Iain Broome
@iainbroome.com
Freelance content designer currently working with Public Digital. Author of the novel, A is for Angelica. Sender of newsletters. 💌
Freelance work: verymeta.com
Fiction: iainbroome.com
Plain English newsletter: plainenglish.club
Freelance work: verymeta.com
Fiction: iainbroome.com
Plain English newsletter: plainenglish.club
Reposted by Iain Broome
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
I am one of these professionals. 👋
My #UCD Freelancers Directory is taking applications for 2026! We're now 60 professionals, come join us?
Freelancers with 2 years+ UCD experience:
• Apply by 31 Dec 2025.
• Check on 15 Jan 2026 for your listing, email any edits.
• Pay £20 annual subs by Ko-fi or PayPal.
#UCDD #GetListed #Digital
Freelancers with 2 years+ UCD experience:
• Apply by 31 Dec 2025.
• Check on 15 Jan 2026 for your listing, email any edits.
• Pay £20 annual subs by Ko-fi or PayPal.
#UCDD #GetListed #Digital
Cake Design Studio | UCD freelancers directory
Find skilled, experienced user-centred design professionals for contract and project work or by other arrangement, including workshops and training.
cakeconsultancy.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:56 PM
I am one of these professionals. 👋
Reposted by Iain Broome
New favourite example of structural ambiguity
November 5, 2025 at 4:54 AM
New favourite example of structural ambiguity
Reposted by Iain Broome
The BBC's Accessibility Guide has several resources, including step-by-step instructions to using assistive technologies. The resource includes insight into several assistive technologies, including VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, ClaroRead, and Dragon.
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
Testing with assistive technology - Accessibility, Your Team and You
Team guide - Testing with assistive technology. What, when and how to test with AT.
bbc.github.io
November 4, 2025 at 8:55 AM
The BBC's Accessibility Guide has several resources, including step-by-step instructions to using assistive technologies. The resource includes insight into several assistive technologies, including VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA, TalkBack, ClaroRead, and Dragon.
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
bbc.github.io/accessibilit...
Completely forgot that I made a list of content designers you can follow when I first signed up to Bluesky. Here they are look. Absolute word nerds, the lot of them.
go.bsky.app/7Pm7ERf
go.bsky.app/7Pm7ERf
November 3, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Completely forgot that I made a list of content designers you can follow when I first signed up to Bluesky. Here they are look. Absolute word nerds, the lot of them.
go.bsky.app/7Pm7ERf
go.bsky.app/7Pm7ERf
Pleased to announce that the most popular link in last week's Plain English Club newsletter was this EXCITING list of words to avoid from the Office for National Statistics style guide. Wild time in content world.
service-manual.ons.gov.uk/content/lang...
service-manual.ons.gov.uk/content/lang...
Words and phrases: Words not to use – Content style guide – Service manual – Office for National Statistics
What words and phrases to avoid to ensure clear, concise and accessible language.
service-manual.ons.gov.uk
November 3, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Pleased to announce that the most popular link in last week's Plain English Club newsletter was this EXCITING list of words to avoid from the Office for National Statistics style guide. Wild time in content world.
service-manual.ons.gov.uk/content/lang...
service-manual.ons.gov.uk/content/lang...
I sent a new edition of the Plain English Club newsletter this week. It features:
– all things user stories > @curiousscutter.bsky.social
– content portfolios > Emily Wachowiak
– trauma-informed content > @traumainformedcontent.com
– content design and AI > Danielle Mclune
Plus other goodies. 💌
– all things user stories > @curiousscutter.bsky.social
– content portfolios > Emily Wachowiak
– trauma-informed content > @traumainformedcontent.com
– content design and AI > Danielle Mclune
Plus other goodies. 💌
Some actual evidence
User stories, content portfolios, words to avoid, navigating AI and a post on trauma-informed content design.
www.plainenglish.club
November 2, 2025 at 8:55 AM
I sent a new edition of the Plain English Club newsletter this week. It features:
– all things user stories > @curiousscutter.bsky.social
– content portfolios > Emily Wachowiak
– trauma-informed content > @traumainformedcontent.com
– content design and AI > Danielle Mclune
Plus other goodies. 💌
– all things user stories > @curiousscutter.bsky.social
– content portfolios > Emily Wachowiak
– trauma-informed content > @traumainformedcontent.com
– content design and AI > Danielle Mclune
Plus other goodies. 💌
I've spent more than a year working on a project that I can't really talk about yet. But I did just add some other work I recently did for @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social to my content design one-page portfolio. verymeta.com
Very Meta – Iain Broome's freelance content design studio
Very Meta is the content design and copywriting studio of Sheffield-based freelance content designer, Iain Broome.
verymeta.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I've spent more than a year working on a project that I can't really talk about yet. But I did just add some other work I recently did for @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social to my content design one-page portfolio. verymeta.com
Much-needed couple of hours in the hills for a bit of a fresh air. Very lucky to have all this on our doorstep. (Houndkirk > Burbage > Long Causeway for fellow Sheffield folk.)
October 26, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Much-needed couple of hours in the hills for a bit of a fresh air. Very lucky to have all this on our doorstep. (Houndkirk > Burbage > Long Causeway for fellow Sheffield folk.)
Noticing all the content design bods doing content design talks at the Button conference. I've done enough noteworthy *things* on enough noteworthy *projects* over the last few years that I should probably apply to become a content design bod doing a content design talk at the Button conference.
October 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Noticing all the content design bods doing content design talks at the Button conference. I've done enough noteworthy *things* on enough noteworthy *projects* over the last few years that I should probably apply to become a content design bod doing a content design talk at the Button conference.
Hosted the 14th edition of Sheffield Novel Slam last night. It's always a great event and we had loads of talented writers doing their thing, despite the actual terror of having your writing judged live on stage. I took no pictures.
October 18, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Hosted the 14th edition of Sheffield Novel Slam last night. It's always a great event and we had loads of talented writers doing their thing, despite the actual terror of having your writing judged live on stage. I took no pictures.
Last day of producing a daily podcast for the Trans Pyrenees Race today. Very much love playing a small role in this mad community I've found myself a part of. The people who do these races are both bonkers and brilliant. Just a few more dots likely to arrive in San Sebastien tonight.
#TPRNo5 | Lost Dot
www.lostdot.cc
October 11, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Last day of producing a daily podcast for the Trans Pyrenees Race today. Very much love playing a small role in this mad community I've found myself a part of. The people who do these races are both bonkers and brilliant. Just a few more dots likely to arrive in San Sebastien tonight.
My most pet of peeves.
Hey, if you’re embedding a link on a webpage or in an email or in a document (so, anywhere), make the link longer than one word. “Click here for more information” should be hyperlinked — not just the word “here.” This works better for people with small screens, low vision, or imprecise hands.
October 10, 2025 at 4:13 PM
My most pet of peeves.
I feel quite strongly that the new liquid glass design on Mac OS is absolutely rubbish. Bewildering stuff.
September 20, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I feel quite strongly that the new liquid glass design on Mac OS is absolutely rubbish. Bewildering stuff.
Finally had time to finish up Suzy's (wife) Etsy shop for her alphabet, circus letter art prints. They are lovely on a wall and obviously, you should buy them all. And that rhymes. www.etsy.com/shop/circusl...
www.etsy.com
August 31, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Finally had time to finish up Suzy's (wife) Etsy shop for her alphabet, circus letter art prints. They are lovely on a wall and obviously, you should buy them all. And that rhymes. www.etsy.com/shop/circusl...
Rumicat looks like a simple, free way to send a newsletter if you don't need bells, whistles or the need to share your newsletter platform with dreadful people. Strong Tinyletter vibes before it got Mailchimped. www.rumicat.com
Rumicat - Send newsletters without all the poespas
The simplest way to write an email newsletter. Use it to curate content, tell stories, or share art.
www.rumicat.com
August 31, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Rumicat looks like a simple, free way to send a newsletter if you don't need bells, whistles or the need to share your newsletter platform with dreadful people. Strong Tinyletter vibes before it got Mailchimped. www.rumicat.com
Reposted by Iain Broome
Since 2019, the @relay.fm community has raised over $4 million for the life-saving work of St. Jude. When I stepped foot on its campus with my son in 2009, I had no idea where life was taking us, but I'm thankful it's here.
stjude.org/relay
stjude.org/relay
August 27, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Since 2019, the @relay.fm community has raised over $4 million for the life-saving work of St. Jude. When I stepped foot on its campus with my son in 2009, I had no idea where life was taking us, but I'm thankful it's here.
stjude.org/relay
stjude.org/relay
I'm not producing the podcast for the Transcontinental race this year, but I can tell you I have spent the last couple of hours watching two dots hurtle across Italy to see if they catch a ferry by 11pm. Ridiculous people. Wish more people knew about these feats! dotwatcher.cc/race/transco...
Transcontinental Race No11 2025 Tracking and Commentary - DotWatcher.cc
The eleventh edition of the race marks a new chapter in TCR history with five control points, an approximate 5,000km route and a new start location in Northern Spain. Lost Dot's 100 Women campaign has...
dotwatcher.cc
August 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
I'm not producing the podcast for the Transcontinental race this year, but I can tell you I have spent the last couple of hours watching two dots hurtle across Italy to see if they catch a ferry by 11pm. Ridiculous people. Wish more people knew about these feats! dotwatcher.cc/race/transco...
Reposted by Iain Broome
You don't necessarily need to say "image of" in your alt text for users to know it's an image. Screen readers will announce that it's an image. But it can help readers to specify if it's a hand-drawn image, Polaroid, infographic, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, or so on.
July 20, 2025 at 2:39 AM
You don't necessarily need to say "image of" in your alt text for users to know it's an image. Screen readers will announce that it's an image. But it can help readers to specify if it's a hand-drawn image, Polaroid, infographic, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, or so on.
I read Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' for the first time this week and it turns out yes, it is about as brilliant a short story as you can write/read. 👍
July 19, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I read Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' for the first time this week and it turns out yes, it is about as brilliant a short story as you can write/read. 👍
Reposted by Iain Broome
absolutely spectacular writing from the Wikipedia editor who added this to Jim Carrey's entry en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Car...
July 15, 2025 at 1:40 PM
absolutely spectacular writing from the Wikipedia editor who added this to Jim Carrey's entry en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Car...
This was my experience before moving away from Substack (for other reasons).
yep, i get steady "growth" on my empty substack page that just links to where i've actually been writing for the last 18 months
July 6, 2025 at 9:23 PM
This was my experience before moving away from Substack (for other reasons).
A blog post – imagine! – that contains some information about a thing that I did. And done for the last few years. Which is produce podcasts for very long bike races.
Producing the podcast for edition two of The Accursed Race (#TARNo2)
Another ultra-distance cycling race podcast in the bag, with 13 daily episodes from the second edition of The Accursed.
www.iainbroome.com
June 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
A blog post – imagine! – that contains some information about a thing that I did. And done for the last few years. Which is produce podcasts for very long bike races.
Saw The Ballad of Wallis Island last week and would heartily recommend it. Full of warmth, plenty of laughs and avoids all likely clichés pretty nicely. 👍 www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTi-...
THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 28
YouTube video by Focus Features
www.youtube.com
June 18, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Saw The Ballad of Wallis Island last week and would heartily recommend it. Full of warmth, plenty of laughs and avoids all likely clichés pretty nicely. 👍 www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTi-...
After starting the year with good social media intentions, I am back firmly in 'I am very busy and the world is on fire, so what's the point' territory. 😢
June 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
After starting the year with good social media intentions, I am back firmly in 'I am very busy and the world is on fire, so what's the point' territory. 😢