30. Pace cycles

A few years ago I "borrowed" Stuart Brand's How Buildings Learn from [place redacted] and still have it. The concept I love most from this book is the one of pace layers—namely that systems move at different speeds. (I've later found out that this is sometimes called shear layers).

This theme is on my mind at present as I've started something that I'd avoided for years: weeknoting. For those that don't know, weeknotes are an opportunity for those working—usually in digital—to share what they did during the week. I had held off on it for years as I saw people start and then drop off. However, DVLA's Paul Moran has done a good job at sustaining both frequency and interest. So, I've done a few for the week starting:

(You can register on Medium to get the updates when they are sent).

It makes me wonder at what the purpose of this monthly newsletter then becomes. Certainly the weeknotes are more in-the-moment-work scoped. I'll monitor how it feels to do both them and this.

This month in digital government and design

I wrote some starting principles for interaction design in government.

Citizens’ Advice are creating a library of positive patterns for online shopping.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are doing work to create shared models across service design and business architecture.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are experimenting with service assessment formats.

Jennifer Pahlka’s book ‘Recoding America’ is out. I will get it soon, but for now am impressed at the Recoding America core concepts, particularly ‘policy vomit’.

The Design Council about written about accessible online co-creation sessions. Similarly, why not treat events as a chance to light candles rather than fill buckets?

I loved fellow design superstar — and fellow industrial design grad — Jonathan Ive championing the value of writing as a designer.

Thea Snow put a call out on twitter for great strategic plans and made a list of the suggestions. Thanks Thea!

Also sourced by Thea: systems don’t need fixing, they need healing to get to good health.

Kyle Soucy has noticed that research democratisation is sometimes becoming forced research training, which doesn’t help anyone.

I enjoyed Elizabeth McGuane’s 7 Lenses for Design.

I also enjoyed Lauren Tormey’s 10 things I want to return to in Leading Content Design.

Steve Messer and co have written some guidance for UK public servants on joining cross-gov slack.