In May, Mel and Nick from the UX team attended two days of Power BI training with QA. The training covered the basics of using Power BI Desktop and, through a mix of instructor-led and independent exercises, gave us a chance to transform data and build visualisations.
Mel’s reflections
Before the training, I’d only ever experienced Power BI from the other side, seeing polished dashboards and interactive visuals without really understanding how they were built. By the end of the training, I felt much more confident using Power BI and excited to start applying it in my work.
Learning through doing
The sessions suited the way I learn best: having a go, clicking around, experimenting and working through exercises rather than just watching demonstrations. Having the training in person made a big difference, as we could troubleshoot problems together and ask questions whenever we got stuck.
I also appreciated the pace and structure of the training. Our instructor, Jason, talked through each step clearly and acted as a guide throughout, explaining not just what to do, but why we were doing it. His knowledge of the system really came across and the sessions felt approachable rather than overwhelming.
Movie datasets solidified my understanding
The most enjoyable part of the training for me was working with the movie dataset. We pulled together information from sites like Box Office Mojo and Rotten Tomatoes to consider how data from multiple sources can be combined to tell a richer story. In doing so, the relationships between datasets, transformations and visualisations became much clearer.
This was the point where I had the “eureka” moment of understanding how all the different pieces of the puzzle connect together within Power BI.
Keen to keep the Power BI momentum going
Since the training, I’ve been keen to build on what I learned by applying Power BI to real project work. I recently used it to explore qualitative survey data relating to digital design tools, using techniques from the training to clean and organise the data. The training materials proved especially useful, particularly the exercise workbook, which gave me something practical to refer back to.
Working with a familiar dataset made the process feel much less intimidating. It was rewarding to apply what I’d learned so quickly in a real project context.
Nick’s reflections
I thought this training was excellent. I’d seen Power BI dashboards before but didn’t know what you have to do behind the scenes to create them. I attended this training to learn a bit about how Power BI works and improve my skills around working with data more generally.
How Power BI can support UX work
I was interested to see how Power BI could support our work in the UX Service. We work with data that supports our administration of training sessions and our online course Effective Digital Content. We also sometimes deal with sitemaps and analytics, which can include a daunting amount of information. All of this data needs to be tidied up and visualised so we can quickly understand it and use it. While we can do some of that in Excel, spreadsheets have their limits and I wanted to find out what Power BI has to offer.
What we learned
The training involved clicking through activities with our instructor Jason. I found this was a good way to get to grips with the software, and I gradually built up a rough conceptual model of what was going on within Power BI.
In the session, we learned how to:
ingest data from sources such as spreadsheets and webpages
combine data from different sources
tidy up data
do operations on data
visualise data
In person training worked well
Doing the session in person meant we got to catch up with colleagues in our department while completing the training. It also made it easy to get pointers when something didn’t work. We could quickly ask a colleague to help with the minor problems that inevitably crop up when you’re learning to use a new piece of software.
I came out of the training with an appreciation of what Power BI can do, and a better understanding of how it works. I’d recommend this training to any colleagues at the University who are interested in learning more about working with data.
Content Improvement Club is our regular meetup for web publishers. In our March session, with a focus on accessibility, we explored how effective use of links and headings can make content easier to navigate and use.
Accessible content is effective content
Accessible content is simply effective content. If people cannot access, understand or use what you’ve published, then it isn’t really doing its job. As the amount of online content continues to grow, making sure it works for everyone becomes increasingly important. We also see accessibility as a shared responsibility. Anyone creating or publishing content can make a positive impact.
Small changes can have a big impact
This session focused on practical improvements. Clear link text and well-structured headings help users process information quickly and navigate more efficiently, particularly people using assistive technologies.
These are small changes that do not require technical expertise, but they make a significant difference.
Accessibility and legal compliance
While we focused on practical changes, accessibility is also supported by a legal framework, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
WebAIM survey: Most problematic accessibility items
From the data, links and headings stood out as two practical areas to focus on. They are part of everyday content creation, quick to review and relatively easy to improve.
We have covered these topics before, but we wanted to take some time to focus specifically on links and headings considerations from an accessibility angle.
Designing for screen reader users benefits everyone
Assistive technologies such as screen readers convert content (such as text, buttons, images and other screen elements) into speech or braille. This allows blind or partially sighted users to access the same information as sighted users.
In the session, we focused on how screen reader users experience content. Designing with them in mind has a much wider benefit. What improves content for screen reader users also improves the experience for people using other assistive technologies and often for all users.
Demonstrations using JAWS
To support this, we included demonstrations using JAWS (Job Access With Speech), a screen reader. These showed how content is interpreted by assistive technologies.
These demonstrations are only part of the picture. Screen readers are complex, and people use them in different ways. They do not represent every user experience, but they are a useful way to build understanding.
Making links more accessible
Clear link text helps users:
predict what will happen when they open a link
find the content they need more quickly
avoid opening content that isn’t relevant
Replace raw URLs with meaningful link text
One of the most common issues we see in content is the use of raw URLs (or web addresses) as link text. Raw URLs can create usability and accessibility issues. They are difficult to interpret and screen readers read them character by character, which can be slow, frustrating and unclear.
Clear link text is much easier to understand and navigate, especially for people using assistive technologies. Instead of using a full web address like ‘https://www.ed.ac.uk/’, use meaningful text such as ‘University of Edinburgh’.
We demonstrated how replacing them with descriptive link text improves accessibility by looking at some examples. This included using JAWS recordings to compare how raw URLs and descriptive links are experienced by a screen reader user. Here’s an example from the session:
Raw URL version:
Link text version:
This helped highlight how adding meaningful link text gives users a clearer and more immediate understanding of where a link will take them.
Link text must make sense on its own
Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from link to link or by viewing a list of links on a page. This means link text needs to make sense out of context. It should be clear, predictable and meaningful on its own.
Avoid vague phrases such as ‘Click here’ or ‘More information’. Instead, include key details about where the link will take the user.
Again, we considered some examples to showcase what we meant:
Vague link text: ‘Click here’
Improved link text: ‘Click here to book a ticket for the event’
Best link text: ‘Book tickets for Content Improvement Club (opens in a new tab)’
We also discussed the importance of making each link distinct when linking to different destinations. For example, there may be multiple links to different sets of teaching materials or slides. Instead of using the same generic link text, like ‘Slides’, across the board, you can improve clarity by adding context:
Vague link text: ‘Slides’
Improved link text: ‘Lecture slides (Week 1)’
Best link text: ‘Lecture slides (Week 1): Course introduction’
During the session, we compared how these links appear in a screen reader’s list view. This helped show how important clear link text is when experienced out of context.
Position links on a new line
University style is to place links on a new line, usually below the relevant paragraph, rather than embedding them mid-sentence.
This makes it easier to write link text that works on its own and helps users who navigate from link to link.
Making headings more accessible
Headings do more than break up text visually. They create a structure that helps users understand content and navigate efficiently, particularly those using screen readers.
Do not skip heading levels
Headings are structured in levels, typically from Heading 1 (H1) down to Heading 6 (H6).
Each level should follow a logical order. For example, use:
H1 for the page title
H2 for main sections
H3 for subsections
Skipping levels can make navigation more difficult for screen reader users, who rely on a consistent structure.
We looked at an example from a University page to demonstrate correct heading structure.
Seeing this in a real life context made it clearer how heading structure organises a page and supports navigation and understanding.
Headings reflect content hierarchy, not style
Headings have visual styles, but they should not be chosen based on appearance alone. Use headings to reflect the structure and importance of content, not to make text look bigger or stand out.
If you need to emphasise content, use alternatives such as bold text or feature boxes rather than misusing heading levels.
A way to check heading levels
During the session, we demonstrated the W3C Heading Checker, which we often use to review headings.
This tool provides a quick way to review page structure and flags any skipped heading levels in its checks. In groups, we used this to quickly assess headings across our own pages, evaluating headings and making suggested improvements.
Guidance on links and headings in the style guide
The UX team has been reviewing and updating the University’s Editorial Style Guide. It includes detailed guidance on links and headings, expanding on the points in this post.
We’re keen to continue covering topics that colleagues across the University would find useful. It would be really helpful if you could let us know any ideas you have using this form:
Content Improvement Club is our regular meetup for web publishers. In January, we ran two sessions focused on writing alt text and making images accessible.
Last March, we ran a session outlining why alt text matters and key principles behind writing it well. This post builds on that session, so we recommend reading our previous blog first:
What we covered in our two January alt text sessions
This time, we wanted to explore more complex scenarios, share practical challenges and leave more time for discussion.
The level of interest in the topic led us to running two sessions. This allowed us to hear from a wider mix of colleagues across the University, which was really helpful. We got a clearer sense of the questions people have and the challenges they’re facing in practice. It was also great to see the appetite for the topic and that people are keen to get alt text right.
A recap of key alt text principles
We started by grounding ourselves in the basics. Even when we’re dealing with more complex examples, the fundamentals still apply.
A quick reminder of what to keep in mind when writing alt text:
Communicate the key information conveyed by the image.
Be concise (usually one to two sentences).
Focus on what matters in the context of the page.
Avoid unnecessary phrases like “image of”.
Avoid using file names as descriptions.
Alt text is part of your content. It needs to be clear, purposeful and user-focused just like everything else on the page.
Ways of approaching alt text
We shared a couple of practical starting points for thinking about alt text.
One prompt we find useful: If you were describing this image to someone over the phone, what would you say so they understand what’s important?
We also repeated a simple but effective exercise from the March session where you turn off images in your browser and read the page without them. This is a quick way to test whether your alt text is doing its job.
We explored more complex alt text scenarios
Once we’d covered the basics, we moved into the trickier territory. Across both sessions, lots of the questions came down to judgement. Here are some of the themes we discussed.
Avoid using images of text
One of the key areas we’ve learnt more about since the last session is avoiding the use of images to present text wherever possible.
Text shown in images cannot be read properly by assistive technology, such as screen readers. It also cannot be resized or customised by users. Accessibility adjustments (such as colour contrast) cannot be changed within an image itself. Fonts used in images may also not be accessible or easy to read for all users. This makes it especially important that any essential information is available in an accessible text format.
If text appears in an image, that text must also be available as real text on the page. Do not rely on alt text alone to convey large amounts of written information.
The University of Limerick has helpful guidance on avoiding reliance on images of text, including examples of how to provide the same information in accessible text.
Infographics are a common challenge in a university context, where charts, diagrams and promotional graphics may be used regularly.
A useful question to ask is: What is this image adding to the page?
If you’re presenting information as an infographic, all featured text that conveys meaning to a user must also be included as alt text or presented as text on the same page.
Alt text alone is rarely enough for complex infographics. In most cases, it works best as a summary of the overall purpose or key message, with the full detail provided clearly in the page content.
We’ve found it useful to refer to Harvard’s guidance on working with infographics. They include practical examples of different image types and how to approach writing alt text for them.
Several discussions focused on how to describe people in images.Colleagues raised questions about whether to reference gender, age or other characteristics, and how to avoid making assumptions based on appearance.
As a general rule:
avoid assumptions about gender, ethnicity or background
describe what is observable and relevant to the context
don’t reduce people to stereotypes or visual tropes
For example, you can’t know someone’s gender just by looking at them, so in most cases it’s best not to state it.
Be mindful of inclusive language when writing alt text. The University’s Inclusive language guidance can help when you’re unsure.
Writing alt text for specialist, technical and creative content
Colleagues working with scientific, technical and creative content raised particularly nuanced challenges.
These included:
how much detail to include for microscopy or laboratory images
whether to use specialist terminology or plainer language
how to approach images in academic papers
writing alt text for artwork
In these cases, audience and context are key. On a specialist research page, technical terminology may be appropriate. On a public-facing page, clearer and more general language may be better.
For artwork, the approach depends on the context. If the materials or medium are important, include them. For example, it may be appropriate to begin with “A painting of…” or “An illustration of…”, rather than “This is an image of…”. Indicating the medium can help provide clarity.
If an image of artwork includes important contextual information (such as the artist’s name or title of the work), that may be better placed in a caption, rather than in the alt text itself.
As with other image types, be descriptive rather than interpretive. The focus remains the same: communicate the meaning and purpose of the image, rather than describing every visible detail.
AI-generated alt text needs human review
AI tools that generate alt text came up in discussion. They can be helpful as a starting point, but AI does not understand the context of your page in the way a human does.
Effective alt text depends on what the image is doing in that specific place. That nuance (what matters here, for this audience) still requires human judgement.
If you use AI-generated alt text, treat it as a draft. Make sure to review, edit, and check that it reflects the purpose of the image on your page.
As well as his excellent guide on writing good alt text, Craig Abbott has written about his experimentations with various AI tools and how they take on writing text descriptions. It’s an interesting read that shows how different large language models interpret images, but often miss the context needed to describe them well. Craig concludes similarly that anything taken from them requires human review.
Many colleagues are reviewing existing content where alt text is missing, inconsistent or outdated. That can feel overwhelming. There is no single right approach, but a few practical suggestions came out of the discussion:
A place to start might be key or high-traffic pages.
Build alt text into your workflow for any new content.
Writing alt text takes practice – aim for improvements, rather than ‘perfection’.
The good news is that once you get into the habit of writing alt text, it becomes easier. Returning to older content to make improvements can feel less daunting once you’ve built confidence and consistency.
Find out more about accessible design
If you have questions about assistive technologies and accessible design, contact the University Disability Information Team.
We’re keen to continue covering topics that colleagues across the University would find useful. It would be really helpful if you could let us know any ideas you have using this form:
Earlier this year, the UX Service launched a new version of the Effective Digital Content (EDC) online course. This blog outlines why the course matters and how it supports anyone involved in creating or managing digital content across the University.
In today’s digital world, information is constantly competing for attention. At the University, we publish a large volume of digital content. In such a busy environment, it’s crucial that what we create truly works for our audiences. The EDC course helps us do exactly that.
In a content-heavy world, effective content matters
People likely arrive at our content already juggling notifications, distractions, and demanding tasks. Their cognitive load may be high, so our content must be as clear as possible.
It’s important digital content is:
easy to use, understand and find
user-centred
consistent
accessible
Clarity is essential, not optional. Effective content respects people’s time, helps them complete tasks quickly and delivers the right information at the right moment.
The EDC course helps you create content that is findable, understandable, and genuinely useful.
The course is for anyone who contributes to digital content
EDC is designed for anyone who creates, updates or contributes to digital content. That includes staff in communications and marketing, but also researchers, academics, professional services staff, service owners, managers and interns.If your work touches web content in any way, the course provides practical, actionable skills you can apply immediately.
What the course involves
The course includes six modules, as well as a practical workbook with an exercise for each:
Understanding what your content is for
Creating accessible content
Writing effective headings
Getting link text right
Working with the style guide
Maintaining your content
What you’ll gain from the course
We’ve picked out a few clear benefits of taking the course.
It’s a chance to refresh your knowledge
This course is a great opportunity to refresh your knowledge, whether it’s your first time taking it or you’re coming back for a refresher. It’s always useful to revisit and practice the principles that make digital content effective.
We’ve focused on making the guidance clearer, more engaging, and easier to apply. We’ve also updated some of the guidance to reflect best practice and where the core guidance hasn’t changed, we’ve tried to explain it in a way that’s easier to understand and remember, and put into practice.
If you’ve taken the previous version of EDC, the refreshed examples, exercises, and explanations make it worthwhile to revisit, and you may pick up something new along the way.
Tailored and actionable feedback is provided
A key new feature of the course is the personalised feedback you receive on your workbook. This guidance is designed to help you apply what you’ve learned directly to your real-world publishing tasks, making the learning feel personal and relevant.
So far, learners have consistently highlighted this as one of the most helpful parts of the course. They say it boosts their confidence and gives them clear, actionable next steps for improving their content. It’s been rewarding to see people finish the course feeling supported and better equipped in their content work. Even better, it’s been great to see them making meaningful improvements to their pages based on the reflection and practical tasks they complete in the workbook.
Earn a digital badge
Another benefit of the updated course is the introduction of a digital badge awarded upon completion of the workbook. This BadgEd (Open Digital Badges) accreditation recognises the skills and effort you’ve put into the course. It can also be shared on LinkedIn or professional platforms, or to support your continuing professional development.
Mainly, the badge helps highlight your commitment to clear, effective communication, something increasingly important across all roles in the University.
You can find out more about the BadgEd scheme on their web page.
If you’d like to take the Effective Digital Content course, you can find more information on our course page, including a link to enroll through People and Money.
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