From the age of fourteen-and-nine-months, and for six years thenceforth, I worked at Franklins. Franklins (blessed Franklins) is no longer. In its heyday it was a discount supermarket to rival the best — wide aisles to fit any mobility vehicle, teetering stacks of Coke boxes placed right by the trollies…

The new year is a time I see a lot of wild promises floating around, on the internet and in real life. I’ve just started a month without sugar! Sometimes you need to kick yourself in the butt with a big change. That’s it! I’m proud to say I am…

It’s about the attitude — So, you quit your job. You’re on your own now. Congratulations! Now you have to find new clients — build those relationships— learn sales — learn accounting — get in to the hustle. There are tons of articles out there about the logistics and skills of freelancing. …

For a smooth and focused user interview — Even though I’ve been doing user interviews for a while, I still write a conversation guide every time. I know researchers who prefer topic maps, thought clouds or just keep all their goals in their head and wing it (dang!). But I still prefer a conversation guide — mostly for the process of writing it, more than the process of using it to any strict extent. …

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some completely incredible designers. Plus, in my day to day life, I get to meet and talk to tons of designers. I feel like I know us pretty well. There’s something I noticed that ties together all of the really amazing designers I…

Why sharing with other people helps ideas grow. — I love it when people give me advice. It feels like a mental hug, from one mind to another. The person giving the advice wants the best for me. They know things, and they want to share them. It’s a gift, and I receive it gratefully. But as with gifts, each of them has a different role to…

Everyone should do retrospectives — not just agile software teams. — Agile retrospectives. If they have a reputation at all, it’s not for being very exciting. Not many people think: You know what? I freaking love retro! It’s just a meeting, right? Wrong! Why? Because great retros make great teams. And great teams are the ones that communicate with each other…

Using design thinking to prioritise your life goals — A human life is finite. At best, you’ve got, let’s say, 90 good years. That’s if everything goes well. How are you going to make the most of that time? I have a way of making big decisions. Should I move across the world or stay in Sydney? Should I…

If you’re a user-centered designer, your resume should be too! — Hiring designers is fun. I like seeing people’s work, and hearing them speak passionately about the cool stuff they’ve done. I like meeting other designers from Sydney. …