A week in the life of a census content designer
Earlier this year, I shadowed two senior content designers bringing Census 2021 to life. In the world of census, nothing…
Read more on A week in the life of a census content designer50 years on: are our digital releases more user-friendly than their print predecessors?
As an English literature graduate, I have always associated old, leather-bound books with great works of fiction. But when I…
Read more on 50 years on: are our digital releases more user-friendly than their print predecessors?Writing for our users
As a Content Design team for the Office for National Statistics, we are frequently asked to give advice on how…
Read more on Writing for our usersMaking hyperlinks better
In the world of web content, there’s a common misconception that accessibility refers to people with specific needs, like those who use screen readers or other…
Read more on Making hyperlinks betterFinding your tribe: Data journalism voices from NICAR
Not so long ago, data journalism was regarded in many newsrooms as a bit ‘sciencey’, niche and nerdy and certainly…
Read more on Finding your tribe: Data journalism voices from NICARTop tips for writing in house style
Keeping our content consistent Research has shown that our users like consistency, from how we present the website visually to…
Read more on Top tips for writing in house styleCommuting: a case study on collaborating
Commuting: most people do it, most people hate it. We know men do more of the longer commutes, and our…
Read more on Commuting: a case study on collaboratingSay what you see – the way we write chart titles is changing
What’s the idea? Currently, most of the chart titles used across the ONS are purely statistical, signposting the data within…
Read more on Say what you see – the way we write chart titles is changingMaking better bulletins – let’s start with what we know
Statistical bulletins are a critical part of what we do at the ONS. They are read by more people than…
Read more on Making better bulletins – let’s start with what we knowBet your bottom dollar, you’ll lose the blues in Chicago
In March I was fortunate enough to travel with a colleague to Chicago to participate in the annual NICAR (National…
Read more on Bet your bottom dollar, you’ll lose the blues in Chicago