1. It’s Good To Talk
Previously I mentioned that I was open to talking to people about possible future projects or roles. This week has seen resulted in several interesting conversations and new connections. A mixed bag of products, services and one-off projects. All of these were exciting and fill me with confidence that there will be some great opportunities in the new year. Consequently, these conversations have also helped me to relax about pausing work to recharge.
2. The Real Hackney Dave
Dave Buonaguidi, also known as @RealHackneyDave is an artist that has interested me for a while. This week I listened to an entertaining interview with Dave by Gary Means.
3. The Alternative London Podcast
Off the back of the interview above, I’ve been exploring more of The Alternative London Podcast. There’s a great mix of interviews with creatives, community leaders and founders of cultural institutions. Each one provides an insight into those who help shape London’s cultural landscape and continue to make it a world-renowned creative hub. Not all of the podcasts appear on the website. I’d suggest using your preferred podcast platform to view the whole catalogue.
4. Two Years Meat Free
This is not a ‘holier than thou’ message. I’d previously cut down on eating red and processed meat but decided to switch to an almost entirely vegetarian diet for environmental and selfish reasons. Meat production produces substantial carbon emissions, as does car production and use. I decided that if I stop eating meat, that might offset my use of cars. Simple, non-scientific, not backed up with data, just Dereck-logic. Anyway, I am now curious about the carbon footprint of my plant-based diet and whether I’m helping the environment. Thankfully, Hannah Ritchie has explored this in her recent article on Substack, Are meat substitutes really better for the environment than meat?
5. Design Fiction
Over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed creating product visions and target customer experiences. Understanding and defining problems, uncovering opportunities and looking forward to the near future. Creating tangible, evocative and hopefully inspiring product and service prototypes. Which, in turn, provokes conversation and discussion about possible futures. While this is all part of design leadership, I wasn’t aware that Design Fiction was a thing. It is, and I’m keen to learn more about it. Thankfully, a new book has just been published, Design Fiction, by Julian Bleecker, Nick Foster, Fabien Girardin and Nicolas Nova. I’m excitedly waiting for my copy to arrive.