Making things usable

When you start to look at the world through the lens of User Experience it can start to become both obsessive and sometimes somewhat depressing. Where the user experience meets organisational compliance is usually the most miserable. A week or so I had a migraine. I get them a few times a year, and have … Continue reading Making things usable

Weeknote 383: they still don’t get it

This week I have learned: the stuff that goes viral is the trival - chat about iPads and croissants that look like a poo; being asked to fill out a two-page form when trying to get migraine medication on the cusp of a migraine is the epitome of user experience fail; tech events organisers - … Continue reading Weeknote 383: they still don’t get it

Ir-ish

I was born in Northern Ireland in November 1970. Of all the times at which I could have chosen to be born in Northern Ireland (which of course there weren't any), November 1970 was probably just about one of the worst. Northern Ireland in 1970 wasn't a happy place. My dad was a mature student … Continue reading Ir-ish

Digital parking

Parking in the UK is a big business. In 2015-2016, according to research undertaken by the RAC Foundation, UK local authorities charged motorists in excess of £1.5bn and generating a cash surplus of around £0.75bn for parking their cars. But the process of paying for parking is a ramshackle and expensive affair. There are pay … Continue reading Digital parking

Weeknote 380: running out of steam

This week I have learned: This year so far has been busy. A couple of major projects running up to Easter has left me very much in need of the break. Good, but tired. I love running training events. They're exhausting, but there's real sense of achievement in a very short period of time. Eczema … Continue reading Weeknote 380: running out of steam

A state of confusion

When Chris & I spoke on Sunday evening about the emerging Cambridge Analytica story as we recorded WB40 I was confused. As further revelations have emerged through Carole Cadwalladr's fantastic and dogged reporting (which I have been following for months), I am reminded of the Morrissey lyric "I was happy in the haze of a … Continue reading A state of confusion

Processless

The world of Information Technology orbits around the concept of repeatable process. We program computers to process data. Programming is the act of decomposing the world into a series of repeatable, logical steps. And the software that is produced from this act invariably then expects the world in which it operates to be one where … Continue reading Processless

Weeknote 376: let it snow

This week I have learned: that the coat I bought ten years ago to travel to the northern-most tip of mainland Europe is still toasty warm The 7-S model is so very useful a way to check you've got most bases covered. Getting on for forty years old, but doesn't make it any less useful. … Continue reading Weeknote 376: let it snow

Not from my tenant.

I was in a presentation earlier this week where a senior person from a rather idiosyncratic but large public organisation talked about their experiences of migrating to Microsoft Office 365. There were interesting and honest reflections, and many people asked if it was possible to get a copy of the slides that had been shown. … Continue reading Not from my tenant.