The Unexpected Detour: Making stuff & learning Webflow

During my tenure at Common Good , (now closed) I had the privilege to work alongside an array of inspirational individuals.?

The team was a diverse blend of minds with a shared interest in behavioural research, service design, and product design and development.?

Time was afforded where possible to explore, making, and tinkering with things we found interesting, technology, software and more. This mindset of exploration and creativity fostered an environment of perpetual learning and innovation.

I recall discussions with Lisa Barron , a passionate advocate for hands-on prototyping, about creating physical mockups & concepts plus experimenting with electronics and other technology.?

Coming from a design engineering background - I appreciated this opportunity to explore and create. This week, inspired by that "make something” attitude championed by the team; I decided to dive into Webflow .?

My goal was to design and create a showcase of my work that could match the vibrancy and diversity of my experiences. While applying for jobs and roles, I’ve found it challenging to work out how to pitch some of my favourite work or experiences. For example; how do I differentiate between product and service design work?

While working this out I reflected on previous projects where the “make something” approach had played an important role in showing the way; making things real and showing the art of the possible.?

Design fiction and the art of making the impossible possible

Working under the leadership of Sergey Kovalenko , I was fortunate to be part of a team that shared this ethos of making and demonstrating. Sergey was an advocate of the "show, don't tell" approach, which everybody embraced.?

One such instance involved working with the DTN group's weather data. Our team, which included the talented Chris Tickle , leveraged this data to comprehend the potential impact on the performance of high-end cars. For example; you're driving a Porsche and the heads up display informs of adverse water conditions looming 5 kilometres ahead. This insight could be a game changer, providing the car itself with ample time to adapt, configure and prepare for the changing conditions

Another memorable experience was our collaboration with respected designer; Rowan Cavanagh and other team members on a project for Amazon Prime. The goal was to reroute delivery vans based on localised weather conditions. This was particularly relevant in northern towns known for their hilly terrains, where a sudden snowfall could bring all movement to a standstill. Our work aimed at mitigating such disruptions, ensuring that deliveries continued smoothly regardless of the weather, and the driver could mitigate delay using the onboard weather data visualised in an informative way.?

Each of these projects exemplifies the power of 'making' as a way to understand and solve complex problems and show the way.

Sometimes?you?have?to?look?back?to?move?forward

So, you might be asking, what does all of this have to do with Webflow??

Well, quite a lot. As designers, it's all too easy for us to get lost in narrating our stories or discussing our work, forgetting the value of actually showcasing our skills and abilities.?

During my first week of redundancy, I fell into the trap of hastily sending out my CV to a handful of potential employers. Looking back, I realised that my applications lacked the crucial aspect of 'showing off' my work - the tangible evidence of my skills and experiences. I was talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

I decided to dive headfirst into something practical - to learn by doing and immersing myself in Webflow, starting with creating a?showcase of my work; inspired by fellow ex Great Friday’s colleague; Bryn Taylor 's wonderful portfolio. ?

In conclusion, my journey post-redundancy continues to be a series of self-discoveries and a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and practicality.?It’s clearly a challenging market out there right now. Hold tight fellow designers.

So, whether it's exploring the potential of Webflow or recounting memorable moments from my career, it's all about the ‘making'.

Because, at the end of the day, it's not just about what we tell, it's about what we show.

Help me find my next role?

The search for a new role continues and I can help you and your teams with the following

#productdesign

#servicedesign

#experiencedesign

#designstrategy

#userresearch

#productmanagement

#designleadership

Thanks for reading and please share your experiences, your strategies, and your stories in the comments!