1 day agoBecoming an accidental activistI’ve never thought of myself as an activist. I’ve never been the type of person to go to protests and I struggle to engage with elections. I‘ve often felt like my participation wouldn’t have any impact. I’ve also never really had a cause I felt connected to, maybe that’s why…Service Design4 min read
May 16Coming back from holiday to nothingWhen you’re permanently employed holidays go something like this. If you’re busy, you count down the days and dream of the lazy mornings ahead of you. The day before you leave you write handover notes for your diligent colleagues and feel a spark of excitment as you turn on your…Service Design3 min read
May 9Let’s talk about women spending moneyI’m writing this from my private jacuzzi with sea view. Yes I’m actually in the jacuzzi. Yes this is why Medium needs to allow people to write from their phones! I’ve recently been taking some time off between contracts. The last week of which I’m spending on a solo trip…Service Design4 min read
May 310 Learnings from a joyful Q1 of self employmentI promised a retro from Sicily and here it is. I feel very lucky to be writing this as I listen to the waves crash on the shore and gaze at an empty beach. I highly recommend Sicily in April — it’s a delight. It should be said that I…Service Design11 min read
Apr 4Weeknote 24 — A gaggle of goodbyesWhen I started self employed life, one of the things I was worried about was working by myself. For the 15 years I’ve been permanently employed I’ve loved being part of a team. This was one of the things that always stopped me from going freelance. Thankfully I haven’t felt…Service Design3 min read
Mar 28Weeknote 23 — Investing in my businessJoy is only 3 months old. I’m not yet paying myself the full salary I hope to while I build up reserves. With all this in mind, it feels really hard to invest in my business. But I am. I recently heard my lovely friend and artist Jen Sievers talking…Service Design4 min read
Mar 21Weeknote 22 – Graduating from therapyLast week I graduated from therapy. I didn’t get a ceremony or a gown but it felt like an important moment that I wanted to pause and reflect on. Some people might wonder why I’m talking about this when I normally write about running my business and the professional learnings…Service Design3 min read
Mar 14Weeknote 21 — Routines and ritualsAspiring service designers always ask me “what’s a typical day as a service designer?”. This question always makes me laugh a little as there really is no such thing. One of the things I love most about my work is the variety. I love that I can be working on…Service Design3 min read
Mar 8Weeknotes 20 — Women in designToday is International Womens’ Day. This is my first IWD as a business owner and self employed person. Setting up Joy will always be one of the biggest milestones of my career so I’ve been thinking about the women who influenced my journey to this point. I’ve always loved making…International Womens Day4 min read
Mar 1Weeknote 19 – Outcomes vs outputsI’ve worked both in-house and as a consultant now. One of the main differences, I was reminded of last week, is the focus on outputs as a consultant and outcomes when working in-house. As a consultant I felt unfulfilled because I often didn’t see any meaningful change from my work…Service Design3 min read