Recall the fastest decision rules for common image roles.
Decorative vs informative image Start with the role, not the pixels. If removing the image changes understanding, it is not decorative. “Shouldn’t we describe everything visible just to be safe?” A teammate worries that silence equals omission. Your line Safety comes from preserving meaning, not narrating decoration. More words can create more noise. Literal visual inventory often buries the action or insight the user actually needs. This answer redirects the discussion from completeness anxiety to functional equivalence. What should alt text say for a linked search icon? Think function, not shape. Name the action, such as “Search.” The user needs…
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