In our latest ‘Meet the Team’ post we speak to one of our Front-End Developers, Grace Snow, who discusses her role at Mando Group, the projects she works on, and the value her work adds to our clients.

Let’s begin... 

Introduce yourself...

I joined Mando Group at the close of 2020 in a Front-end Developer role. Over time, my growing passion for inclusivity and equality has transformed my role, shifting its primary focus toward accessibility. 

What is your area of specialty?  

I specialise in accessibility (a11y) analysis and integrating accessibility strategy into every facet of our work. I also play a pivotal role within the front-end development team, with a strong emphasis on the user interface (often called “front of the front-end”). I have a genuine passion for semantic HTML and modern CSS, recognising how these fundamental web building blocks can profoundly impact how accessible a site ends up. 

What does your day-to-day activity look like?  

Typically, my mornings kick off with stand-up meetings alongside specialised studio sub-teams, each focused on specific clients. Following these calls, and a couple of cups of tea, my day revolves around building UI components, addressing small bug fixes, and tending to accessibility queries from clients or internal teams. 

Often, I’ll have a few hours set aside for conducting in-depth accessibility analysis, requiring a chunk of distraction-free time. When analysing websites or apps, I follow a systematic approach, diligently noting potential issues as I discover them. I employ a mix of automated tools and manual testing and try to cover as broad a range of adaptive strategies (like screen magnification) and assistive technologies (such as screen readers) as I can.  

If I’ve not got analysis to focus on, I’ll shift onto internal initiatives, updating documentation, training materials, UI patterns or further developing Mando’s accessibility strategy to encourage improvement at every level of the business.   

Tell us about your proudest moment or achievement at Mando Group?  

Honestly, I think my proudest moment at Mando Group is still on the horizon! It will come once I've successfully completed both of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) exams in 2024 and become a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility.  

This will signify a significant milestone in my journey as a seasoned a11y professional. My study for these exams is already shaping my expertise, and I am eager to elevate Mando Group's accessibility design and engineering practices to new heights.  

What is the most interesting project you have worked on?  

Onboarding JCB was an extremely interesting project as it was one of the first times that we worked with a client in such a close and collaborative manner.  

Our approach involved comprehensive assessments across multiple dimensions of their digital estate, including performance, user experience (UX), accessibility, technical debt, and both front and back-end infrastructure.  

This laid the foundation for a substantial backlog of action items right from the outset. Subsequently, our ongoing efforts, spearheaded by the retained team, have shown consistent positive trends across various metrics as they continue to implement further optimisations and new features. 

Which piece of your work has had the biggest impact on a client?  

I think the most substantial impact is often realised through fresh site builds, as this is when we can engineer to the highest and most modern standards.  

Clients reap the benefits of more resilient and maintainable code, as well as value-focused engineering delivery, while their users enjoy the advantages of user-friendly, intuitive, accessible, and high-performance web interfaces. 

What interests you most about the wider digital industry and the work you do?  

Two aspects of my role grab my interest more than anything else!  

Firstly, as I've already emphasised, the growing enthusiasm to embed inclusivity and accessibility into digital projects right from the outset. Developers, designers, testers, marketers, business analysts, content writers, and site owners are all eager to enhance their understanding of accessibility, making it an exciting era to work in this domain. 

Secondly, the rapid evolution of CSS in recent years. User agents are responding with unprecedented speed to our requests for new features, making it an exciting period to be immersed in front-end development. 

What considerations should businesses looking to invest in digital have/top tips they should follow to ensure future growth?  

To ensure future growth through digital transformation, businesses should: 

1. Develop a clear digital strategy aligned with business goals.
2. Prioritise a customer-centric approach, following the principles of Universal Design
3. Form strategic partnerships with experts in various fields.
4. Embrace agile methodologies for ongoing engagement and adaptability.
5. Utilise data for informed decision-making.
6. Continuously optimise digital solutions for value delivery.
7. Invest in upskilling content editors and internal teams to build digital maturity
8. Establish measurable KPIs to track progress and impact. 

And finally... how would you describe Mando Group and the work we do?

Mando Group is a forward-thinking digital consultancy specialising in digital transformation. We believe in partnership with clients to develop digital strategy that’s focused on delivering the highest value to those clients, and the most intuitive experiences for their customers or audience.  

If you want to learn more about our approach to accessibility and digital transformation, then why not get in touch?