The uncool truth of managing teams Leaders are cool, managers aren’t. Lots of articles will tell you the differences; leaders inspire, they don’t need an official title because people just follow them, leaders are visionary, leaders are innovators. Whereas managers…manage. Leaders are Steve Jobs, managers are David Brent. Based on…

Our goal: to run a design-led hackathon. Over Zoom. As the Product Design team at Workhuman, we are used to applying design thinking to solve problems. We have a track record of successful face-to-face events including World Usability Day and a Human UX Hackathon. But we faced a new challenge…

Are we ever offline now? — Yesterday was Digital Wellness Day, apparently a day to rethink our relationship with technology. Via online events. One of my many Zoom calls was about how our use of tech is affecting our mental health. Let’s start with Zoom, the handy video conferencing tool that enabled our working life for…

It’s the time of year for reviews and Christmas number ones. Except it isn’t because nothing is following a pattern anymore. 2020 felt a bit like the time I set off in my car following the sat nav, on what looked like a simple journey. I drove deeper into the countryside, starting to doubt if the route was correct. Country lanes got smaller until there was no room to turn a…

…is more important now than ever before. — I came across a poster with tips on designing for users with anxiety a couple of years ago (see the full poster below and download here). It struck me as a useful reminder to include mental health in our thinking about accessibility. Now, in the time of COVID-19, we are…

Design portfolios have long been a requirement but are they still relevant? And how can you make them work for you? — Portfolios are kind of a pain. They are a common expectation in many design jobs, from architecture to UX and UI design. A collection of work examples, case studies and artefacts to show off our skills. Simple enough. Yet most of us struggle to put them together and keep them…

Design bootcamps remain a controversial topic in our industry. What is behind their rapid growth and what value are they bringing? — For the last 8 months, I’ve taught at a bootcamp for UX/UI Design at Flatiron School. I’ve also been a hiring manager of junior designers for years, so I’ve seen the impact bootcamps have from both sides. What is a bootcamp? A number of companies offer immersive training courses in…

Stop waiting for the right time We’ve all got things we secretly want to do. You feel them stirring on that rainy Sunday afternoon or dull Monday lunchtime. They are the thoughts fleetingly but frequently on your mind. If only you were there instead of here. Maybe you’d love to live by the sea, travel for…

What I learned from the glitches Starting out Early jobs included working in a shoe shop, a factory and Pizza Hut for minimum wage. Not surprising then, that in my first job after uni earning money was the goal. I needed money, and job security so that money wouldn’t disappear. Regular pay…