Mar 17Services and content that are useful, usable and used: who wouldn’t want that?The World Bank has long produced policy guidance and technical documents — most of which are published on their website for their audiences to access. A few years back someone in their web team decided to have a look at their web analytics — and they discovered that: nearly 30%…Design Research5 min readDesign Research5 min read
Feb 28The Big Con[This is a summary of the great book “The Big Con” by Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington] As if hearing and internalising Reagan’s mantra that “government does nothing as well as or economically as the private sector”, politicians and leaders in government since the 1980s have overseen waves of privatising…Government5 min readGovernment5 min read
Feb 4Yeah but…I don’t really have anything worth sharingI’ve heard this plenty from women I’ve worked with and coached, and I occasionally hear myself think it too. But wasn’t true for them, nor for me, and it isn’t true for you either. “It’s all so obvious. Everyone knows this already”. Remember that what’s obvious to you isn’t obvious…Design4 min readDesign4 min read
Jan 20Death planningAs if talking about it makes it more real, or hastens its arrival, people avoid talking about death and dying. But conversations about the end of life are necessary and valuable. They can: help people who are dying feel less anxious, confused or uncertain of what to expect help them…2 min read2 min read
Nov 6, 2022The death of design?Over recent weeks I’ve read quite a few articles bemoaning the death of creative teams, of design and design research — with them all apparently having been eaten by product design. I’m not buying it. I think what’s happened is the market for digital product and service design has exploded…Service Design2 min readService Design2 min read
Nov 6, 2022Yeah but…how can we invest in continuous improvement when there’s no more money?The Government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority tracks 89 projects that between them cost £128bn for a promised £326bn of expected monetised benefits. Successful government service transformation is a big prize. Redesigning services, and escaping tech renewal cycles where you replace an entire digital programme every few years, by moving to…Services4 min readServices4 min read
Nov 4, 2022Yeah but…this place doesn’t want to work in the openSure, I get it. Some places are deeply political. Some policies are so controversial that critics are looking for any weakness or misstep to undermine the policy, the project, your department, or your Minister. …Transparency6 min readTransparency6 min read
Nov 2, 2022Yeah but…what if I embarrass myselfMy husband is learning how to write. He’s literate — but he’s only ever written scientific reports, emails, commit messages and Facebook posts. Okay, that’s probably more than a little unfair to him — but it is true that he has had very little practice writing prose. It’s also true…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Oct 14, 2022Getting back into readingI was chatting to a friend the other day about a book I’m reading. I was surprised to hear that he struggles to read. He’s literate and very intelligent — his challenge is a psychological one. In his mind, non-fiction is “work” — and he doesn’t like to “work” in…Reading2 min readReading2 min read
Jun 17, 2022Welcoming and settling inI’m two weeks into my new role with Public Digital and I wanted to share some reflections on how much of a difference a good onboarding process makes. I’m astonished at how smooth and gentle a landing the team (and expecially the marvellous Diane Parker-Wood) has designed for new joiners. …New Job3 min readNew Job3 min read