Wrapping Up 2024 - A Whirlwind Week
This week has been quite the whirlwind as we near the end of 2024, especially since one of the projects I’m working on is wrapping up its current phase.
Even though I’ll still be working on this project in the next phase, I always make sure to document all the design decisions through a design history. This makes handovers a breeze and also helps me pick up where I left off after a break.
When I’m working, I can get really into it—often staying up late or starting early when ideas hit me. But when I’m on leave, especially during Christmas, I tend to fully disconnect. My first day back usually starts with me trying to remember where I left my laptop, which is always a good sign of a proper break.
Reflecting on the Year #
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for me this year. I started the year as an Interaction Designer on the GDS project Gov One Login, which I really enjoyed. It was my first IxD role in a while, and I’d forgotten just how much I love the profession.
After that, I worked as a Service Designer on an internal, staff-facing project at the Home Office, and then I moved back to MoJ. I do love jumping between interaction and service design, but this year I’ve particularly enjoyed revisiting interaction design.
One highlight has been working with JSON data, experimenting with AI-generated data to test scalability, and balancing efficient design with scalability.
Learning and Evolving #
This year, I’ve also learned new things like Python and delved deeply into AI. It’s both exciting and scary how fast AI is evolving—it’s moving faster than we can keep up with. Although I approach it cautiously, I believe it’s better to learn as much as I can.
I see opportunities for UCD and human-computer interaction to evolve alongside AI, ensuring users are consideredbut also beyond humans, there are also ways AI can be made more sustainable, addressing the massive impact of LLMs on data usage. More on that next year!
Looking Ahead to 2025 #
In January, I’ll be back at MoJ, working on a cross-government public-facing service and a prison staff-facing service area. It’s going to be busy, but I hope there will still be opportunities to continue skilling up.
Have a great break, all!