Weeknotes 9/2022

The seasons are changing and so are lots of other things. I’m ready for summer but I feel like I want to hit the pause button on everything else. But, we all know it doesn’t work that way.

What went well:

• I’ve been running some content / usability testing. It’s going well but as the solo researcher/designer on the team, it’s a bit overwhelming.
• I ran our May design community meetup yesterday, it was a workshop on Blameless culture. It was really cool and fun (only downside is, as the organizer I didn’t get to join the breakout rooms.)
• I attended the OneTeamGov around the world unconference yesterday and it was so lovely and refreshing to connect with others.
• I organized and delivered a talk about DevOps with the Cadets in the federal government and it went really well. It’s been on my to-do list for a while so I’m glad I finally crossed that off the list.
• I booked a trip to Ottawa while my partner is there for work! Really looking forward to seeing friends and family there.
• My slide deck on codesign got a bit of attention from some people I really respect so that’s cool.

What I’ve struggled with:

• Recruiting for research is always one of the top issues for people in UCD. Working on an internal service makes this easier, but I still struggled with recruitment for this testing — I had lots of volunteers (woo!) but found it hard to qualify who this testing would be suited for. Eg — can it be anyone who works on a digital service, or do I need to be really specific about it being someone who works on a certain kind service, at a certain stage? I took the more open approach and some of the sessions weren’t as useful as I would have hoped. I still got some good insights from all the sessions but am just questioning and doubting the process.
• I’m learning of some big work changes that will be unfolding over the next few weeks, and the uncertainty is hard for me right now. I’m not sure how I will be affected yet so have lots of questions swirling in my head.
• And of course, the state of the world (or more specifically the state of Texas.) As a parent to a school-aged child, I’ve had a constant monologue in my head over the past few days of what if what if what if… My daughter’s classroom is the first one anyone sees when they come to her school. There’s nowhere to hide. What if what if what if …
• On a less somber note, this really resonated with me. Gosh I miss London so much :(

What’s inspired me:

• I love Sean Boots’ new series on Public Service Heroes — I really enjoyed the first installment on Rumon Carter.
• This really interesting and eye opening thread about the dangers of unconscious bias training
• This really lovely personal story from Ben Holliday for Mental Health week and about living with a disability and how he’s adapted to that new reality.

Reading, watching, listening

• I took an uncharacteristic break from books over the last few weeks, but have jus started The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard and I’m loving it so far.
• I watched the series finale of This Is Us … this show has caused me a lot of tears over the years but the last few episodes ever have been kind of unemotional for me. I liked them but … just didn’t feel as bereft as I thought I would.
• Stolen by Connie Walker — about the experience of residential schools in Canada — is a must listen for all Canadians