This week I have learned: the power of using fiction as a tool. This sprang out of a conversation with a new connection at the beginning of the week. I like the idea of creating prosaic artefacts of the future to think about how the world might be different and better. a personal form of … Continue reading Weeknote 678: fictional
I had a fascinating conversation with Chris Butler earlier in the week. We seem to have a lot in common, not least both knowing the wonderful Nick Drage who pointed us to one another. One of the things Chris and I have been talking about asynchronously since is a thing that he is working on, … Continue reading Onboarding in the future
This is, I hope, a hopeful story about generative technologies, and it starts by thinking about my drum machine. I say "drum machine" in the singular, but I actually own four and have had a few more over the years. I will focus on a Behringer RD-8, a modern interpretation of the classic 1980s Roland … Continue reading Augmenting not replacing
This week I have learned: I've implemented a new AI tool that will personalise these weeknotes to your tastes based on a complex algorithm and data analysis of your previous reading interests. I hope you enjoy the new experience! convincing people that they need something they don't know exists is an interesting challenge. It turns … Continue reading Weeknote 677 – landed
This week I have learned: that sometimes I can overcommit. Not too often, but this week I did. And then I got stressed trying to rectify my cockup. But it all resolved in the end. that I had some sort of unidentified cold-thing for over a week, and a full-day in-person workshop yesterday brought home … Continue reading Weeknote 676: video
This is not a "thought piece". This is catharsis. I studied social science research methods at University. When I went to University, it was in the very earliest days of the World Wide Web (actual quote from Information Systems lecturer: "I don't think it will be as successful as WAIS or Gopher"). Back in those … Continue reading Bad Social Science
This week I have learned: the satisfaction and relief when you get a client from "prospect" to signed up and in contract. Mostly it's the relief from worrying if it'll all get pulled at the last minute for some reason. how nice it is to catch up with long-lost colleagues. Fraser, it was a delight … Continue reading Weeknote 675 – building blocks
Friday's coffee companion is an operations specialist. We talked about... the challenges of running events how the events industry is (or isn't) adapting to the post-covid reality watch parties finding one's niche being the only grown-up in the room implementing processes in a world where processes are seen as the antithesis of how things are … Continue reading 155th of 100
This week I have learned: how resistant most of us are to admitting we are getting older. I'm probably as guilty as anyone. It's fine. And life is probably better if one can be open to the idea. how much fun it is to go from idea to a manifestation of an idea in super-quick … Continue reading Weeknote 674: four day week
This week I have learned: about products. The usability of a product isn't simply down to its design. It's also down to the user's expectation of what that product is. So if I come to a car thinking it's a horse, I'll be disappointed, no matter how well-designed it is.It's all well and good "reconceptualising" … Continue reading Weeknote 673: on product