Filed under: Red Jotter Work, service design | Tags: creativity, innovation, jobs, scotland
So me and the team over at Snook are looking for people of all shapes and size to make a big impact! Download the juicy details here
Filed under: bigsociety, design studies, design thinking, made me think, master of design, people I like, reading and writing, Red Jotter Work, service design, servicedesign
This weekend I travelled down to London to be part of a festival at the South Bank Centre.
“This festival celebrates something we all have in common. Death is a subject we are fascinated by and fearful of; it is a favourite topic of all arts and all societies find rituals to deal with it. But most of us ordinary mortals find discussing it quite tricky – even though the more information we have about it, the easier it is to face. This weekend is not about morbidity, sentimentality or sensationalism. In fact it’s a weekend full of delight and humour. It’s about hearing the powerful stories and surprising facts from people who have had to sort out practically and emotionally how to face up to the greatest and most challenging of all certainties.”
Jude Kelly, OBE, Southbank Centre Artistic Director
Where to begin? I was utterly fascinated by every single person in the audience. I sat in audiences made up of every age, race and character. But why a death festival? Lemn Sissay, Associate Artist at the South Bank Centre, started to answer that question for me by reciting some of his poems. Invisible Kisses raised enormous applause and was the one that really touched me. He asked all of us why we don’t celebrate crying and where do we go to cry? Jude Kelly set the tone of the weekend by sharing the loss of her son to cot death, her openess was admirable and I really believed her when she talked about why she wanted to curate a festival of death in the first place.
What’s the one thing you’ll do before you die? People shared their new year’s resolutions, pledges and life-long dreams on a giant chalkboard as part of an on-going international project by artist Candy Chang. This was so simple yet so effective. I loved coming in on the Sunday to see it blank again and watch it filling up over the day. I was amazed by the range of statements on it – everything from ‘become a farmer’ to ‘loose weight’. This is a classic example of a what Snook call “generative design techniques” that are used to connect, innovate, make, tell and share. Generative tools must be useful and usable for all types of people and it doesn’t get much simpler than a blackboard. Tools like this provide a design language for everyone, designers as well as non-designers, to provoke imagination, stimulate ideas and stir emotions and Candy Chang is superb at creating them on a large scale.
Sam Winston created a pop-up registry office, commemorating the quarter of a million people who are born and die in the space of 12 hours around the world. I drew circles to represent my loved ones and register their names in writing. The reason this worked so well was the fact that unlike the blackboard it didn’t really have any emotions attached to it. I read a whole wall of names, but they were just names with no messages or personal anecdotes and that made it work. I liked that they focused on birth as well as death. Although projects similar to this sometimes feel a little self indulgent this one felt it was in the right place at the right time.
I went along to a death cafe, described as a “good old heart to heart and a nice slice of cake”. By a chance twitter meeting I discovered one of the girls who was sitting across wrote a detailed post about the experience ( we were advised the session was confidential but the post does give you a feel for what it was like ) I was intrigued by the funeral director who spends his time taking photographs of funeral shop fronts as they are so out-dated and in-humane. I think the concept of death cafe is brilliant and the idea of a pop up death cafe lends itself well to Start Up Street Stirling.
“Overall, the discussion was disjointed yet eye-opening. Even with my limited experience of death and loss I found it fascinating. Understandably, I don’t think it’s a subject most people want to dwell on all the time and I can imagine people thinking that it’s a strange way to spend an afternoon. However, in a forum such as this and made cheerier with tea and cake, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be more open and progressive about discussing a universal subject which remains something of a taboo in our society. Death Cafe has plans to branch out from their Hackney home and encourages people to hold their own meetings. So if you ever get the opportunity to attend one of these dark tea parties, I urge you to give it a try. You’ll be almost guaranteed to meet a weird and wonderful selection of people and it’ll certainly give you food for thought.”
‘Gone but not erased: Digital Death’ was led by PhD student Stacey Pitsillides, she talked to us about what happens to our data after we die. She is also involved in Digital Death Days - which I’m interested in too. I must admit I was disappointed in this session as a lot of questions were posed but no answers or alternative solutions were shown. I follow Stacey online and didn’t discover anything I didn’t know already but I think the questions she is asking are highly relevant. For example, do I need a will for my digital self ? Will all funeral homes follow the example of Conley Funeral Homes in Ireland who live stream funerals for relatives who can’t be there in person? Of course my data is part of my digital personality so I wonder how my family and ( offline ) friends would know who I love and respect in my online world? In the past when someone died their relatives sort out their home and all their belongings, now the same thing has to happen to our laptops and our i-phones? It’s a fascinating area and it looks like the place to be connected to around all this stuff is Digital Beyond . I wonder if Facebook and Twitter are thinking about formulating death policies?
Meghan O’Rourke talked to an audience about her memoir ‘The Long Goodbye’ which is a profound exploration of the nature of grieving. She wrote the book after her mother died from cancer at 55. I am in awe of her story and her openness. She talked about grief in a way I have never read about or heard before – so real and raw. The reality is that we don’t know how to behave when someone dies – no-one shows us or tells us – it is the one experience that unifies us and such an opportunity for connection – is a sympathy card the best we can do? Meghan talked about the work of Kevin Young and shared beautiful snippets of poetry that helped her face her grief. Isn’t it curious that our society is somewhat comfortable with mass grieving for people we don’t personally know but we find it so difficult to be open with bereaved people we do know. Meghan introduced me to the concept of anticipatory grief – something that happens when you are told a loved one only as a certain time to live. This also happens when loved ones are diagnosed with long term conditions as their families grieve the person they were before the disease.
Over one million people die by suicide every year, and there are an estimated 15 to 20 million attempted suicides every year worldwide. I went along to “Suicide – not waving or drowning” to listen to a panel of experts talk about the causes of suicide, the effects of suicide spots on local communities and how different cultures and religions view suicide. Film maker Jez Lewis showed us his film ‘Shed your tears and walk away’ and I was shocked to learn that the police and the NHS boycotted the showing of the film in the local area. I have read about the idea of suicide becoming infectious in The Tipping Point but watching this video reinforced the fact that the more people you know who have committed suicide the more it becomes an option – it becomes the norm. Statistics really matter when it comes to suicide mainly because they don’t reflect the truth – five people on Jez’s street had committed suicide yet the statictis didn’t show anything abnormal. Also, statistics don’t break down suicide by race or ethnicity which is important when 75% of those who commit suicide are men. The language around suicide is also topical because people find the word ‘committed’ offensive.
Rosetta Life presented a series of short films made with people with life-threatening illnesses about the things that matter most ; stories of cancer, self discovery and truth that go to the heart of pallIative care. They showed a wonderful film of a lady dancing with the hands of a man with a neurological disease. He told the camera “Movement keeps me in relationship” – there was something so powerful about these films around the intimacy of touch. It seems at the end of your life touch becomes a clinical thing but touch is so important. Touch and intimacy in health is an area I want to know more about as I think it could add so much value yet we shy away from it – even when we are healthy! I am looking forward to the book Cassie Robinson is curating,due to be published in Spring of this year, with 14 authors, discussing the practice and experience of intimacy and vulnerability in different aspects of our lives, and how empathy scales in public services. Death is surely one of the most intimate experiences and yet often happens in a clinical situation. We were shown an incredible film commissioned by Labour peer and political strategist Lord Philip Gould, who died in November 2011. There was a part of me that watched this thinking of the people who could never afford to have a film made or a story written about them before they die – yet so many probably could if they were shown how easy it was using flip cams, wordpress and the like.
This event was most definitely one of a kind. I met some fantastic people such as Dr John Troy from the Centre of Death and Society at The University of Bath , chaps from the service Tell Us Once, ladies from The Samaritans and the folks from Dying Matters. It was great to meet people who were enthusiastic and keen to listen to my ideas and share their stories and experiences.
I can’t wait to see what The SouthBank Centre are going to do next in the space and I really hope they step up to the mark in terms of doing something really worthwhile and meaningful. Jude Kelly shared a little of the feedback she had got so far – next time people want to talk about survivors guilt and accidental murder ( of course the latter evoked a reaction ) maybe by then someone will have developed a ‘Kill My Facebook’ app or death will have become a disease that is curable.
To give you an insight into the scale of the conversation, here are some figures from #deathfest.
“500 tweets generated 829,478 impressions, reaching an audience of 143,340 followers within the past 24 hours”
I can say with absolute confidence the Death Festival has made me think differently and taught me things about the world and myself. Now I feel it is my responsibility to share my experience with all of you and I want you all to ask yourself two questions:
1: What do you want done with your body when you die?
2: Have you told your next of kin?
Asking these questions can open us up to really human and loving conversation.
Snook are working with Cassie Robinson to determine how we go about making a difference in this space. This weekend’s conversations confirmed our thoughts around the massive need for people-centered thinking around end of life services. There are several areas in particular such as the transition between paediatric to adult care, the learning about death in education and the absolute basic need for practical information. There are also issues and problems around the role of intimacy in health and and how services are joined up, after all there is no shared languages or rituals. And of course it isn’t all about services or design, but the fundamental human nature of it and how we share that as a culture, letting go and making room for new.
The one theme that cropped up time and time again for me over this weekend was storytelling. The anecdotes tell the truth in suicide – statistics and numbers don’t tell the truth because we learn through stories. Every single thing death throws at you there is a story somewhere proving you can do it. There are stories about making or doing – where a 93 year old train driver tells you his life lesson is to fight for what you believe in.
We need to find a relaxed way to talk about the things that unite us. What about the relationship the media has with death? The way the Hebden Bridge suicides were reported was simple not acceptable! Designers might not think of themselves as a storytellers, but in many ways, they are. The success of a designers work is dependent upon how well we tell the story and narrative of our process to the world and this is just one example of where I think the skills of designers link up with this space. Are death services seen as public services? it would appear the answer is no – they are seen has either charitable or money-making with little in between.
Do you know people doing good work in this space? Do you have a story you would like to share? Do you want to join us in looking at death with curiosity? Send me an email at lauren (at) wearesnook (dot) com
Filed under: design thinking, people I like, Red Jotter Work, service design
A little sign of why things have been so quiet on redjotter – Snook is hiring! We are working on some great projects and growing our team! Find out more and share with your talented friends.
Filed under: design studies, design thinking, made me think, people I like, Red Jotter Work, service design, servicedesign
This is Edit for the 10th time around, but the for the first time in the beautiful and mysterious area of Røros. It is an old mining town so the theme of ‘Digging’ fits very well.
This conference was originally a computer conference for designers and illustrators, it has gradually changed over the years. Today, the conference aims to increase the understanding of visual communications and the role it plays in society. I am excited these guys are keen to explore Service Design at such an event.
Keetra Dean Dixon was first up, she calls herself an Experiential Choreographer and is the brains behind the fabulous hugging wall which I have experienced as a hugger and a huggee. Keetra challenges herself with ‘one-a-day’ projects which is something I attempted many times at University but never seemed to have the discipline for. I like the idea of pushing yourself to make something in 24hours and then share it. Listening to Keetra reminds me very much of my ambitions when I was at high school – I wanted to design products that would bring surprise and delight to people’s everyday. I must be honest and say that now I find this kind of work fairly self-indulgent. But it works and it’s beautiful and there will always be a place for it.
Marius Arnesen then talked about his journey of making a documentary about the Norwegian Army in Afghanistan. His talk was mainly made up of film footage and I will be honest and say it was very scary and shook me up a little. I am grateful for his bravery to show such footage to an audience mainly made up of traditional designers.
He talked about the reality of war. The fact is it’s not all action – it’s 99% eating, sleeping and waiting. I sensed from the audience that the link between this talk and design wasn’t clear. For me, the way Marius talked about going into this situation and having to become friends with the soldiers first echoed the way we design. It’s about real human to human trust and Maurice’s job is to get close to people.
Robert L. Peters shared many quotes that inspire him. One that stuck with me was the fact that 85% of what we know today comes through our eyes. For me, this reinforces the reality that designers see the world differently and can make thoughts, ideas and visions visible. I would have liked to see examples of what Robert has achieved by following quotes such as ‘think sideways’ and ‘aim high’ and I must be honest and say that I don’t think design is responsible for ‘creating the future world our children will live in’ . I think design is part of the solution, but many other fields and disciplines have a role to play.
It was then my turn to take to the stage and I have never before received such a spectacular introduction. Check out the video below starring Bård Brænde.
I talked about Snook and our vision for transforming the way public services are designed and delivered in Scotland. From conversations I’ve had with the organisers I know that socially motivated Service Design is very new in Norway . Thank you to everyone who talked to me afterwards and shared their inspirations and ideas with me following my talk.
At the start of the year ( through the phenomenon that is Global Service Jam ) I met an awesome lady called Kirsty Burnham. This week has been a rollercoaster of happenings for Kirsty – who is the founder of SoLoCo!!
I was at the recent launch of Scottish based project - the first ever dedicated crowdfunding website for the Third Sector – and its founders want it to revolutionise how projects are funded in the UK.
“We believe SoLoCo can help revolutionise the future of funding in the UK. We want to make it easier to raise funds, and in time make it easier for organisations to be become less reliant on the ‘traditional’ funding bodies. We also want to help improve the visibility of our communities and all the amazing work happening on the ground every day. Crowdfunding has already made a huge difference to the arts, music and even, Obama’s political campaign – now we want it to change communities.”
The SoLoCo launch comes as the Third Sector faces an increasingly tough financial climate, battling reduced income from statutory funding against increased demand for services in some areas.
Six projects across Scotland have already signed up on the SoLoCo website to crowdfund for donations, worth a total value of £124,976. These include:
// The launch of a new Scottish online newspaper, the scottishtimes.com
// Scotland’s first Digital FABlab based at Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture,The Lighthouse, Glasgow
// Renovation of Glencanisp Walled Garden by The Assynt Foundation to create a local enterprise
// Crowdfunding for audio-visual equipment for the hugely successful Youth Football Scotland project
// A multimedia project at Duns Youth Centre in the Borders, to help young people develop skills in film-making & radio production
// A community café Punjab’n De Rasoi in Leith, Edinburgh is crowdfunding to employ its long time volunteer chefs and waitresses.
“The ‘virtual doors’ are now open for projects across the UK to start their own crowdfunding campaign through the SoLoCo site, giving them access directly to the public, a wider network than they have already, and without having to organise any sponsorship activities.
Our project base is across Scotland at present but our doors are very much open to projects across the UK.”
The idea is that a project uploads its crowdfunding campaigns to the SoLoCo website in a few easy steps. They then have 60 days in which to fundraise, with a heavy focus on social media. Projects reaching their target keep all the money, while those who don’t, keep the money raised and can use it to apply for match funding.
Successful crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter in America have seen hundreds of thousands raised for arts projects. Obama used crowdfunding to contribute to his election campaign. And a most recently in the UK, Brewdog, successfully launched its second Equity for Punks crowdfunding campaign, after the first one proved such a success…I am watching this space!
Massive congratulations to Kirsty and her team and three cheers for ThirdSectorLab and Crancomms who have been working their magic behind the scenes!
Filed under: people I like, reading and writing, Red Jotter Work, service design, servicedesign
The idea for Community Lover’s Guide to the Universe was conceived in Rotterdam in April 2011 by Tessy Britton and Maurice Specht.
Following the fantastic response to the collaborative book Hand Made (40,000 online readers), which was published in Autumn 2010, the idea evolved that they might be able to start producing local versions of Hand Made.
Since announcing the project in June 2011 the team have 20 confirmed voluntary editors and another 10 or so in discussion. Their ambition is to publish about 50 editions in the next 12 months!
Tessy explains:
A few weeks ago Maurice Specht turned to me on the way to Schiphol airport and said ‘So when are we going to bring out a Hand Made for Rotterdam?’.
What a brilliant suggestion!
Since then the idea has really taken off with 12 community enthusiasts already volunteering to edit special local editions – collectively now called the Community Lover’s Guide To The Universe. Since we brought out Hand Made last August the number of people-led projects has continued to grow and we wanted to explore both the common themes, but also the unique cultural ideas and interpretations from all parts of the world.
We also wanted to start to show how places that are buzzing with community activity and projects are amazing places to live, increasingly more amazing than places with cool architecture or luxury shops. Community brings places alive, gives us new and interesting ways to contribute and connect … and there are signs already that people are finding places that have this creativity and excitement going on highly desirable.
Community can’t be mass produced and it can’t be ‘delivered’. But in rising numbers there are a lot of very excitable people just getting on and making and shaping their local communities for themselves. This series of books will create the opportunity for them to tell their stories, which in turn we hope will encourage other people to put aside any hesitations they might have and get more involved in their neighbourhoods.
So I have a brilliant excuse to get oot and aboot in Glasgae and meet all you community evangelists and capture your stories. Who should I talk to? Where should I go? Who do you think should be in the Community Lover’s Guide to Glasgow?
Filed under: made me think, people I like, Red Jotter Work, service design, servicedesign
Andrea Peach, a lecturer and craft historian at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, is writing an academic paper entitled “Contemporary Craft and the Commodification of National Identity in Scotland after 1970“. Her research is mostly based on craft and craft policy in the 1970s, but she is trying to draw some contemporary parallels. Andrea was in the audience at my recent keynote at Craft Connected where there was a little burst of chatter in the audience about how creative Scots use their Scottish identity as part of thier brand. James Donald and I were eager to let the audience know that we are both very proud of our roots and see travelling away from home as a great excuse to show off our tartan. This snap ( although slightly resembling a girl band album cover – not intentional ;) below was taken by Adam Lawrence in Berlin and Snook are very proud of it!
“It was also interesting to note at a recent Craftscotland conference, titled Craft Connected that contemporary makers were not ashamed to rely on Scottish tropes to generate interest. James Donald, a weaver and one the makers who will be represented at the Craftscotland launch in America, said that he always wears his kilt when promoting his work abroad, and Lauren Currie, Director of the Scottish service design consultancy Snook , said that she is happy to wear her tartan tights when promoting Scottish design.”
Andrea has asked to interview me about the relationship between my work and the notions of ‘Scottishness’ and frankly I can’t wait!
Oh, and here is a translation of the title: “Here’s tae us ; wha’s like us? dam few – and they’re a’ deid! ” = “Here’s to us! Who is as good as us? Damn few and they are all dead”
What are the connections between your roots and your work? and thank you to the beautiful blog that is Scouts Honor for the photograph.
Filed under: made me think, people I like, Red Jotter Work, service design
Three years ago today I was teaching first year design students at The University of Dundee. Those students are now going into fourth year. I am delighted that many of them have kept in touch and one young lady, Fiona Harper, popped into Snook for lunch this week to pick our brains about her dissertation topic: empathy!
Fiona would like to know about he best example of empathy tools you have used or seen? Fiona is keen to talk to non-designers too so all of you reading who work in governments, schools and charities – tell Fi what you think!
Filed under: design studies, design thinking, made me think, master of design, people I like, Red Jotter Work, service design, servicedesign
All around the UK, Universities are welcoming their first year students through their doors – bright eyed, bushy tailed and facing a lifetime of debt, Mike Press is one of those chaps who sees it has his mission to fill them with passion and self-belief. He asked me to make a little video to give the students one piece of advice.
Here’s what you guys came up with…
What would your advice be?
So I’ve had an idea.. initially I began this research with the intention to enter my idea into The Scottish Social Innovation Camp - I decided not to as Sarah was a judge and I wanted to spend the weekend sharing my learnings from MyPolice rather than push my own idea out there. At the same time there was an exciting event going on in London called Interactivism, I offered my visualisation skills from afar and was really excited when I heard some of the winning ideas – particularly Jemima’s idea around creating a browser to enable you to see your most visited and favourite sites with clear visuals.
The real reason people don’t go online is they don’t know how to search. My idea is called Step On. It is the interface between the blank canvas of a search engine and your everyday life.
This service is aimed at people who know about the internet and are fairly competent on computers but say ‘What would I use it for?’ and ‘I don’t know what to search’. I meet so many people ( of all ages ) who think the internet is only for booking holidays and playing games.
I envision this service would be PRE GOOGLE – it would answer questions to determine a range of internet media – videos / audio / visual / sites / forums related to your ‘interests’ so if you told it you were interested in knitting it would show you all the sites / videos / patterns.
The problem is that when you search google ( until recently ) all the blue links look the same – it’s difficult to tell these are all made up of podcasts, tv programs, articles, films and pictures etc.
Step On shows you how and why the internet is relevant to you. I believe the reason alot of people aren’t online is not because they don’t know how – they just don’t see how it fits into their lives – they don’t know you can watch tv / listen to music / make new friends / trace family tree/ watch music videos from their childhood etc…. You can’t choose to engage with something if you don’t even know it exists!
“While the battle for digital access is being won, we now face a struggle to convince everyone the net is worth using,” said Professor Richard Rose, of the Oxford Internet Institute.
People give up quickly on search engines – because they don’t know what’s available they don’t know what to look for and so they never understand what the web can do for them. We need a filter because Google is too blank and it’s overwhelming. I think that Google hasn’t yet fully succeeded because of the vast size of their database. Who needs 2 billion matches for Britains Got Talent? Google works brilliantly because the design is so simple and because the sophisticated users discover stuff they like and then people who search for “Web” believe that they’ve got the best answers.
I think we need help. We need Step On – it will ask clarifying questions after you’ve done a bad search. It is an interface for accessible computing that gives the impressions this is not about computers it’s about people and their lives. It makes the web more accessible by tailoring the results and options to fit in with your life and your interests.
“64 percent of people say they don’t go online because the web’s just “not for them”, says Martha Lane-Fox
I’m looking forward to connecting with Jemima and sharing my vision for Step On and hopefully playing a small part in creating something extraordinary!
What do you think ? Talk to me…
Filed under: design studies, design thinking, made me think, Red Jotter Work, service design
It’s hardly a secret, but there are thousands of design students in the world. Advice and opportunities are everywhere. Education and learning are very very important to me. I used to think this was because I was a student myself, perhaps a little too close to it all – too tangled up in the education system to understand the bigger picture but now I realise it’s much more than that. It’s something that I care about very much and believe I can add value to.
In the past little while I have spent alot of time with students. I have had incredible conversations and been inspired. I have decided it’s time for me to draw some conclusions.
I am getting to explore many of my ideas at Snook through the creation of Matchable; a service that connects design students to the health and well being sector. I do work under the umbrella of The Studio Unbound; an initiative aiming to introduce students, graduates and educators to the creative power of social media. Last but not least, Making Service Sense; a service that makes sense of Service Design for students and educators, has been evolving over the last year.
I want to wrap all this knowledge and these connections up in something – I’m not quite sure what that something is but right now I am toying with the idea of creating an E-Course. This is mainly because many of the students who get in touch with me are dotted all over the world! It’s also because I don’t have the time or space to connect with all the young people who get in touch with me. I want to fix this.
Oh, and here is words of wisdom from Frank Chimero that moved me and I think they will move you too.
Good advice from Hello Jenuine
“Anonymous asked Frank Chimero: What advice would you give to a design student?
Design does not equal client work.
It’s hard to make purple work in a design. The things your teachers tell you in class are not gospel. You will get conflicting information. It means that both are wrong. Or both are true. This never stops. Most decisions are gray, and everything lives on a spectrum of correctness and suitability.
Look people in the eyes when you are talking or listening to them. The best teachers are the ones who treat their classrooms like a workplace, and the worst ones are the ones who treat their classroom like a classroom as we’ve come to expect it. Eat breakfast. Realize that you are learning a trade, so craft matters more than most say. Realize that design is also a liberal art. Quiet is always an option, even if everyone is yelling. Libraries are a good place. The books are free there, and it smells great.
If you can’t draw as well as someone, or use the software as well, or if you do not have as much money to buy supplies, or if you do not have access to the tools they have, beat them by being more thoughtful. Thoughtfulness is free and burns on time and empathy.
The best communicators are gift-givers.
Don’t become dependent on having other people pull it out of you while you’re in school. If you do, you’re hosed once you graduate. Keep two books on your nightstand at all times: one fiction, one non-fiction.
Buy lightly used. Patina is a pretty word, and a beautiful concept.
Develop a point of view. Think about what experiences you have that many others do not. Then, think of what experiences you have that almost everyone else has. Then, mix those two things and try to make someone cry or laugh or feel understood.
Design doesn’t have to sell. Although, that’s usually its job.
Think of every project as an opportunity to learn, but also an opportunity to teach. Univers is a great typeface and white usually works and grids are nice and usually necessary, but they’re not a style. Helvetica is nice too, but it won’t turn water to wine.
Take things away until you cry. Accept most things, and reject most of your initial ideas. Print it out, chop it up, put it back together. When you’re aimlessly pushing things around on a computer screen, print it out and push it around in real space. Change contexts when you’re stuck. Draw wrong-handed and upside down and backwards. Find a good seat outside.
Design is just a language, it’s not a message. If you say “retro” too much you will get hives and maybe die. Learn your design history. Know that design changes when technology changes, and its been that way since the 1400s. Adobe software never stops being frustrating. Learn to write, and not school-style writing. A text editor is a perfectly viable design tool. Graphic design has just as much to do with words as it does with pictures, and a lot of my favorite designers come to design from the world of words instead of the world of pictures.
If you meet a person who cares about the same obscure things you do, hold on to them for dear life. Sympathy is medicine.
Scissors are good, music is better, and mixed drinks with friends are best. Start brave and brash: you can always make things more conservative, but it’s hard to make things more radical. Edit yourself, but let someone else censor you. When you ride the bus, imagine that you are looking at everything from the point of view of someone else on the ride. If you walk, look up on the way there and down on the way back. Aesthetics are fleeting, the only things with longevity are ideas. Read Bringhurst and one of those novels they made you read in high school cover to cover every few years. (Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby.)
Stop trying to be cool: it is stifling.
Most important things happen at a table. Food, friends, discussion, ideas, work, peace talks, and war plans. It is okay to romanticize things a little bit every now and then: it gives you hope.
Everything is interesting to someone. That thing that you think is bad is probably just not for you. Be wary of minimalism as an aesthetic decision without cause. Simple is almost a dirty word now. Almost. Tools don’t matter very much, all you need is a sharp knife, but everyone has their own mise en place. If you need an analogy, use an animal. If you see a ladder in a piece of design or illustration, it means the deadline was short. Red, white, black, and gray always go together. Negative space. Size contrast. Directional contrast. Compositional foundations.
Success is generating an emotion. Failure is a million different things. Second-person writing is usually heavy-handed. All of this is too.
Seeking advice is addicting and can become a proxy for action. Giving it can also be addicting in a potentially pretentious, soul-rotting sort of way, and can replace experimenting because you think you know how things work. Be suspicious of lists, advice, and lists of advice.
Everyone is just making it up as they go along.
This about sums up everything I know.”
Should we do this? Together? Tell me what you think…
Me and my fellow Snookettes are on the hunt for a graphic designer with a social conscious ! Download the details here and get in touch!
Dear 2011,
You have been a whirlwind so far; catapulting me from highs and laughter to worries and sleepless nights.
You have been a year of questions. Making me think about who I am and the work I do like I have never thought before. You have shaken me up. I am living my dream and it’s much much harder than I ever imagined possible.
I need to find my voice and find out who I really am and the time to start doing that is right this second. Plunge in. But I feel vulnerable and tender and I am being critical of everything I do… maybe that means I am getting closer to finding my voice.
The thing is, I over think things and often let my emotions take control of me. I over prepare when I really should be acting and then reflecting. I love what I do. It is the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think of at night. It is a part of me. I believe I am doing the work that matters. Although, planning a product company like MyPolice is a different ball game to building a business plan for Snook. They are both stuffed full of woulds, coulds and shoulds - other peoples expectations and things that I have conditioned myself to think I should be doing.
What do I want to be doing? Do I love my ideas? I do but my ideas feel different. I have been neglecting them – failing to cultivate insights and care for my creativity. This changes as of now. I must get all my ideas down on paper without self censorship and self criticism – let my ideas come from the most non-linear part of myself. I wonder what that part of myself feels like? I need to visit that place more often because when I don’t my rational thought tells me to do things my heart doesn’t agree with.
Someone clever recently said to me “…in order to achieve something you need to know what you want to achieve” Damn right. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and feel like a victim but I chose this. I make things the way they are. I decide and I perceive. Only me. No one else. I am scared of failing or embarrassing myself. I believe this fear is a good thing and I think it proves how passionate I am. When all this began I had no clue what I was up against and I’d prefer for things to stay that way. I don’t want to know the barriers and the hurdles because then I will over think it. You see, the difference between being an amateur and being a professional is mindset. When obstacles and adversity present themselves ( as they do on a daily basis ) the key is not to listen to the voices and the excuses. Do not make excuses. Do not accept or acknowledge them.
Yes, I have fresh energy and optimism. Bucket loads of the stuff. But that doesn’t happen by itself. I make it happen. Sometimes it’s exhausting. Sometimes it’s elating. I’ve found myself pulling away from the community I feel closest to so I can be in isolation and get stuff done. Does serious work require disconnecting? How do I balance this with maintaining a presence? Dropping off the radar every now and again is healthy but I feel lonely sometimes – I must hunt for the balance. Who is taking care of me? I have to trust myself more to look after me.
It is my passion for design and my craft that frames my experience and drives me forward when nothing else can. I want to explore that frame – draw it, examine it and share it. The designer I am is my unique thing – I design in a way that is unique to me. That’s why all this feels right on instinct; design. It’s the decisions round about that I need to question.
I hope every tear I have shed will be worth it… 50% of companies fail within the first five years. Have I got what it takes? Can I do this? Well, I don’t have a choice really so I’m learning as I go. I’m excited about my ideas and about what I could do in the world. Why wouldn’t I try? I want to be a walking expression of my true philosophy! It’s becoming my identity. I am Lauren Currie and I need to be at peace with who I am. Knowing stuff isn’t enough – I have to do. I want to be known for my acts not my ideas. Right now, what Sarah and I are constructing is slowly becoming the future I dream of. The reason I am writing to you is because all this is my responsibility. It’s all up to me. And that’s powerful.
I am putting my head down and creating something tremendously exciting.
Three cheers for tenacity.
Redjotter x
p.s thank you to notebook doodles for the brilliant pic
This week I facilitated an intoductory session to Service Design for staff from Universities across the UK. This was the first time I have ever delivered a workshop from the other side of a screen and I must say it worked surprisingly well! Of course, being there in person is the ultimate preference but with the help of the organisers and some brilliant technology we made it work!
We started off with some playful tools around story boarding and journey mapping. It was clear the audience were very good with words but felt uncomfortable drawing! Once I reinforced the reason behind drawing and they understood why they were drawing and what the value was – they got it.
This session was a chance for people to start thinking about how Service Design is relevant to higher education. It was a chance for them to play with techniques and ultimately realise that this approach is very beneficial. A big chunk of the audience were from an IT background and the concept of visualising was new to them. Of course a change in mindset doesn’t happen over night and the screen was definitely a barrier but the participants were keen to see the social side of Service Design and the practical examples of services Snook have designed.
The participants left the event asking “Who do I need to talk to?” “Who should I be listening to?” There was a real buzz in the room and lots of story telling happening. Service Design offered them a fresh lens to look at their projects, they had never considered engaging a diagonal slice of their organisation – experts like janitors, dinner ladies and receptionists.
I was fascinated by the questions that were raised around building personas and the value they bring. The level of detail some of the groups went into was truly brilliant but some struggled to see the value at first. The audience have realised although they used to think they understood their audience they actually do not! - so in their minds it made no sense for them to create personas! “How can we create an empathic persona when we don’t know the students well enough?” “How can you possibly create personas that cover everyone who will use the service?” I explained the value of creating personas is about viewing services and scenarios from someone elses perspective. They are about training your mind to become empathic very quickly and putting your self in the shoes of people who live a very different life to you.
“I was at the other side of this video link watching Lauren’s presentation from Nottingham, it was totally engaging and I learned so much, until the fire alarm went off that is! Otherwise I left feeling very inspired by Snooks approach to service design” Laura Henaghan, University of Glasgow
We had to cut the session short due to a very loud fire alarm but it did spark off a discussion around the use and detail of personas. Many people in the audience had never tried this approach before and were uncertain about the level of detail to go into and when to use them at first.
“I think the introductory presentation worked really well as it put the practical uses of service design into context, using real-life examples. Up until now, apart from last year’s projects, most of the people in the audience who’d heard of service design (never mind actually use it) had not seen it put into practice. The practical sessions were well thought through and gently led people through from one stage to the next. It certainly got people talking (in fact they didn’t want to stop!) and whilst they found it hard to actually put pen to paper and draw (it’s hard to get academics to do this!), once they got the hang of it, there was no stopping them.” Sharon Perry, Learning Technology Advisor, JISC CETIS
One of the participants sent the organisers an e-mail to say “[they] have returned to work brimming with ideas” after the service design session. So it looks like we got people thinking!
Snook are one of five critical friends involved in this program. The others have expertise in CRM (Customer Relationship Management), SLRM (Student Lifecycle Relationship Management), information management systems and social media, and one still be appointed with expertise in alumni.
Service Design is gathering momentum in the higher education sector and Snook are very excited to be part of it!
Filed under: design thinking, made me think, people I like, Red Jotter Work, service design
Whose health is it anyway? was the question posed by a panel of public health experts at the Aye Write festival.
“Glasgow has the record as ‘the sick man of Europe’, but has a reputation for innovative thinking about public health alongside community-driven models for change. What is the overall picture of public health in the city, and how can we best aid and support long-lasting and fundamental change both in individual attitudes and at the level of society?
‘Where is the Public in Public Health’ was part of the Reimagining Scotland series of discussions looking at issues and debates for Scotland’s future. Speakers were: Professor Phil Hanlon, Dept of Public Health, University of Glasgow; Fiona Crawford, Glasgow Centre for Population Health; Dr Gerry McCartney, NHS Health Scotland; Isabella Goldie, Mental Health Foundation Scotland. The event was chaired by Dr Rosie Ilett, Glasgow Centre for Population Health.”
The panel talked about inequality and the fact that people in Scotland are dying far too young. This is a true injustice and I commend the panel for being so blunt about it! Transport was a topic that cropped up several times – we need to work together to slow the traffic down both physically and metaphorically. I think we are all good at identifying what needs fixed but need to question why it is broken in the first place and focus on assets rather than new shiny solutions.
Sketchbook visuals
As you would expect mental health was also a topic of conversation. Niel talked about promoting positive mental health that considers social networks, self-esteem, social capital and our physical environment. A mentally healthy society will be an equal one and I think that requires lots of different thinking from society and citizens.
But there is hope! Phil Hanlon declared ‘let’s be innovative’ Of course things weren’t always this way and things can be different! Hear Hear!
The notion of community empowerment began to shine through towards the very end when a report by Shiela Bec ‘Good places, better health’ was brought up because of it’s approach. The research for this paper involved handing the citizens cameras instead of questionnaires – incredibly simply yet so powerful.
Sketchbook visuals
I left this event wondering whose job it is to change this stuff? Who is held responsible? and it seems Scotland thinks its much healthier than it actually is…
I respect Phil Hanlon for his unwavering optimism! ‘We will change and it’s so exciting’ I echo his advice to talk about vision and imagine a radically different Scotland. Of course, we could both be accused of being flippant but I believe we have to see this as an opportunity.
I would like to see this conversation continue in a more open way with members of the public in the room!
