Treecreate notes #06— Signs of Spring
This week there is a change in the air, some warmth in the sun and a sense that winter is finally over.
What I did
Work was focused on pulling together research reports and synthesising our 2nd round of research. We are starting to align towards a Private Beta release so I am focusing on how to bring those insights together to support our designer and developers to create this next stage of our service.
I had a lovely surprise in the post — a little reward from our digital lead Jordan Hatch. It was a really nice way of recognising everyone’s efforts and really reinforced that we are all part of a big team.
On Friday night we had our first event for Meeting of the Waters: Locative Media Oceania, a pre-course presentation from the 2020 host Dr Mike Duggan from King’s College. Here is the recording of the presentation.
What I learnt
Not a day goes by without learning. I mean, that is what life is about ❤
This week, my different realms of working really came into focus. At work I operate in an Agile environment, fast paced and very output oriented. This way of working can be very focused on the thing. In the context of my other projects, often been based on long term collaboration, it is all about relationship before process or product. I am reminded of when I did a Jawun secondment with the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation. Our cultural training talked about how important building connection and relationship was to getting things done. Our trainer commented that “you might think that nothing is happening but it does” — once you build the connection.
My learning was that I need to bring this approach into the Agile world, that by building strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders that we can co-create magic together :-)
Relationships and team work are also well documented as elements which contribute to job satisfaction. Arthur C. Brooks article The Secret to Happiness at Work explores some of the things that keep people motivated. He says “What matters is not so much the “what” of a job, but more the “who” and the “why”: Job satisfaction comes from people, values, and a sense of accomplishment.” I would add to that a culture of respect, appreciation and gratitude also go a long way. And a sense of fun and play is always welcome ❤
What I read
I liked this post by Lingjing Yin, Weeknotes #3 Being Visible(1–4 June) which explores why she is motivated to write weeknotes. I really appreciated her thoughts about it being a cathartic process, likening it to an act of mindfulness.
This post about Tools for environment-centered designers by Monika Sznel was also a good read, as I am very interested in more-than-human design. As a UX researcher we focus a lot on the human impact of the products and services that are designed but once we start to think about other impacts from the development of the product it is critical to think about the ecosystems in which these products are made.
Alison Bouganim’s post on 6 principles for being more systemic in your design process was also a great read — I loved the focus on design and systems thinkers to draw out patterns of complexity.
I have also been thinking a lot about personas, as many UR researchers do not like to use them to inform design. Pokemapping: A simple process to replace personas by Matthijs brings an approach to informing user journeys that is embedded in the actual research, rather than a fictional person. He says “Fundamentally, personas are bad on a philosophical/psychological level. The idea of persona is compacting many different people into one fictional character. This character does not exist. It’s an abstraction. We threw away anything that made this person unique and that’s problematic because our minds will automatically fill in those details based on assumptions we have.”
And one more thing…
Last Thursday was R U OK day — a designated day to check in with friends and colleagues to make sure they are travelling ok and to maintain connection. R U OK?’s vision is a world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide. To be honest, I am not really into making a fuss about a special day, as being mindful of people’s mental health and wellbeing is something we should care about every day.
As a person who has managed depression for most of my adult life, I am hyper aware of the importance of connection. Even when it feels really difficult. Liz Sweigart has also managed anxiety and depression at different points of her life and I greatly admire her openness in talking about these issues through her blog Seriously, Jerk Brain? Her work advocating for mental health reminds me that vulnerability is also strength, that by exposing ourselves we are willing to engage in life with all its ups and downs.
Have a great week :-)
