We reform public services by supporting organisations through digital transformation and service design. We believe in the power of 21st-century organisations to deliver the highest quality services that have a lasting impact for all.
Job titles... Digital Designer (in house) Product Designer/Front End Developer (agency) UX Designer (agency) UX Researcher (Government/contract) Head of User Experience (Government/in house) Deputy Director, Design (Government/in house) Design Director (agency) Chief Design Officer (agency)
Job titles... Digital Designer (in house) Product Designer/Front End Developer (agency) UX Designer (agency) UX Researcher (Government/contract) Head of User Experience (Government/in house) Deputy Director, Design (Government/in house) Design Director (agency) Chief Design Officer (agency) Junior Senior Senior Senior etc.
A design mindset is how we respond to our immediate surroundings and work. This means asking different types of questions, and requires a different set of responses to the challenges we face.
An outcomes based approach to complexity: - Creating simple models to communicate component parts of a bigger picture/system. - Framing challenges and priorities without being drawn into detail too early or in the wrong places. - Having a clear goal/vision/proposition to work towards that helps us stay focussed on user-based and/or policy outcomes.
First principles is about breaking something down to its most fundamental component parts, or the things that you believe are true. Then you work from there.
“…[a framework or model] is purposefully reductive. It takes things away, emphasising only a small part of a large whole, so that we can focus only on what remains. A world map is a model of earth that removes nearly everything about the planet, leaving only relative masses, names of countries and cities, and overall proximity.” Jon Kolko
Working with ambiguity in design is: - not having the answers before you start - taking intuitive leaps to explore different ways of solving a problem or shaping a product, service or experience - being bold enough to hold strong opinions and ideas while working to prove yourself wrong - holding and developing ideas that are in tension with how the world and existing models work today - being confident enough to let go of detail when dealing with complex systems - being prepared to work around or challenge existing constraints and how things work right now (using creative thinking/methods).
“People assume that I’ve always been confident and comfortable speaking in front of a room full of strangers… Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Some working principles (for coping)... - Lean on other people ie. knowing when and how to trust others to take the strain for you at the right times. - Have a drawbridge i.e withdraw from situations that don’t help you manage negative feelings or worry. It’s okay to retreat occasionally. - Know your own coping mechanisms i.e. if you can’t work through anxiety you need ways around it. But don’t ignore how you feel. - Be yourself
- Autonomy i.e taking responsibility for how your use your time, energy and focus (recognising any constraints around this). - Asking for support when you need it i.e not waiting for someone else to notice that you’re not okay (focus on how you are). - Asking for feedback when you need it i.e not waiting for feedback from other people (focus on your work inc. outputs, way of working and communicating). - Looking out for other people i.e. always being aware if the person working alongside you is okay (focus on how other people are). - Being proactive i.e. not waiting for someone else to offer you a promotion/opportunity.
Working principles (things that work): - No checklists i.e. avoid progression conversations based on job descriptions/lists of skills and tasks only. - Understand where people start i.e. benchmark a foundation level. - Talk about what it means to be increasingly senior i.e. be clear about responsibilities and behaviours you expect. - Use different lenses
Different lenses for a capability canvas: - Outputs The things you are actively doing e.g. designers should make things, and be able to make things happen. - Self-presentation How you present yourself when working with others e.g. designers needs to think about energy, focus, confidence and communication. - Time/projects How you manage your time and responsibility for tasks that you own. - Responsibilities Your responsibilities as part of a team. - Feedback/progression How you manage feedback and the personal responsibility you take.
Proximity is where you position yourself in relation to other designers. Closeness is the distance you are from the work itself. The attachment to solving the problem.