👩🏻💻 Woman in STEM
👀 Adobe UX Designer to Watch
🎨 Lead Product Designer at Bupa UK (views mine)
🏢 Previously at Cancer Research UK, Citizens Advice, Barbican Centre, NICE, Camden Council, etc.
✌🏻 Tech for good
📍 Manchester, UK
Thought-provoking and valuable leadership away day on Tuesday. Focussing on:
💭 What do we want to achieve this year?
💭 How do we align with the organisation's goals?
💭 How can we improve collaboration?
Lots still to think about, lots of motivation to crack on with everything, lots of gratitude for being part of a fantastic team.
#AwayDay #HumanCenteredDesign #Leadership #LeadershipAndManagement #ModernLeadership
The most clever, original design I've come across for a while: on the Victorinox website, users can easily see how large a knife is by comparing it to common household items like an iPhone, a mug, or a wine bottle.
This makes it much easier for customers to make an informed decision about whether the product is right for them, without guessing or hunting for a tape measure. I'd bet Victorinox have fewer returns to process as a result too!
Looking for advice...
🙅🏻♀️ When you have stakeholders who don't understand design thinking, how do you approach that?
🤝 How do you help them understand the value of human-centered design?
💬 What methods do you use to influence people so they appreciate the process and allow time for it?
It's a battle I've fought in every organisation. It's important but tiring. Of course there's no magic solution but other perspectives are much appreciated!
@PavelASamsonov exactly times two!
I believe you should almost be trying to prove yourself wrong... if you can't, you can more confidently assume you must be right 🤓
Feeling a bit stuck with how to interpret your user research? I wrote another article for Catalyst., all about synthesis (a fancy word for understanding and turning that understanding into action!) 👇🏻
https://www.thecatalyst.org.uk/resource-articles/synthesising-user-research-how-to-do-it
#UserResearch #UXResearch #ResearchDesign #UXDesign #HumanCentredDesign #HCD
@tanner exactly. It shouldn't be seen as a luxury, it's essential.
A day of ups and downs...
📈 Utterly brilliant team session: thinking about what we want to achieve for 2023, how we overcome blockers, which working relationships we want to improve, and other similar good stuff
📉 Tricky squad meeting: it's hard to articulate that designers can't always commit to concrete deliverable work, we need to understand, think, discuss — we don't 'just' sketch and prototype
Right, I need a cuppa 😅☕
#WomenInSTEM #WomenInLeadership #ModernLeadership #UXDesign #UXUI
Listen Asana, if anything deserves a unicorn it's checking-off all of my end of year reviews.
Which camp are you in?
@JensJot that is a wonderful description! I've been to, and loved, Naples so this has just gone to the top of my list. Maybe it'll make me feel warmer and save on my energy bills too 😆
Thanks for a great recommendation.
53 books completed this year (and I'm optimistic I'll get through 2 more before we reach 2023!).
What have you read and what was your favourite?
Have you written your Manual of Me?
They're a really useful way of understanding yourself, and your colleagues, better. They take about an hour. And they're free.
I've long been a fan so CharityComms asked me to explain why ⬇️
https://www.charitycomms.org.uk/how-the-manual-of-me-can-help-build-stronger-teams
#SelfReflection #PersonalGrowth #Teamwork #Leadership #ModernLeadership
@resing this is really interesting! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Phew. Tough, but productive, week.
🤒 I'm fighting a bad cold
🐶 I'm dog- and house-sitting
📈 I'm gathering evidence to promote a member of my team
🎉 I'm wrangling friends for our annual get-together
🌱 I'm accepting that I can't do it all — after an honest chat with a Scrum Master, then my manager, I've accepted that I've spread myself too thin and the quality of my work is suffering (as well as my wellbeing). I hate admitting 'failure' but I'm proud I've asked for help.
I'm curious... if you have senior designers within your team, which of these are they expected to do?
Leadership tip: make yourself less available to your team.
It forces them to think more independently, to solve problems for themselves, and to take the lead in situations they might otherwise swerve and where they'd default to you.
And, of course, you can focus on your other responsibilities.
Be there when they really need you, give them the chance to grow when they'd benefit from fending for themselves.
#Leadership #ModernLeadership #WomenLeaders #WomenInSTEM #NewRules
Totally non-stop start to the week.
🗓️ Back-to-back meetings.
🔥 Fighting fires all over the place.
🫂 Reassuring direct reports that they're doing a great job.
🗨️ Discussing our ways of working as leaders.
💰 Pushing for my team to be valued appropriately.
As a result, I haven't got one bit of 'real work' done.
We don't get to tick all the jobs off our to-do lists every day. But we're still delivering value and we need to remember that.
Oh, I do love a research playback!
Absolutely fascinating insights and some really clear problems for us to think about solving, for both our helpline staff and — of course — our users.
How do your researchers share the findings from their user interviews?
Writing was a real passion of mine but, not for the first time, I let something I love slip because of Imposter Syndrome — there are many better than me so why bother?
Well, because I enjoy it.
So I recently started again. If you're on Medium you'll find me here: https://becky-colley.medium.com/
Unbelievably I've since had two organisations asking me to write for them. Ongoing.
It might be shameless self promotion but I'm sharing anyway. Because I'm proud of myself ✨🚀
Can't beat a quick and easy hike, especially when the end reward is something this beautiful!