The difference between alt and figcaption, and when to use which one

My friend Elaina Natario wrote a fantastic article for the thoughtbot blog on the difference between alt and figcaption, and when to use which one.

While both the alt attribute and the figcaption element provide a way to describe images, the way we write for them is different. alt descriptions should be functional; figcaption descriptions should be editorial or illustrative.

If the difference between the two is confusing to you (like it is for me), do yourself a favor and go read Elaina’s whole article.

It’s very good, very good detailed, and has some great examples of when to use one, the other, or both in conjunction.