How the heck is it another week! Where did my weekend go?

I can’t even remember what we did. I am sure Junction 32 was in there, and also a trip around Morley town centre with the girl, but I can barely remember.

Let me say this: Morley is much better than anyone thinks. It has wicked charity shops, ace cafes and a CEX (which is key for a game collector, even though it’s a bit on the pricey side nowadays…).

Monday

I woke up and realised something.

I want to be more involved in Bobbin and Bumble, but not in the weeds area. Well, not in the way many think.

I don’t even want to design anything (except the website… it’s “free” if I do it). I’d rather manage our email team, do onsite SEO (which is nearing the end… best not to over-tinker), and focus more on wholesale.

This is an area I’ve been inspired into by my good pals over at Bare Kind. They are smashing it right now, and I love that for them. Their sharing is driving me to another level, and I love it!

So this is the part which is taking up my nights or early mornings, alongside packaging our new product… but more on that later.

Check out Instagram for that: Bobbin and Bumble.

Tuesday

Morning meeting with my financial advisor.

I feel so much calmer knowing about my pension and what I need, where I am and why it’s doing what it’s doing.

It’s taken at least one book off the shelf in the measure of stress.

Other things discussed added more books onto it, but… that’s what therapy is for, right?

A meeting in the afternoon at work blew my mind, only because it was A LOT.

But the BA I’m working alongside is an absolute superstar who is just brilliant at her job. She’ll check in tomorrow, I know it, and we’ll go through it again (but slightly differently to make it make sense), and I’ll have my usual 104 questions ready.

Wednesday

Heyyy, another glorious day and it’s sunshine.

Like the proper designer I am, I am attending A11y North tonight with my crew of knackered designer pals, poor Dave and Matt.

Needless to say, my BA got in touch this morning, and we’re meeting up for a chat through the spreadsheet she handed over.

It’s intense!

But she admitted she confused herself with it. I guess this happens when you are knee-deep in the weeds.

Either way, I love this type of relationship where you can say, “WTF are we doing?” and they join in!

I am so far ahead of the developers on my “first” project that I am still doing work elsewhere. I always make a point of being ahead, but a lot of factors have got in the way and caused a traffic jam.

The other team I’m on are delighted with this news and are certainly using me (as are many other parts of HMRC!).

After a fuzzy head yesterday, and after enjoying a good, solid chat with my daughter late at night over games (I bought her Dave the Diver), I felt calmer almost instantly.

She’s brilliant and such a good, kind person. She doesn’t even realise it.

I tell her, but she’s never interested in feedback because she’s so self-assured.

Which is the point of parenthood, right?

Thursday

Heavy head this morning. It was a late night!

We had a wonderful time. It’s really interesting listening to designers, developers, or anyone being so passionate about accessibility, and the more the merrier.

I’m not sure I learned much from it. I’m pretty much on the experienced side of a11y, but it was good to see the interest in the room, devs, PMs and designers all asking questions.

Free pizza. What is there not to love?

I will say, it was so strange being back in the Hippo Digital space, in the room where I led the Design Academy with Andy Long.

Looking back, that was such a good experience.

I remember being mid-workshop and completely pivoting the session to include fewer fairytale stories of how design works and more honest:

“This will happen. What do you do?”

Questions and moments.

I am sure you are aware, but design ain’t all about prototypes and Post-its, whatever those pesky misleading blog posts tell you.

Friday

It officially happened.

I signed up for 3 months!

This takes me over to January 5th.

I’ll get in touch, I’m sure, around then, my fave talent spotters, so don’t forget me!

My workload is growing and has been far more diverse in the last 1-2 weeks, which I love.

Sometimes it can range from presentations and bids to head-down-UI-load-up-your-Figma-shit-with-earphones-in.

I prefer either.

Even those BA mockups!

Friday evening is always gaming night with the boy.

BROFORCE is going down a treat with the kid and me. Yes, it’s a tad on the graphic side, but it’s such a laugh it’s unreal.

His gaming skills have grown hugely since we’ve played, and so has his “out-of-the-box thinking”.

His laugh is enough to give it those “one more go” vibes.

It’s a short and sweet Weeknotes this week.

Usual service resumes next week, full of nonsense.

I’m just knackered!

Roll on next week! ✌️