Project stuff Project MT was steady away this week then had some reprioritisation. Which is fine, but not so straightforward if that needs some of your time and you’ve only two days a week planned/budgeted for the project and you’ve used them by that point aaarrggghhh. I

Projects I spent the most time on Project MT (I think a few people know I am working with/for Pilot Works, Placecube and Kit at the Royal Borough of Greenwich council), doing service design work for two days overall. We ended the week having a chat about a couple

Projects It was project MT for the first three days of the week. The service design side is going along fine, there’s an understanding of what the structure is and could be, there’s abstract possibilities for service improvements, but there’s a reliance on a few things shifting

A very busy, at times hectic week. In a way a perfect week for some reflection. And, no, I’m not going to mention The Other Thing going on. It’s the first week for a long time (like maybe 6 years) where I’ve been split over two clients

Two days off this week, three days working. Funny how we use the word "off". How work focused are our lives, eh. Two days not doing work Two days off for the kids’ half term and My Birthday. I am now 45 years old and in these times

Weeknote for week commencing Monday 21 September 2020 Talking to someone this week they mentioned how at the moment they find it — and I quote — “nerve wracking” getting feedback to their work. Here’s a chat between two “senior”, “experienced” people. Hey, with all that experience you’d think they’

I’ve been using a new pad to help me with my working days. _For as long as I remember_ I’ve started the work day taking my notebook and writing a list of times for the day and carrying over my day from my various calendars, any other tasks

Coffee: I’ve been limiting my drinking to no more than two mugs a day, none after lunchtime. Knock on effect: I’ve been drinking more tea. I went right off black tea a few years ago and went right on to green tea. But green tea after green tea

Maps or models, eh. Is there a difference? What is the difference? Does it matter? Early in the week I rejigged the layout of the desk in the shed, swapping the MacBook from being in the centre and the monitor to the side. Now the monitor is front and centre.

How’s your hair doing? * Fathers’ day last Sunday. The kids wanted to get me a coffee machine but I’ve got a good kettle, a V60 dripper, a coffee grinder and a handsome glass decanter. That works for me, well enough I can make a coffee and feel involved

Not sure where that week went. * Had some fun hacking an inbox-browser prototype together. * Had less fun breaking another one and spending more time than I really have to fix it. * Giving new starters to the NHS Jobs team an overview of the service. Realising some of the stuff I’

* I had some unexpected but welcome thinking this week. I had a look through my guiding principles for work and was reminded I try to and I have tried to work as openly as possible over the last six years or so. So, why haven't I been recently?

{% include weeknotes_2020_intro.html %} At the weekend I went to Middlesbrough for the son’s basketball game. This meant I couldn’t help with Bradford Coder Dojo, but priorities. The riverside area near Middlesbrough College is super interesting — and they’ve a dock tower. (Always the sign of the

{% include weeknotes_2020_intro.html %} Bit of a crazy week that. Let me see if I can unpack it a little. A good weekend of running, a slow 7km session with the dog on Saturday followed by a nice 21km-er on Sunday. Loved a very fresh run along the Tyne