We’re recruiting a Senior User Researcher at Public Health Wales. This is an opportunity to help embed user research as a core part of how we design and deliver healthcare services, not an afterthought. Reach out if you'd like to know more about the role www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/Cardi...

March monthnotes are up. Last ones as CDPS. From tomorrow, we become DPSW. End of an era. - Order and structure need energy - From outputs to change - Thinking in the open - Lifeworlds and the death of the author Cautiously optimistic. A bit tired. A bit excited. bit.ly/47Ajowb

Dusty mindfulness

February monthnotes are up. Transitional month. More adjustment than momentum. - Service pattern ontology + shared language - Service manual, from product to function - Service Design Cymru in person - Accidental vacuums - To climb fast, slow down - Forms. So many forms Have a read! bit.ly/4lnkYHD

The Civil Service has a new Cabinet Secretary at a time where the bureaucracy faces a stark choice between reform and Reform. It needs a new story for state capacity, a Northcote-Trevelyan review for the C21st, and new institutions to break inertia. andrewgreenway.substack.com/p/in-permane...

Great to see our work referenced in the wild! The service pattern library: digitalpublicservices.gov.wales/service-patt...

The FM told @willhaycardiff.bsky.social she's frustrated with the pace of digital transformation. We are too. The problem is systemic - we have an environment where it is easier to talk about change than to actually do it. Read our response, and how to fix it.

Bit worried by this quote from @prifweinidog.gov.wales on the For Wales See Wales podcast “… it may be that having the state to do the technology bit is not the most sensible option.”

Really excited to share a thing I've been working on: a new book from @publicdigital.bsky.social on shaping technology for transformation. Tech is a fundamental part of every organisation - but they're often hamstrung by layers of digital geology, alongside huge pressure to chase the latest hype.

My book, Accessibility For Everyone, is now free and online as a website. accessibilityforeveryone.site The book was first published by A Book Apart in 2017 but it holds up! It covers web accessibility for designers, developers, content folks, and really everyone who works in tech.

I published an end-of-year review for 2025. Then I forgot to share it. It’s personal, a bit rambling, and mostly about turning 40, Japan, work, rest, and reclaiming my attention. Here it is if you fancy a read: bit.ly/49G2JbY

One of the things I learned this year: much of transformation and change work is actually about managing anxiety. Yours and other people’s. It needs emotional intelligence. But without emotional regulation there is no emotional intelligence. That’s where I struggled in the past.

Can we start adopting this worldwide please?

December monthnotes! A short but intense month to close the year: - service manual + Future Generations Act - service pattern library going live - fundamental user needs and invisible work - boundaries, attention, and small culture shifts Take a look! medium.com/@adrian-orte...

November felt long and short. Monthnotes on appraisals, role shifts, events, Service Manual progress, and a definition of digital. → bit.ly/MonthnotesNo...

Sunday thoughts on small acts of maintenance. medium.com/@niacampbell...

Last week I shared my 3 laws of form design. Here’s a breakdown of the first law which is perfectly captured by a question one of my subscribers asked me: “How can we bring joy to people who use enterprise applications for 40 hours a week?”

Please can we stop with "Knowledge Hubs". They just don't work. They are never invested in. They are not publicised. They are out of date the second you launch it. You have to build knowledge exchange and sharing into your working practices. Making it a standalone thing DOES NOT WORK.

Never forget

🔥 Exciting news...early bird tickets for #CampDigital 2026 are now available! We're back at the RNCM on Thurs 7th May, and we've already confirmed some fantastic speakers and workshops (with more TBA)! Check out our lineup so far, and book early birds at: www.nexerdigital.com/camp-digital...

October monthnotes are up! This time: – Finalising new guidance for the Service Manual – Service patterns and a Design System chat – Community sessions and team away days – Flywheels and solving the right problem Take a look! bit.ly/3Lm5up9

Job change note - I’ve been a consultant in a commercial agency for 2 years. I’ve worked with companies, for international organisations, local government, national government and local government. This is what I’ve learned medium.com/@jack.garfin...

New post on the Transform Wales blog from @niacampbell.bsky.social. We've learned the language of digital in Wales - agile, user-centred, transformation. Now it's time to learn how to live it. transform.wales/blog/2025/pr...

Did you know that there's a Slack community for digital folks in Wales? It's called Cymru Ddigidol and you can join us here: join.slack.com/t/cymruddigi... Ymunwch a ni! Join us!

Super proud that our report is now out! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Massive shout out to @annkempster.com, @daivaughan.uk and @jocarter.bsky.social 🎉 We'd love to hear what you think!

Diolch enfawr i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu yn barod! A huge thanks to everyone who has supported our Crowdfunder so far!

September monthnotes are up! This time: – New guidance in the Service Manual – The future of CDPS – Public design patterns in London, dignity in Edinburgh – Art, psychogeography, and patience Take a look! bit.ly/48ajyeN

We’ve hit a new milestone at ADHD Pathfinding! In 3 months we’ve launched a survey, built a coalition, published weeknotes/blogs and started growing a community. Now we’re looking for a Comms, Content & Engagement Lead to help shape our voice. Reply here or email: [email protected]

We’re launching a monthly newsletter to provide updates on our report and give you a roundup of digital news in Wales and links to jobs. First issue out this weekend. Sign up here: buttondown.com/transformwales

Happy Friday! If you'd like to listen to a talk on considering intersectionality and compounding barriers when we think about accessibility, the recording is now on YouTube! Thank you @contentdesign.london @tomyoull.bsky.social @niacampbell.bsky.social @adrianortega.bsky.social for having me! 💖

👀 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Test print of our book arrived today. Watch this space…

Come and join the conversation in our monthly #DesignSystemChat. This month we'll be talking about #ServicePatterns. 🗓️ Tuesday 30 September, 2pm-3pm BST 🎟️ Read more and grab a ticket here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/design-sys...

Human(e) Centred #ContentDesign talk youtu.be/azHtWjp_8LM?... (22 mins inc captions)

You might not know: There used to be a hidden page for many services on GOV.UK, which would display the underlying user need through a user story and its alignment with the platform proposition. You just had to insert /info to any service landing page’s URL. I still think it’s brilliant.

What makes content accessible? A personal blog post from me on: - structures - senses - complexity, ‘noise’ and maintaining a sense of place - fast, shallow tests in production - testing with disabled people - hiring disabled people onto design teams medium.com/@jack.garfin...

Been talking about the future of content design with @niacampbell.bsky.social and @adrianortega.bsky.social… I used the analogy that we’re waiting for our ‘The Strokes’ moment that happened at the end of the 90s, when they came in and blew up the indie music scene. youtu.be/BXkm6h6uq0k?...

Do you think that the discipline of content design has evolved beyond it's formative roots? Do you think it is evolving at the required rate? Faster or slower than other UX disciplines?

Happy Monday again! Some weeknotes on: - Farewells - Chasing ghosts - MIT Media Lab principles - A Moving Castle Here you go → bit.ly/45cHw7v

Bluesky help: I'm pulling together a reading list around digital transformation. I've got all the usual recommendations: Lou Downe, Kate Tarling, Giles, Richard Pope, the PD book and other publications etc etc. What else is essential reading? Books, reports, blog posts etc

Our latest @publicdigital.bsky.social book, competitive advantage by design, is here. Today, design approaches shape how modern businesses are run. This is a collection of stories that remind us of the joy of design and its transformative potential. Get your copy public.digital/pd-design-book

Happy 15th anniversary of the peak achievement of literary criticism, to all who celebrate

Happy Monday again! Some quick weeknotes on: - Guidance on designing user-centred services - Early Service Manual content on agile delivery and good technology - Service patterns and user testing - Content Conversations and quiet change Here you go! bit.ly/3GY6HRO

This is a good post by @niacampbell.bsky.social about how content design needs to think about AI - “the way people search, explore, trust and act on information is changing right in front of us.” medium.com/@niacampbell... #contentdesign

This was a special week, and a special night thanks to @niacampbell.bsky.social and @contentdesign.london team for giving me a place to share our journey. I talked about the quiet power of content design in transforming public services (if you have the conditions for it)

Maybe avoid the Iberian peninsula

On July 3rd I delivered the closing keynote at #CampDigital, a conference organized by Nexer Digital. I’ve now put together my companion page for this talk, chock-full with notes and references, linking to articles, papers, videos, podcasts and books. axbom.com/cdmaps/

People stopped saying 'Great question!' to me when I started replying 'Thank you, I came up with it myself'.

Pray for me

72 Hour Deodorant for Men - what are they doing, why can’t they just go home?

what are some absurd work situations you can share? once i got called into a meeting i had nothing to do with because the consultant brought an engineer and no one in the room could understand him, so they asked me to translate. he was scouse. i translated from english to english.