Using the future to design the present with Lena Tünkers

Music by Brad Porter

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Recent Episodes from Design Feeling

Decolonising ourselves: The journey to healing-centered ecosystems with Lana Jelenjev

In this deep conversation with consultant, facilitator, and mentor, Lana Jelenjev, and host Nirish Shakya, they delve into topics of self-discovery, healing-centred ecosystems, and building deep connections. They discuss the importance of pausing, self-reflection, decolonising oneself, and the role of body consciousness in healing. Lana shares her personal story, weaving through the stages of her life, from battling breast cancer to embarking on a self-discovery journey. This episode is packed with deep introspective discussions, powerful anecdotes, and significant insights about personal healing and how it radiates to form healing-centred ecosystems.

In this episode:

From breast-cancer to self-discovery
Healing-Centered ecosystems
Mindset reframe: we’re all born self-actualised
Decolonising oneself
The practice of Nemawashi: A new approach to problem solving
The art of pausing
And much more!

Lana Jelenjev's work primarily focuses on the dreaming, designing, and illumination of new systems. She collaborates with impact-driven organisations that serve groups whose voices need to be amplified, whether through training, mentoring programs, or by weaving communities of practice to deepen and integrate change. In her roles as a consultant, facilitator, mentor, and board leader, Jelenjev supports the organizations she works with by helping them expand their vision, connect with their target audience, define strategic directions for their services, design meaningful and engaging training programs, community of practice, or cohort learning programs, and facilitate safer and brave spaces.

Shownotes

Connect with Lana Jelenjev

lanajelenjev.com

Books by Iyanla Vanzant

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/15508.Iyanla_Vanzant

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

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healing-centred ecosystems

en-gbMarch 08, 2024

self-discovery

decolonisation

Going to jail to save the world - Sam Griffiths

In this deep-dive interview, designer and activist Sam Griffiths details his journey from a design career into environmental activism, particularly with the organisation, Just Stop Oil. Sam discusses how entering the world of activism changed his perspective on the world and the importance of activism in our current climate crisis. Griffiths provides an insightful narrative on his confrontations with authorities, his experiences in prison, and the personal empowerment that arises as a result. He also shares advice for people feeling powerless in the face of massive systemic issues and emphasises the importance of collective action and resilience. Sam is also the founder of his business, Griffics, where he used play to help people access creativity through workshops and community projects.

In this episode:

Sam's arrest and experience in prison
Coping with confinement through art and mindfulness
Challenging the status quo in design
The role of designers in social change
The power of stepping through fear
And more

Shownotes

Less is More book

Sam’s drawings in prison

juststopoil.org

Connect with Sam

https://www.instagram.com/griffics/

https://www.griffics.com/

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

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https://www.tuttitaygerly.com/

en-gbFebruary 23, 2024

climate change

prison

activism

Unlocking your unique identity within liminal spaces with Tutti Taygerly

Nirish Shakya interviews Tutti Taygerly, leadership coach, author and ex-Design leader at Meta and Disney, on navigating uncertain times and finding their unique place in the world. Diving into the notions of identity, systems, and personal growth amidst transitions, they discuss embracing individual uniqueness and the concept of 'otherness'. Tutti shares valuable insights on experimenting with personal leadership, trusting the process, seeking validation, and a deeper understanding of our position in the larger system. They also talk about Tutti's prolific multicultural background and how it influenced her career. Tune in to glean enlightening advice from Tutti's personal journey and reflections.

In this episode:

Embracing individual uniqueness
Dealing with transitions
Experimenting with personal leadership
Understanding our place in the system
Advice from Tutti's personal journey
And more!

Connect with Tutti Taygerley

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuttitaygerly/

“Make Space to Lead” book by Tutti Taygerley

Visions in the Liminal Space Oracle Deck (new version of Postcards From the Liminal Space)

How to sharpen your intuition as a designer using tarot with Dr. Adeola Enigbokan

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55696318-four-thousand-weeks

en-gbFebruary 08, 2024

Achieving last year’s goals hasn’t made me happy. Here’s what I’m doing in 2024 instead.

Welcome to Season 5! Let's face it, 2023 was a challenging year for many designers and techies, and 2024 might not show immediate signs of improvement. Amidst this prevailing uncertainty, you might be seeing an influx of social media posts about setting new goals, while you're still trying to recharge and find your bearings.

Falling into a cycle of setting goals, achieving them, and then feeling guilty for not achieving more is all too common. But what if a small shift in mindset could change your experience of the year ahead? What if you could learn to enjoy the journey of 2024, instead of just racing towards its end?

In this episode, I share my three intentions for the year that could help you relax your focus on rigid goals and purposes. I discuss how playing without purpose, expressing yourself more holistically and authentically, and having faith that things are unfolding in the right time, can transform your approach to life and work. Tune in to discover how these intentions might bring more joy and fulfilment to your 2024.

In this episode:

The vicious cycle of goal-setting, achievement and self-loathing
Playing without purpose
Expressing yourself more holistically and authentically
Have faith in the universe
Multiple book recommendations!

Shownotes

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

The Creative Body Process by Sian Davey and Abbie Trayler-Smith

https://www.thecreativebodyprocess.com/

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59163301-the-creative-act

The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40605300-the-courage-to-be-disliked

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48757.The_Tao_of_Pooh

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

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en-gbJanuary 25, 2024

Bonus episode: 15 minute guided end-of-year reflection

The new year is a great time to reflect on the past year, recalibrate your direction and refocus your energy for the new year.

There are lots of great reflection exercises out there but many can take at least a few hours to do.

If you’ve been thinking of doing a reflection but haven’t been able to find the time, I’ve designed a condensed version for you that’s less than 15 minutes long.

I’ll guide you through:

a reflection of your past year - what energised you and what drained you
a visualisation of your ideal future self 12 months from now
a prioritisation of the tiniest next step to get your started

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiedowney/

en-gbDecember 31, 2023

end of year reflection

15 minute reflection

Reflecting on your year, riding the waves you’re on and being aware of the mountain you're climbing with Josie Downey and Jason Mesut

#047 - We wrap up Season 4 reflecting on some end of year reflection workshops I ran with Design Strategist, Josie Downey, to help designers and changemakers reflect on their year and refocus on 2024. We are also joined by Product Strategy Consultant, Jason Mesut, who attended one of those workshops.

Have you reflected on your year and set your intentions for 2024? If you already have or if you’re thinking of doing one, this episode might give you some ideas and new ways of going about it.

In this episode:

Bringing your body into your reflection exercise
Embracing your moments from the year as they were without judging them
Playing with crazy ideas for the new year and embracing the unknown
The power of visualising the future and trusting your inner self
and much more!

Shownotes

Josie Downey

Jason Mesut

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmesut/

Resources for reflection curated by Jason Mesut

Andrea Mignolo’s At the end of a cycle

https://methodandmatter.com/essays/end-of-a-cycle/

The year compass

https://yearcompass.com/

Your data-informed self-reflection

https://medium.com/service-advent/your-data-informed-self-reflection-db9b96e24c7d

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

Follow Design Feeling on social!

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/robarmes/

en-gbDecember 22, 2023

goal setting

intention setting

end of year reflections

From darkness to design leadership: A candid chat with Rob Armes on beating psychosis

#046 - How we feel has a direct impact on our creativity and confidence. However, we don’t openly talk about our mental health at work.

In this episode, I speak to my friend Rob Armes who’s a design leader and founder of the UX consultancy, Circular UX. Rob opens up on his mental health struggles, including periods of psychosis and suicidal thoughts. And even after recovering and returning back to work, he experienced severe imposter syndrome.

Rob shares how he got back on his feet and took back control of his life and career, which includes starting his own consultancy. Rob also shares his advice on freelancing and growing beyond your comfort zone in your career.

Shownotes

Connect with Rob Armes

https://robarmes.com/

Being Brilliant by Andy Cope

Nielsen Norman Group

How you can get into UX contracting and freelancing | by Rob Armes (He/Him) | Nov, 2023 | Bootcamp

Mental health support links

Overview - Psychosis - NHS

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

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https://www.designfeeling.co/retro

en-gbDecember 08, 2023

Let go of the illusion of control and personal responsibility through facilitation - Charles-Louis de Maere

#045 - Do you take personal responsibility for things that don’t go according in your plan in your organisation? Do you try to control the outcome and burn yourself out in the process? What if you could let go of all that?

In this episode, I speak to Charles-Louise de Maere who’s an expert facilitator helping organisations with collaborative thinking, storytelling and visual thinking. Charles-Louis shares some amazing facilitation techniques that’ll enable you transform your sense of personal responsibility into a collective one within your organisation. He also talks about “Kishōtenketsu”, an Asian storytelling framework which is not based on a conflict, like the “hero’s journey” is. Charles-Louise also shares tips on how you can use visual thinking to collaborate, regardless of your sketching abilities.

Shownotes

Attend the end of year retro for designers and changemakers

Connect with Charles-Louise de Maere

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleslouisdemaere/

Learn Kishōtenketsu with Charles-Louis

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/explorationlabssrl/758666?

World cafe method of facilitation

https://www.fsg.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/World-Cafe-Method_0.pdf

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

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Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/designfeelingco/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraboettcher/

en-gbNovember 24, 2023

storytelling

facilitation

collaborative thinking

visual thinking

designworkshops

Hey designers, they're gaslighting you - Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Designers, you’ve been sold a lie. You’ve been told you need to work harder, do more with less and prove your value. You’ve done all that but it’s left you frustrated, misaligned and burnt out.

In this episode, Sara Wachter-Boettcher lifts the lid on the bottled up feelings so many designers have right now. Sara digs into the roots of where these (often well intended) messages are coming from and how you can manage them, putting your own needs and well-being first. Sara shares valuable advice to help to reframe your definition of success and your own value and reclaim agency of your work and career trajectory.

Sara is a CEO of Active Voice where she helps people in tech and design become bold leaders by helping them understand themselves first. Sara was a content and UX consultant on responsible and inclusive design and she’s also the author of three books - Design for Real Life (with Eric Meyer), Content Everywhere and Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech.

Shownotes

Sara on Linkedin

https://www.activevoicehq.com

Attend Sara’s “Reclaim your power” workshop on 8th December 1-4pm ET (pay what you wish)

https://www.activevoicehq.com/reclaim-your-power

Hey designers, they’re gaslighting you.

https://medium.com/nice-work-from-active-voice/hey-designers-theyre-gaslighting-you-e02e5a4d9cff

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente

Music by Brad Porter

Follow Design Feeling on social!

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/designfeelingco

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/designfeelingco/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/boonyewchew/

en-gbNovember 10, 2023

Systems thinking to know yourself and others better with Boon Chew

#042 - Join us in an insightful discussion with Boon Chew, a principal UX designer at Elsevier and a former board member at the London chapter of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA). Dive into the world of systems thinking as we explore how designers can utilise it to comprehend the larger systems they're designing for. From understanding our intrinsic cognitive systems to fostering empathy through awareness, Boon shares that systems thinking not only enhances our design perspective but also deepens our understanding of ourselves and others.

Shownotes

Boon Chew on LinkedIn

Causal loop diagram

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_loop_diagram

The Systems Thinker

https://thesystemsthinker.com/

Systems Innovation Network

https://www.systemsinnovation.network/

Show credits

Illustrations by Isa Vicente