Weeknotes 11–15 May 2020

I wasn’t sure whether to write anything this week. Things have gone a bit quiet; as I mentioned in previous notes, the project I was initially working on at Camden Council had to pause due to the current crisis. I then began to work on the Covid-19 response. Even though it was great to see others again and to have the opportunity to contribute to what they had done, the first stage of development ended soon anyway. Now is the time to define the priorities for the next months. It’s a crucial moment for reflection, analysis, setting the strategic direction and strengthening collaborative networks.

Things I did last week

• I conducted several internal interviews to see how other services were responding and giving support to residents that were in a particularly vulnerable situation.
• After comparing processes, I came up with a list of questions and assumptions and turned them into hypotheses. This gave us a list of possible areas for action.
• I developed relationships that helped align the different interests across Camden and that will hopefully be part of the next phase of work.
• I also sketched and doodled my thougths a lot. It helps me analyse and visualise problems in a different way.

Another thing I discovered is that I think and communicate better when I’m moving. So whenever possible, I switched to making group phone calls instead of resorting to Microsoft Teams / Google meets / Zoom meetings. I walked around my neighbourhood or the house while talking, and did other things too (like loading and unloading the dishwasher, queuing for groceries or walking my dog). It turns out that something so little made a big difference in the energy of the call. I once read that Arianna Huffington likes to hold meetings while hiking, and I can see why! Here’s an article on Thrive that talks more about it.

Other things I’ve been doing, thinking, listening to, etc. over the past two weeks:

• I began drawing on my iPad Pro again, and have started a new Instagram page for my illustrations.🎨
• I’ve been listening to The Beatles Anthology, and to a series of podcasts from 2016 that give context to the recordings. There were even some less famous songs I had never heard! 🎶
• I spoke with James Royal-Lawson and Per Axbom about conducting user research during Covid-19 in the UX Podcast. Episode coming out soon. 🎧
• I started listening to Andy Puddicombe on Radio Headspace podcast, with new 5-min episodes every morning to pause and reflect.🧘🏻‍♀️

That’s all; it’s Friday, super-late and I’m going to get some rest. I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Enjoy the sunshine (where possible) and most of all, stay safe!