What if your confidence could be as unwavering as the clarity you feel when you truly know yourself? Clarity and confidence are deeply intertwined. When we understand who we are and what we stand for, we naturally develop the confidence to speak up and take action. But this clarity doesn’t come easy—it requires deep inner work, a willingness to ask ourselves the hard questions, and the courage to face the answers. A comment from a past Design Character student: “The stuff we work through is...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Are you always on, always available? Setting time boundaries often gets overlooked in today's ‘grind culture’. There are so many expectations about staying connected that we find it difficult to create healthy time boundaries. This then gives others permission to overstep them. So what happens when we do set time boundaries? Here's a timely story... We were recently running an on-site leadership workshop with a small team from a tech company. We went round the table and asked each of the nine...
16 days ago • 1 min read
This is a story about a man with a brain the size of a planet. His name was Jack, and sadly he's no longer with us. I, Ben from this human, worked with him at a large call centre provider. I was working in the training department at the time, and I shared an office with Jack, a PhD. To be honest, I don't even remember his role. Jack had a brilliant mind and we would have long conversations about all kinds of topics. I'm endlessly curious and love speaking with smart people. It inspires me to...
23 days ago • 1 min read
This week's newsletter is like Tom Cruise... Short and Potent! 😎 And it's all about Emotional Boundaries. These types of boundaries ensure we get our needs met and contribute to us remaining strong and performing at work. These needs may be feelings of emotional safety, or feeling included or valued. We uphold these values by communicating when we are uncomfortable, when we need support or by being clear on what we will or won’t tolerate in terms of behaviour toward or around us. This can...
30 days ago • 1 min read
Let's get physical. 🤺 Boundaries appear in design spaces in myriad ways: How a project room is set up and organised The artefacts, tools, and furniture that appear in it The way people move in the space, their body language and other non-verbal signals All these things convey an intention and felt physical sense. The important thing is to be intentional about the physical spaces you create. Do you want to foster imagination or seriousness; expansion or focus; reflection or action? Here's a...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Let's explore the SMEH of boundaries... What's that? It's a pretty average acronym with an important message. It stands for: Setting Maintaining Enforcing Honouring Let's dig in... SETTING BOUNDARIESIdentifying and setting boundaries is crucial for our wellbeing and safety, both personally and professionally. Feelings of being taken advantage of or ignored often signal crossed boundaries we didn’t know existed. A reflective process helps uncover and define these boundaries, re-establishing...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Imagine a sandy beach... where drawing a line marks your space. This line is your boundary, clear and essential. In design, boundaries are like that line in the sand—they define what’s acceptable and what’s not. They ensure you can make choices that reflect your values and ethics. Boundaries aren’t just about saying “no”; they are about creating safe, respectful, and productive spaces for everyone involved. Think of Johnny Castle’s famous line from Dirty Dancing: “This is my dance space, this...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
“Knowledge is power.” Francis Bacon coined this sizzling term in the 16th century, sparking the rise of the scientific method. Nowadays, we might say, “information is power.” In design, this is especially true when discussing project rules and norms. These rules shape our collaboration, defining participation and knowledge sharing. Rules can be straightforward, like how long a co-design session lasts, or subtle, like expected behaviour during critiques. They also cover language, jargon, and...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
“I do not understand the human race/Has so little love for creatures with a different face./Treating animals like people is no madness or disgrace./I do not understand the human race.” - Doctor Doolittle - Did you remember the Pushmi-pullyu from Doctor Doolittle? It was that two-headed llama that often struggled to move forward with any sense of clarity about its true direction. When it comes to deciding on the goals and outcomes of a project, designers can often feel like this: stuck between...
2 months ago • 1 min read