About last week: 24th November 2019

I started the week having breakfast with a friend. We met at MYOB, where we worked together (albeit briefly, and never on the same project). Nonetheless, we've kept in touch, exchanging guidance and support over the years, and it's always good catching up.

I published a new case study - a fun project I worked on with IAG (NRMA Insurance), improving their online claims experience. Working in weekly design sprints, the Velvet Onion team were able to test a variety of design concepts with over 50 customers. Aside from the opportunity to see a number of our recommendations implemented (not always a given in agency work), the level of stakeholder engagement throughout the project had numerous benefits and was a testament to the strength of the design process we had been working towards. I was also particularly proud of the impact this project had on members of the Velvet Onion team. You can read the full case study here.

I started a project with a small youth mental health service, helping to optimise some of their processes. Despite providing a valuable service to the community, their funding is limited - I'm hoping that helping them reimagine some basic experiences (for example new client referrals, appointment scheduling and reminders, and reporting) will free up more time to focus on the clients, and increase the impact they're able to have.

On Thursday night, I had my first climbing session for the last few months (I stopped after a knee injury earlier in the year). We had the opportunity to join a friend for our first outdoor climbing session on Sunday, and I wanted to get a practice session in beforehand. While there was some swelling, it was manageable and we met our friend at Bluebell (within walking distance of our house) early on Sunday morning.