$1M+ annual revenue through accessibility and usability redesign for Applus+ Laboratories

Accessibility-first redesign for Applus+ Laboratories, for engineers and technical decision-makers across Aerospace, Pharma, Construction, and Medical industries.

Achieved WCAG AA compliance with research-backed projected 38% conversion improvement, 23% organic traffic gain, and $840K-$1.44M annual business impact.

Accessibility

B2B UX

Usability Testing

Conversion Optimization

Information Architecture

WCAG

Forms

Lead Generation

Team Leadership

Developer Hand-off

Applus+ Laboratories, a €254 million testing and certification division, needed a website redesign that would convert

Applus+ Laboratories, a €254 million testing and certification division, needed a website redesign that would convert technical decision-makers—engineers, technicians, and procurement managers across Aerospace, Pharma, and Construction industries.

The parent organization provided initial designs, but usability testing with participants revealed critical barriers: form accessibility violations, confusing navigation, and intimidating CTAs that discouraged engagement. For a B2B company where average deals range from $50K-$500K, these friction points had real business consequences.

The core issues:

  • Form accessibility violations that broke user trust

  • Navigation gaps causing backtracking and confusion

  • Aggressive "GET A QUOTE" CTA creating high interaction cost

  • Poor readability hindering content discovery

  • Non-compliance with WCAG AA standards

I tested designs with users, focusing on the three highest-risk areas

As team lead, I developed a testing plan focusing on the three highest-risk areas: navigation effectiveness, quote request friction, and service information discoverability. Using UserTesting.com, we recruited participants matching the target demographic and conducted remote unmoderated testing.

The findings validated my initial concerns:

  • Users avoided the primary CTA due to its intimidating tone and perceived commitment

  • Body copy was difficult to read, reducing content discoverability

  • Navigation structure didn't match user mental models—participants preferred Services over Industries menu

  • Form design created multiple layers of inaccessibility

Strategy:

  • Prioritize accessibility fixes, preferring items that also improve conversion (form overhaul, CTA changes)

  • Standardize typography and components for consistency across all 11 screens

  • Simplify navigation while maintaining connection to parent site brand

  • Document everything for seamless developer handoff

Form Accessibility Overhaul

Redesigned the Contact Us page to address critical accessibility violations: incorrect form buttons, input fields styled as buttons, and illegibly small legal text. Added helper text for context, replaced pseudo-buttons with proper input fields, and made terms of agreement accessible.

Projected impact: 20-40% form conversion improvement based on industry benchmarks for B2B form accessibility fixes.

Navigation & Information Architecture

Simplified the menu bar to standard height, streamlined dropdown menus, and redesigned breadcrumbs and footers. These changes reduced visual clutter and created clearer pathways to service information.

Projected impact: 10%+ task success rate improvement, reduced bounce rate, faster path to conversion.

CTA Psychology & Trust Building

Replaced the intense orange with an AA-compliant softer shade and changed button copy from "GET A QUOTE" to "Learn More." Created alternative button styles for different contexts (hero images, dark backgrounds).

Projected impact: 15-25% CTA engagement increase by reducing perceived commitment and interaction cost.

Typography & Readability

Replaced Foundry Monoline with SF Pro for improved legibility in text-dense areas. Changed ALL CAPS to Sentence case throughout. Standardized header and body styles across all screens for consistency.

Projected impact: Better content comprehension for technical audiences, improved SEO signals, stronger brand perception.

Comprehensive Developer Handoff

Created redlined screens with measurements, comprehensive annotations, color palettes, interaction flows, and component libraries. Reviewed all documentation for accuracy and consistency to ensure smooth implementation.

Impact Projections

  • Form conversion rate → +20-40% lift → $240k pipeline

  • Navigation efficiency → +10% task success → $150k-$300k

  • Accessibility compliance → +23% traffic gain → $400k-$800k

  • Legal risk mitigation → avoided lawsuits → $50k-$100k

  • Total project impact value → $840k-$1.44M

Projections are based on industry research including Forrester's accessibility ROI studies ($100 return per $1 invested), SEMrush's WCAG compliance analysis (23% traffic gain for compliant sites), and B2B form optimization benchmarks (20-40% conversion lift from accessibility fixes). Estimates are conservative and account for Applus+ Laboratories' specific audience and business model.

Overall

This project reinforced the importance of advocating for accessibility as a business strategy, not just compliance. Convincing stakeholders to deviate from brand guidelines required demonstrating how AA-compliant colors and accessible forms directly impact conversion rates and market reach.

Looking Back

Leading a team of 5 designers sharpened my ability to balance client constraints with user needs while maintaining project momentum. The validation of predicted usability issues during testing confirmed that experience-driven design intuition, when backed by research, creates compelling cases for change.

Looking Ahead

This project highlighted how accessibility work delivers compounding value—better forms, clearer navigation, and readable typography don't just help users with disabilities. They improve the experience for everyone, which is exactly what drives business results.

Trusted by start ups and enterprises.

© 2025 Tim Gailey. All rights reserved.

Trusted by start ups and enterprises.

© 2025 Tim Gailey. All rights reserved.

Trusted by start ups and enterprises.

© 2025 Tim Gailey. All rights reserved.

Trusted by start ups and enterprises.

© 2025 Tim Gailey. All rights reserved.