B
BBC Open Source
bbc.github.io · Company blog · on HN since 2018
The BBC's open source engineering site covers web tools, accessibility, responsive testing and data journalism graphics.
What HN saysCommenters link it for tools like Wraith and Gel and for BBC accessibility and testing guidance, and recall the old Betsie text tool.
15HN people shared it
7linked it in comments
8stories submitted
16story points
3 years agolast shared
2018people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1BBC Visual and Data Journalism cookbook for R graphics3 people · 4 points · first shared 2019 · discussion on HN
- 2VideoContext: Experimental Video Composition and Rendering Library for the Web2 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 3Gel2 people · first shared 2020
- 4Wraith2 people · first shared 2022
- 5Live BBC weather report by a photo-realistic AI-avatar1 people · 5 points · first shared 2020 · discussion on HN
- 6BBC R&D's series on Python Asyncio1 people · 2 points · first shared 2022 · discussion on HN
- 7TAL1 people · 1 points · first shared 2020 · discussion on HN
- 8Tutorial on how to use Python asyncio1 people · 1 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 9Accessibility and testing with assistive technology1 people · first shared 2020
- 10Uxd cognitive1 people · first shared 2020
What HN people wrote when they linked it
unfocussed_mike · 2022-02-19
Great flashback. I used Betsie on several projects in the early 2000s.
It was quite useful when you were stuck with baroque HTML generation code you were unable to modify.
The BBC produce a bunch of interesting tools for web development, another being the layout comparison tool, Wraith:
https://bbc.github.io/wraith/
dmitriid · 2021-12-04
- Every Layout: https://every-layout.dev Explains the whys and the hows.
- Inclusive Components: https://inclusive-components.design (one of the co-authors of Every Layout). Explains the whys and the hows of building proper components
Additionaly:
- BBC Gel: https://bbc.github.io/gel/ (one of the co-authors of Every Layout) also explains a lot of the whys in design of specific components
- Gov.uk is also great: https://design-system.service.gov.uk/get-started/
wizzwizz4 · 2023-11-16
We do actually have automated testing tools for that. https://bbc.github.io/wraith/ is one: see the write-up https://responsivenews.co.uk/post/56884056177/wraith or a contemporary interview https://source.opennews.org/articles/responsive-css-testing-made-simpl… .
I get your overall point, though.
mrkwse · 2020-10-20
I haven't been able to find anything specifically around popup animations, but the BBC's Cape initiative discusses some of the stimulations etc. that can be intrusive for those with neurodivergent conditions such as autism spectrum condition, ADHD, etc.
I've found that most of these chatbots will use sound alerts to draw attention, and Cape's environmental toolkit definitely references these. While a lot of the content in this toolkit is for physical environments, a lot of it will transfer to digital product UX in terms of stimuli etc.
Cape: https://bbc.github.io/uxd-cognitive/
acdha · 2020-09-10
The BBC has guides for using the common tools:
https://bbc.github.io/accessibility-news-and-you/accessibility-and-tes…
Microsoft has documentation on the built-in Narrator: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17173/windows-10-hear-text-re…
Apple has docs about VoiceOver on iOS and macOS: https://help.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/
amrrs · 2019-03-11
BBC internally created a cookbook for the same purpose. https://bbc.github.io/rcookbook/ I think it's okay that if someone's fluent in R and yet don't know how to update scales in ggplot.
illiarian · 2023-04-13
- https://design-system.service.gov.uk/
- https://bbc.github.io/gel/
- (not strictly design system s) https://every-layout.dev/ and https://book.inclusive-components.design/
These are by people whose primary goal isn't promotions, keynotes or CVs.
Tailwind also does a decent job with both the framework itself and the commercial UI examples: https://tailwindui.com/