3 years into my work at NHS Digital – part 2: Responding to change over following a plan

I hate emergencies. Some people thrive on drama, on spontaneously pulling improbable triumph from the jaws of a terrible situation. Personally, I’d much rather we didn’t get into that situation in the first place. I knew this about myself before I did the Nye Bevan Programme, and my learning on that programme confirmed it. Leadership … Continue reading 3 years into my work at NHS Digital – part 2: Responding to change over following a plan →

3 years into my work at NHS Digital – part 1: this is transformation

Every 6 months since I joined NHS Digital in June 2017, I’ve written an update on our progress building digital capability inside the NHS. It’s a helpful discipline for me to look back and see how far we’ve come, and to remind myself what more we have to do. Ending my 2.5 year note in … Continue reading 3 years into my work at NHS Digital – part 1: this is transformation →

Weeknote: 25 to 29 May 2020

What inspired me this week? Two workshops in which I was reminded of the growing breadth and depth of talent in our user-centred design community across national NHS organisations. Helen and Nancy led a brilliant session on user insights, personas and problem statements for a large and complex new service. The following day Sophie facilitated … Continue reading Weeknote: 25 to 29 May 2020 →

Weeknote: 13 to 19 April 2020 – notes from the top of a hill

Both literally and metaphorically, I live at the top of a hill. Leeds city centre lies in a dip where smoke and traffic fumes linger, so the middle classes have long chosen this leafy suburb, 100 metres higher, as a place to be socially distant. Here I am holed up in a house that’s big … Continue reading Weeknote: 13 to 19 April 2020 – notes from the top of a hill →

Weeknote: 16 to 22 March 2020

What inspired me this week? So much to choose from, but these tweets from James sum it up... https://twitter.com/jiggott/status/1241308962718461952 Our user researchers moving rapidly away from face-to-face research without remotely compromising on the importance of involving users. This has been a real community effort, with lots of hints, tips and tools being shared under the … Continue reading Weeknote: 16 to 22 March 2020 →

Weeknote: 9 to 13 March 2020 – “We have the best team” edition

For a couple of Christmases I was part of the NHS.UK senior leadership team. When they were making the holiday cover rota, I used to joke, "you know where I am if there's a service design emergency". Well I won't be making that joke again. We have a Slack channel where designers share weekly updates … Continue reading Weeknote: 9 to 13 March 2020 – “We have the best team” edition →

“No one’s laughing at the lenses”, or the service-dominant logic of my new pair of specs

I'm typing this on the sofa. Across the living room, the laptop display is mirrored to the television. I can comfortably read them both. Unremarkable to you, maybe. To me it seems like magic because just before Christmas I picked up my first pair of varifocals. While people have been complimenting me on the frames … Continue reading “No one’s laughing at the lenses”, or the service-dominant logic of my new pair of specs →