damned acronyms and abbreviations

"I hate acronyms/abbreviations!" Ever heard people around you say it? 

In all companies, during meetings, conversations, presentations, but also on the web in webinar presentations, on websites, in social network posts etc., acronyms and abbreviations are constantly used.

The problem with acronyms and abbreviations

Personally, I struggle with acronyms and abbreviations. It's hell for me. As a dyslexic and dysorthographic, I already have trouble remembering the orthograph of words and their signification when they are abstract. 

So with acronyms and abbreviations, it's worse.

Why is it worse? Because it requires to remember a lot of things: 

Their "orthograph"

Not mistaken the letters with one another and remember the right order of the letters, because it can mean a totally different thing.

For example ACV and AVC won't mean the same thing : ACV apparently means Annual Contract Value, while AVC apparently means Additional Voluntary Contributions.

Their transcription

Remember what each letter stands for - ok this one, forget it, unless I use it every single day... and even when using it every day, some just won't stick in my brain.

For example in my line of work as accessibility experts, we use acronyms for the name of the guidelines we refer to: RGAA* or WCAG**. Those two I remember. However, ARIA, HTML and CSS, which I use everyday as but transcribe to people less often, I just can't remember their transcription. I vaguely remember some of the words.

What doesn't help is that depending on the context, the letters may not always stand for the same word, and worse than that, it's also the case in a same context! 

For example, in finance, A can stand for Annual as well as for Average. Or in the digital industry, the P in the acronym PM can stand for Project, Program, Product and the M for Manager or Management (though they are from the same nature, it can change the sense of a sentence!). 

Their definition

Knowing the transcription of an acronym or an abbreviation does not mean you know what it means. For example, I learned while discussing with my friend today, that ARR stands for Annual Recurring Revenue, meaning the annual turnover of a company. 

Note: I'm giving examples of acronyms here but it's the same for abbreviations!

Efforts

Please avoid telling people struggling with acronyms and abbreviations that they are not making any efforts at remembering them. 

Trust me, it is not a matter of effort. It's a matter of memory. Not everyone's memory works the same. Some people remember by seeing the words, others by hearing them, others only if there's a rhythm, others only if the word has a tangible signification or can be associated to an image/small film in their mind...

Some other people can have memory issues, some others can be dyslexic/dysorthographic,... 

As you can see, there are many reasons why it can be hard for someone to remember acronyms and abbreviations!

How does it affect other disabilities?

It's hard for people with other disabilities too, for different reasons than stated above. 

For people who navigate with a screen reader or with keyboard or other assistive technologies, it can be a struggle to find the transcription too. 

Navigating in a page already asks a lot from them from a cognitive stand point so asking them to remember the transcription or definition of an acronym or abbreviation will add to their mental charge. 

And if the transcription/definition is towards the top/middle of the page but the abbreviation is repeated more towards the end of the page, it can be a struggle for them to find it again. 

What to do?

Really, it's not that hard!

It can be just be a matter of: 

• In a document (Word, Google Docs...) or a webpage: 
• add the transcription of the acronym/abbreviation the first time you are using it in the page (or the second time if it's in a title). 
• add the transcription as a footnote, with an anchor link on the reference number to move to the footnote. (Note: it may also be useful in some cases to have an anchor link back to where the acronym/abbreviation was in the text.) 
• In a long document of several pages, you may also add a glossary with the transcription and definition of the acronym/abbreviation with a link towards the glossary available on all occurrences of the acronym/abbreviation in the different pages.
• In a slide (Powerpoint, Google Slides...): add the transcription as a footnote (and don't forget to say it out loud when presenting your slide so people with visual disabilities may have the information). 

Like the Meerkat would say: Simples! 😉