Your vibe coded website is going to get you fined
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We wanted to illustrate the difference between a vibe coded website and what a thoughtbot designer can produce. We also wanted to highlight the risk vibe coding poses to your business. So to demonstrate these points, we redesigned a vibe coded professional services website. Below are the before and after videos of the site.
Now, let’s dive into how we got there!
Introduction
The last 20% is the most important
Imagine ordering a package online and waiting for it to arrive. It doesn’t show, so you ring the delivery company. They say “Oh, we delivered it to a house in Dublin 8”. You say “But I don’t live in Dublin 8, I live in Dublin 2. You’ve sent it to the wrong area”. And they say “Perfect, that’s much closer than it was originally! If there’s anything else I can help you with, say the word”.
Would you be satisfied with that interaction? I hate to break it to you, but that is what your vibe coded website does. And worse, it’s telling your customers that you’re okay with that level of service and quality. And worse again, you could be facing MASSIVE FINES for your lack of care.
I’m willing to bet that your vibe coded site is sloppy. Maybe AI gets you 80% of the way there. But it’s the other 20%, the part that sends a package to your home and not to somewhere else in your city, that really counts.
Accessibility - where the fines come in
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a set of internationally recognised technical standards created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that defines how to make digital content accessible to people with disabilities.
This is an area where AI and vibe coding tools seriously under perform. In fact, Claude itself says that it “treats accessibility fixes as optional trade-offs rather than requirements, even when the project’s own rules say otherwise….it’s a values problem in how the model weighs competing priorities.”
But the problem is that ignoring website accessibility is a severe financial liability that can quickly bankrupt an unprepared business. Here are some regional specific penalties you could face for accessibility breaches.
The European Union:
While differences exist between countries in the EU, under the European Accessibility Act (EAA):
Non-compliance in Spain triggers fines up to €1,000,000 and total trading bans. Uh-oh.
In Italy, authorities possess the legal power to fine non-compliant corporations up to 5% of their global annual turnover. Ouch.
In Ireland, inaccessibility is a criminal offense, exposing company directors to €60,000 in personal fines and up to 18 months of prison time. Yikes.
The United Kingdom:
The UK Equality Act came into force in the UK in 2010. This act enables disabled consumers to sue private businesses directly in County Court for “injury to feelings,” generating individual payouts of £3,000 to £7,000 plus compounding court costs under the Equality Act.
United States of America:
In the US, under the strict terms of the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III, there are zero company-size exemptions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also fined vendors millions for deceptive compliance claims, proving shortcuts only draw a larger target on your digital infrastructure.
You think you won’t be fined?:
Predatory serial litigants have started to weaponise automated scanners to hit small e-commerce shops and enterprise brands alike, forcing out-of-court settlements and legal fees that easily cross £40,000 per case.
If you want to check the accessibility of your site, run it through this accessibility checker. And, if you designed it with AI and want to avoid the fines heading your way, please contact us here so that we can correct the inevitable issues you’ll find.
Background of the project
Beyond Best Practice
Meet Matt Haslam, a close, personal friend of our Director of Software Development, Rob Whittaker. Matt has achieved great success managing clinical practices in the medical, dental and veterinary sectors. He cleverly...