Nick Daniels
@nickdaniels.bsky.social
Content designer at the University of Edinburgh
Interesting take on user needs phrased in the "As a... I need to... so that..." format). Led me to the original post from Will Myddelton www.myddelton.co.uk/blog/researc...
"User needs are a harmful concept."
Will Myddelton, who led product at GDS said that.
Here's why he said it (and what he suggests instead):
(1) It's confusing - even senior researchers at GDS didn't understand what it meant
Will Myddelton, who led product at GDS said that.
Here's why he said it (and what he suggests instead):
(1) It's confusing - even senior researchers at GDS didn't understand what it meant
November 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Interesting take on user needs phrased in the "As a... I need to... so that..." format). Led me to the original post from Will Myddelton www.myddelton.co.uk/blog/researc...
Reposted by Nick Daniels
THIS:
"this all means that for any consequential task that you want to accomplish with genAI, you need an expert human in the loop. The human must be capable of independently doing the job that the genAI system is being asked to accomplish."
"this all means that for any consequential task that you want to accomplish with genAI, you need an expert human in the loop. The human must be capable of independently doing the job that the genAI system is being asked to accomplish."
The Futzing Fraction
At least some of your time with genAI will be spent just kind of… futzing with it.
blog.glyph.im
August 19, 2025 at 7:57 AM
THIS:
"this all means that for any consequential task that you want to accomplish with genAI, you need an expert human in the loop. The human must be capable of independently doing the job that the genAI system is being asked to accomplish."
"this all means that for any consequential task that you want to accomplish with genAI, you need an expert human in the loop. The human must be capable of independently doing the job that the genAI system is being asked to accomplish."
I'm a bit of a sucker for some writing advice. Here's Adam Mastroianni with 28 slightly rude notes on writing: www.experimental-history.com/p/28-slightl...
28 slightly rude notes on writing
OR: catapulting myself into a pit of tarantulas
www.experimental-history.com
May 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I'm a bit of a sucker for some writing advice. Here's Adam Mastroianni with 28 slightly rude notes on writing: www.experimental-history.com/p/28-slightl...
Reposted by Nick Daniels
ChatGPT lies to me regularly. The advice is to do your own research and not use AI as a search engine. With most content now being AI generated, is there a point where we’ll draw the same conclusions, because the content will always be written by the same entities anyway? www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
AI Search Has A Citation Problem
We Compared Eight AI Search Engines. They’re All Bad at Citing News.
www.cjr.org
March 19, 2025 at 8:32 AM
ChatGPT lies to me regularly. The advice is to do your own research and not use AI as a search engine. With most content now being AI generated, is there a point where we’ll draw the same conclusions, because the content will always be written by the same entities anyway? www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
I've been enjoying this mini blog series on object-oriented user experience (OOUX). This can feel like quite a dense topic, but I always find these things become clearer when you hear about them applied to a specific context (in this case, the Scottish Government)
We are understanding the opportunities that can be provided by better structuring our information. We are using a variety of robust information architecture techniques, including an increasingly popular method called object-oriented user experience (OOUX)
The object of information architecture
In my job at the Scottish Government, we are understanding the opportunities that can be provided by following an object-oriented approach to structuring our information.
duncanstephen.net
March 3, 2025 at 12:31 PM
I've been enjoying this mini blog series on object-oriented user experience (OOUX). This can feel like quite a dense topic, but I always find these things become clearer when you hear about them applied to a specific context (in this case, the Scottish Government)
Reposted by Nick Daniels
Love this article on content-first design. Clear and practical. Useful to. Interaction designers and content designers alike.
www.dittowords.com/blog/how-to-...
www.dittowords.com/blog/how-to-...
Ditto Blog — How to design content-first in a product-driven world
When designing a page, many designers start drawing out the layout of pages using placeholder copy, like lorem ipsum, to signal what content might go there. But this can often mean you’re not really c...
www.dittowords.com
January 17, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Love this article on content-first design. Clear and practical. Useful to. Interaction designers and content designers alike.
www.dittowords.com/blog/how-to-...
www.dittowords.com/blog/how-to-...
Reposted by Nick Daniels
Jack's laws of content (1 of X):
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
December 19, 2024 at 1:31 PM
Jack's laws of content (1 of X):
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
Love this - really useful to have concrete examples throughout the guide. www.bbc.co.uk/gel/how-to-w...
How to write text descriptions (alt text) in BBC News articles
How to write inclusive and accessible text descriptions for all types of images.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 17, 2024 at 3:04 PM
Love this - really useful to have concrete examples throughout the guide. www.bbc.co.uk/gel/how-to-w...
SharePoint sites: 3 features to avoid blogs.ed.ac.uk/nickdaniels/...
SharePoint sites: 3 features to avoid – Nick Daniels // blog
blogs.ed.ac.uk
December 11, 2024 at 12:47 PM
SharePoint sites: 3 features to avoid blogs.ed.ac.uk/nickdaniels/...
Reposted by Nick Daniels
What does good design look like?
- It’s not animation.
- It’s not gradients.
- It’s not fancy.
So what is it?
If you have 2 mins spare, here’s what good (even delightful) design looks like:
www.tella.tv/video/02-go...
- It’s not animation.
- It’s not gradients.
- It’s not fancy.
So what is it?
If you have 2 mins spare, here’s what good (even delightful) design looks like:
www.tella.tv/video/02-go...
02 - Good design explained
Video recording for work
www.tella.tv
December 10, 2024 at 12:15 PM
What does good design look like?
- It’s not animation.
- It’s not gradients.
- It’s not fancy.
So what is it?
If you have 2 mins spare, here’s what good (even delightful) design looks like:
www.tella.tv/video/02-go...
- It’s not animation.
- It’s not gradients.
- It’s not fancy.
So what is it?
If you have 2 mins spare, here’s what good (even delightful) design looks like:
www.tella.tv/video/02-go...
I've started collecting advice on whether you should use FAQs or not blogs.ed.ac.uk/nickdaniels/...
December 3, 2024 at 1:58 PM
I've started collecting advice on whether you should use FAQs or not blogs.ed.ac.uk/nickdaniels/...
Reposted by Nick Daniels
New edition of Just enough Internet just landed in inboxes. This one on how non-technical people actually appear to be using generative AI at work.
buttondown.com/justenoughin...
buttondown.com/justenoughin...
FOMO is not a strategy
End of year reflections on how people are using genAI at work
buttondown.com
December 1, 2024 at 7:39 AM
New edition of Just enough Internet just landed in inboxes. This one on how non-technical people actually appear to be using generative AI at work.
buttondown.com/justenoughin...
buttondown.com/justenoughin...
Finding this useful - "A growing directory of free articles, tools and resources to help you write clear, accessible content." www.plainenglish.club/bookmarks/
November 20, 2024 at 11:22 AM
Finding this useful - "A growing directory of free articles, tools and resources to help you write clear, accessible content." www.plainenglish.club/bookmarks/
Reposted by Nick Daniels
Generally we think of alt-text as the domain of those with accessibility needs.
However alt-text is useful for many reasons, which benefit your viewers, as well as you, the creator!
However alt-text is useful for many reasons, which benefit your viewers, as well as you, the creator!
October 28, 2024 at 10:20 PM
Generally we think of alt-text as the domain of those with accessibility needs.
However alt-text is useful for many reasons, which benefit your viewers, as well as you, the creator!
However alt-text is useful for many reasons, which benefit your viewers, as well as you, the creator!
Interesting to see this from W3C: Sustainable Web Interest Group is Formed www.w3.org/blog/2024/su...
November 7, 2024 at 9:01 PM
Interesting to see this from W3C: Sustainable Web Interest Group is Formed www.w3.org/blog/2024/su...
Reposted by Nick Daniels
Digital accessibility isn't just about code details or assistive technology. Much of it is about the best ways of publishing content, that makes it readable and usable by as many people as possible accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2024/11/05/u... #a11y #accessibility
Unlocking Accessibility: Content designers share their experience and advice
We asked content designers from various government departments how they initially learned about accessibility and what they wished others would consider when creating accessible content.
accessibility.blog.gov.uk
November 5, 2024 at 9:37 AM
Digital accessibility isn't just about code details or assistive technology. Much of it is about the best ways of publishing content, that makes it readable and usable by as many people as possible accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2024/11/05/u... #a11y #accessibility
Reposted by Nick Daniels
📑 Design to Read: Guidelines for people who do not read easily - co-authored by Ginny Redish, Kathryn Summers & @cjforms.bsky.social ⤵
www.effortmark.co.uk/design-to-re...
www.effortmark.co.uk/design-to-re...
Design to read: guidelines for people who do not read easily - Effortmark
How to design content for people who struggle to read, perhaps because of disability, low literacy, or stress. Co-authors Ginny Redish and Kathryn Summers
www.effortmark.co.uk
September 11, 2024 at 11:07 AM
📑 Design to Read: Guidelines for people who do not read easily - co-authored by Ginny Redish, Kathryn Summers & @cjforms.bsky.social ⤵
www.effortmark.co.uk/design-to-re...
www.effortmark.co.uk/design-to-re...