Alone together: the past 20 years of remote connections

The pandemic seems to have triggered some investigation of how we connect remotely with others. Welcome to the last 20 years of HCI everyone! Seriously though, people have been researching how we connect with others and our surroundings in situations that are mediated by technology for a long time. So careful before you claim it’s… Continue reading Alone together: the past 20 years of remote connections

The world of (inconsistent) data

I left Bulb in late April 2019 and moved on to work with a team inside ING researching how financial institutions could utilise building data to develop a new generation of sustainability-led financial services until March this year. After working with Bulb, EDF & British Gas over the past 15 years, I certainly knew plenty… Continue reading The world of (inconsistent) data

COVID-19 or The end of coherent action?

COVID-19 or The end of coherent action? https://washyourlyrics.com/ Anecdote 1: My downstairs neighbours have had people over for dinner on Friday. In a pandemic. Anecdote 2: A South London yoga instructor suggested we all ‘clap for carers’ and ‘millions’ of people did it at once last Thursday. I only heard about it the next day because… Continue reading COVID-19 or The end of coherent action?

Can makers help the NHS during COVID-19?

Can makers help the NHS during COVID-19? (In light of conversations with Alyssa Alabassi and her experience of front-line support of COVID-19 right now) Could we support the NHS with access to light industrial talent (design students, prop makers, fashion designers) to manufacture ‘good enough’ face shields and protection scrubs for front-line NHS staff while… Continue reading Can makers help the NHS during COVID-19?

Better reading

It’s incredibly hard to read Dominic Cummings’ blog post without wondering what his everyday life must be about. What he reads, who he hangs out with, who he goes surfing/golfing with will help create a world view where Peter Thiel is a reference and machine learning can help civil service keep things ticking along for… Continue reading Better reading

Far from the madding crowd: modern art museums in rural Japan.

Far from the madding crowd: modern art museums in rural Japan. I just spent 21 days on holiday in rural Japan, my third time there. 31 million people visited Japan in 2018 and most will stick to the shinkansen (fast train) that connects the large cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima) or areas like Nara, known for its… Continue reading Far from the madding crowd: modern art museums in rural Japan.

Women Interrupted: the untold stories of women in design and architecture.

Women Interrupted: the untold stories of women in design and architecture. In researching my first book on smart homes I ended up uncovering a lot of women’s work. Work that wasn’t very well documented. Work that was largely forgotten. Then through my work travels, I kept visiting homes, museums, galleries where I would find out… Continue reading Women Interrupted: the untold stories of women in design and architecture.