I haven’t written in a long time. There’s lots of reasons why it has been a while, but they all come together to mean I have held myself back. If nothing else, this weeknote is me deliberately trying to get out of my own way.

3 things this week

Stop thinking in single touchpoints

I’ve spent a bit of time designing omnichannel experience maps (big words with hopefully some meaning) this week. They show how for a user completing a task with a council is unlikely to fully occur in a single channel (such as a website) or be linear and we need to not only optimise for each touchpoint but across the journey and blend of touchpoints as a whole.

So far, I’ve mapped 17 user-facing touchpoints which span from the shared space of social media, to owned channels which are still pretty static provision of information, through to channels for the user to send information in to an org, and some where in doing so they will have information returned or a dialogue begins.

What do we do once we’ve got these maps? Well, we’ll be using them as a way to create shared understanding, work out end-to-end design that also meets the user where they are, then look for the touchpoints with biggest opportunity to improve (and over which we have influence to deliver that change).

This isn’t something I’ve heard many examples of in local government (so if you’re doing or have done this let me know as would love to learn from you). There’s some useful info and links here about what this all is too.

Start thinking in systems

Mapping touchpoints with a single organisation for single or lifetime journeys is one thing. Accepting that a user is navigating a system rather than an organisation, and seeking to map and understand that is quite another.

I find the omnichannel experience maps (I’m enjoying this light word salad more than I should) insightful and practical in themselves, but the really juicy thinking is in understanding systems. I’m only just beginning to explore this afresh, in my current context, but I’m excited to learn what the bigger picture is for the user’s I’m advocating and designing for in a single organisation.

So far it’s led to 2 key things (for me):

  • great (as always) conversation with Carl Haggerty thinking about how we can nurture systems that support and amplify work in the sector
  • vague recollections of Wardley Mapping (which is strategy more than systems, but obviously connected somehow in my mind) and an even vaguer intention to refresh my knowledge of that practice

Get out of your own way

I’ve been working in digital for 25 years as of this week. Across those years there has been lots of local government, central government local newspapers, High Street brands, editorial, eCommerce, gaming and the charity sector. When I’ve worked at my best, and felt the best about my work, is when I’ve been working in the open connecting with others and being a connector for others.

Of course it sounds a bit cliche to preach about the power of the network, but looking back many of my moves have come from being known to others and have them suggest an opening to me and certainly my most accelerated thinking and doing has come from actively working in the open and learning from others who do too.

Somewhere along the way – a combination of sectors which are naturally more competitive than collaborative, and personal experiences – I stopped feeling able to work openly. I doubted my voice and value, felt I needed to be small rather than take up space, and just quietly stepped away. Time to challenge some of those beliefs and step forward again.

Networks like LocalGov Digital changed my professional and personal life, blogging helps me organise my thoughts and nudge them onward, publishing means someone else might benefit or see a connection to be made. So, deep breath, brave face: here we go again.