Tuesday I got frustrated, Wednesday I learned loads and Friday I drove 350 miles. Not an average week.

Monday
Morning routine starts with a Design stand up with the wider team, aims of the week are:

• rebuild prototype (including scenarios to assist with testing)
• plan a hypothesis board and possible whiteboard for tickets
• sit down with the content designer to discuss some much requested design work.

Later on in the day we have a workshop, running through the ideas for the next period of the year (P8) - coming up with ideas that we want to all concentrate on (pushing towards the idea that helps all teams and squads have the shared aim of all being UCD).

Tuesday
Today was a no-meetings-and-pure-get-down-to-it work day! Getting my head around the prototype tool (building from scratch) was great, frustrating and incredibly rewarding!

It’s been many many years since I used it - but not its like I never went away.

Once it works - its a brilliant little tool.

Wednesday
Had a round-table with a subject specialist - brilliant gathering and took so so many learnings from her, she started the journey that my team is on all those years ago.

An afternoon spent discussing future UR plans and conversations.

Thursday
UR again in Harrogate, nice to get away from the office and listen again to the users as much as possible. Also bonus of being out of the office is having time to arrange (more) meetings for next week.

Friday
WFH in the morning and worked on tallying up questions for a meeting with the PM to influence the roadmap session planned (to fill the gaps if design isnt included).

Good things
Wednesday, speaking to a past designer of the service was amazing, and reminded me that it can be so easy to find someone who has been there before, and learn learn learn.

Learned things
Realising that so many differing projects have the same patterns of “issues”, is enlightening and also motivating - the chance of teaming up with other designers is exciting.

Difficulties
I need to start planning better for stand-ups, unsure if this means starting earlier (finishing earlier), or speaking less time checking on the team in a morning - or just being more dedicated to scribbling something down and planning better (if I am honest.. I know the answer).

Achievements
Not work related - but I worked Flexi-time on Friday afternoon, and had the best weekend away in Cumbria with my wife and 3 year old. I loved this and reminds me over and over again to take more breaks and use Flexi!

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