Taking a relational approach to co-designing the services that impact people's lives. Design consultant | Writer | Mentor | Speaker
Last week I put out a call to arms around entry level roles in UCD/Service Design. Here’s a summary of what I think could help next year: 🧠 Sharing knowledge: People writing more about what their organisations are doing and sharing this so others can borrow their approach. Rachel Bucknall committed to doing this, it would also be great to hear from Simon M. re the apprenticeship at HMRC. 📧 Visibility of roles: Matt Jukes has committed to sharing more entry level roles in his jobs newsletter but we need to send them to him. Let’s not avalanche him so maybe if you see something on here tag Matt. I’ll be sending anything I see his way directly. ✏️ Opportunities to get project experience: It sounds like Adam Haesler is running a great initiative in this space and I will be personally exploring how I can offer shadowing opportunities next year. I’d be keen to hear from any other freelancers who are up for doing this alongside me. I also think there is room here for the design agencies out there to be offering (paid) placements. 💬 Access to advice: I’ve been running free walk n talks for people looking to get into the industry for years now. It looks like other freelancers like Ella Botting are keen to replicate this model and I’d love others to borrow it too. 👨💻 Shifting procurement: This is a biggie but a key part of the puzzle that Martin Wright, David Robson and Ray Newman brought up. Building this in as a procurement criteria, changing the narrative between suppliers and clients and agencies taking the hit were all mentioned as solutions. Things are not going to change over night, I recognise this. However it’s heartening to see the conversation start to shift from problems to solutions. I do think this is a drop in the ocean however, and some key voices are missing. So, how do we continue to make progress in this space? Do I need to ‘run a thing’ next year?! #servicedesign #ucd #entrylevel
Taking a relational approach to co-designing the services that impact people's lives. Design consultant | Writer | Mentor | Speaker
Why are there still no entry level roles in user centred design and service design? No, I don't want to have another debate about why. We did that this time last year. What I'd like to do now is make the case for action and hopefully get some pledges from all of you around what you're going to commit to in 2025 to shift the dial on this. I know it's a difficult market right now and there are genuine reasons why this is a challenge but our industry needs a future. No one solution will fix this, a collection of interventions, large and small, are needed and I'm hoping to motivate people to not just think about what they can do but start doing it. Have a read of my thoughts via the link in the comments then come back here and let me know what you can commit to. Big thanks to Clara Greo (Teoh) Dean Vipond Sarah Drummond Lou Downe and Emily Bazalgette for caring about this as much as I do. 💛
Iria lopez
1w
Happy to offer shadowing opportunities to entry level people, when opportunity arises.
Ella Botting
2w
Thank you so much for pulling this together Emma. I'm going to make it one of my commitments/goals for next year to set up my walking diary slots. Excited!
Lead content design consultant at SPARCK | editor | copywriter | content marketing | writes ghost stories for fun
2wI didn't get round to answering the question you asked at the time but one way to influence public sector procurement policy would be to write to the skills minister via your MP.