Just Call Me DK. I'm a design leader focused on user experience, inclusive design and people management.
Hi there! I'm David A. Kennedy, but my friends call me DK. I work as a Manager of Design at Ad Hoc, focusing on creating inclusive experiences, and helping designers grow. You can reach me at the usual place.
I’m an accessibility advocate who loves the open web and open source design and code. I curate a popular newsletter called Accessibility Weekly. Before working on the web, I wrote words instead of code as a journalist.
What I Do as a Designer
I have more than a decade of design and front-end development experience, spanning non-profits, start-ups and government agencies. The connecting line in my work has been a knack for understanding where people are coming from, running toward “sticky” problems and having an accessibility-first mindset.
I approach my work through a few principles:
- Stay curious. Progress happens because of new questions or questions asked in a different way. Keep at it.
- Be the glue. Be present, and don’t take up space. Fill the gaps.
- Apply constant, intelligent pressure. Magic doesn’t exist. Everything worthwhile gets created because people show up every day and do the boring stuff.
My Interests
- Working in the open with open source design and code
- Creating inclusive and accessible experiences
- Helping people level up
- Building healthy teams and cultures that foster growth
Learn more about my side projects.
Writing Highlights
Speaking of words, I’ve collected a few of my favorite posts I’ve written elsewhere. You might enjoy reading them or my favorites from this site.
- Accessibility and MVPs
- Designing for Web Accessibility in 60 Seconds
- Practicing Web Accessibility Differently
- Talking About Web Accessibility Differently
- Thinking About Web Accessibility Differently
- Screen Reader Tips for Web Designers and Developers
- Accessibility Tunnel Vision
- Testing for Web Accessibility in 60 Seconds
If that’s not enough, here are some of the latest posts from my blog.
- What Makes a Good Accessibility Designer?
- Wrangler
- Kind Words
- Working with Kettlebells
- No One Actually Wants Accessibility
Now
I’m currently:
- Contributing more to the design system at work. My latest project involved improving focus styles for better accessibility.
- Taking guitar lessons, learning small parts of songs like Free Falling and Sweet Home Alabama.
- Slinging kettlebells around even more. I can finally perform a few new movements and have started working them into my routine.