Weeknotes 04/11/2018 – Week 9

A few more days in Wales to start the week. Went to Llanberis for the first time. Had a lovely walk to see Ceunant Mawr waterfall. The car journey back from Llanberis to Prestatyn via Betws-y-Coed was amazing. Low autumn sun setting over Snowdonia and casting shadows over stark plains and slate layers was breathtaking. More breathtaking on the classic Toboggan run at Llandudno. Also went to Rhos on sea. Ate some pretty decent food at The Station in Colwyn Bay (we went to the Pen Y Brin but it was too busy, on A Tuesday at 6pm for us to get in). New places and some old. A lovely few days.

Back to work for two days. We had a new homepage and a big navigation overhaul due to go live at 6am on Thursday morning. A senior developer was ill overnight so we could not proceed with the release…or so I thought. We decided to do it 10am instead. Our continuous delivery capabilities are getting better and better. Just switched it on. Nice little personal milestone.

Not everyone loves the new homepage though. I learnt a lot about senior stakeholder management and the emotional attachment to certain things. We move forward not backwards though.

I am also soon to be on the hunt for a service designer. Before the job advert goes public though I need to better define how design should be structured in the company. A sort of justification of this role that I think sits in product for now but should be a standalone function. Where should design report too? W ho should it align most closely with? What is the scope of design? Where do the designers want to live? etc. etc.

The trip to Wales meant I fell off the health wagon a little. Only a couple of runs and way too much booze and carbohydrates. Back on it Monday.

Finished the second Jackson Lamb book, Dead Lions. Very good with some wonderful lines and a genuinely obnoxious but lovable lead.

A train arrived, but Lamb remained on his bench. Not many people got off; not many got on. As it pulled away Lamb saw the attractive young woman glowering at him through a window and he farted quietly in response: a private victory, but satisfying.

Now reading The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. It is written in a short sentence kind of way and it took me a while to get into it. Nearly finished it now.

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