#05 User Research Week
Dot and Dash Consulting
Finally had the chance to reconnect with my roommate from Facilitators Connect 2024! We dove into conversations about design thinking, facilitation, and insights from running small businesses. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a year since we first met and nerded out over our shared passion for design sprints and facilitation.
This week my newsletter was a bit pushed back due to new client illustration work. I had a tight deadline to turn around things with the other things going on with app work.
I’ve been working on improving my end-to-end services so for every bit of client work delivered it's an opportunity to update my service blueprint. I've added new templates for illustration contracts, scoping work, and copyright, licensing, and terms of use. Love updating process documents and internal systems to be super efficient and improve customer experience.
App development
Things are moving along nicely with the backend work in progress—coding and testing functionality. The foundations for the chatbot feature are done, and we’re now testing it using data tailored to my own neurodivergent traits and personality strengths. There’s still some fine-tuning happening in the backend to make sure everything runs smoothly and queries pull through accurately. I’m super excited to try it out for my own needs first and see how it all works!
Spent an amazing week doing user research with neurodivergent coaches, learning about their challenges and how they engage with neurodivergent individuals. All these valuable insights are helping us shape a feature priority list and better understand behaviors and attitudes.
I’ve also put together a resource for the entrepreneurs in the incubator, featuring a collection of books, articles, videos and tools I’ve personally used and gathered over time. If you’d like access to the Notion pages, let me know, and I’ll add you to the shared resource.
Preparing for events
Planning and designing are in progress with a last minute room change. This week I will be heading over to work out optimising the room layout to create the perfect space for networking and connecting for the LSP event.
I'm also busy prepping socials and email campaigns for two exciting events coming up soon: one focused on navigating life transitions and goals, and the other a creative visuals workshop.
NUX Sheffield
This week, I attended my first NUX meeting with the hosts and other volunteers to discuss challenges and future ideas for the NUX Sheffield meet-up. It was so nice to have a meeting followed by a meal and some casual conversation. Hosts and volunteers rarely get the chance to network and connect with each other, so it was great to spend time together and get to know one another better.
PSP illustration
The layouts are working and are currently being tested on the pages to ensure all the text fits properly. Meanwhile, icons and illustrations are being sketched out for the main stories.
PACT 1 (7 days): I will dedicate 15-30 minutes daily to learn the software app 'Concepts' for digital sketchnoting. This week, I’m using it to gather ideas for icons for the training manual I’m working on for a client. I’m also hoping the training videos will help me improve my digital sketchnote skills, its a learning curve and I'm sure I will get quicker at it!
PACT 2 (4/52) I will mind map a book a week. Catching up on three books, Mark Leruste- 'Glow in the dark' has been mind mapped. I'm part way through a dscout book - all about making the possibilities happen.
PACT 3 (5/30 days) I will produce a weekly sketchnote summary. First week using concepts to draw. Over using the nudge and slice function to try and get this neater. Writing on glass vs paper is so different my writing feels so messy.
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