I wrote a summer edition of weeknotes, hoping this becomes a habit again as it felt a bit therapeutic to write this all out. The short version: - Mapping - Meetings - Reflecting - Travelling www.marthaedwards.ca/weeknotes-s1...

Weeknotes: S1 EP1 (July/Aug 2026)

What happened * I started July by taking a bit of time off - No big plans, just some time with family. Then the children did a few weeks of summer camp while I worked. Then I ended August with two (...

marthaedwards.ca

Happy New Year to all of you 🎉 I finally got around to writing my yearnote for 2025, for those who enjoy such reflections: www.marthaedwards.ca/2025-yearnote/

2025: A Yearnote

I meant to write this before I left for the holidays in December but it feels like I'm only just catching my breath after some big work deadlines and personal things, along with school break and the m...

marthaedwards.ca

Digital transformation leadership panels: “service design and user research are critical for our success” The response when I, a service designer and user researcher, try to register for an event to talk to leaders about digital transformation 🫠

Strikenotes episode 4, the series finale (thank goodness) Our union and government reached a tentative agreement on Sunday so we've returned to work 🥳 This is my first day back and I'm feeling a little lost. I haven't worked since Sept 12 and I got re-orged to another ministry while I was away

a man in a suit is standing on a beach with the words where am i ? written below him

ALT: a man in a suit is standing on a beach with the words where am i ? written below him

media.tenor.com

It’s been years but I’ve finally done it - I’ve listened to every episode in my giant podcast queue thanks to the @bcgeu.bsky.social strike. Any recommendations for new pods? I like the ones that tell a good story (not usually a fan of conversation-style ones, unless they’re really good)

Strikenotes episode 3: 4th week on the picket lines with my union @bcgeu.bsky.social We had a four day picket week due to Canadian thanksgiving on Monday. Grateful to the union for giving us strike pay on the holiday 🙏🏼 Chilly temps this week but we didn’t have much (or any?) rain ☀️

Still not back at work so here’s strikenotes episode 2. 3rd week on strike, 6th for many colleagues. We all kicked off the week with a huge rally at the BC Legislature. It was both chaotic and energizing. But it seemed to do nothing to move things forward which was disappointing & demoralizing

In case you needed this reminder today … Ready for the March on the Legislature ✊🏻 #defendpublicservices #bcgeu #bcpoli cc @bcgeu.bsky.social

Also realized I should probably provide some “strike” context (all from my perspective) -in Canadian gov, most positions below director level have mandatory union membership (uk gov doesn’t do this?) -in Aug, 91% of members in my current union voted to strike for a cost of living increase

Martha Edwards@maredwards.bsky.social · 12mo ago

I've been itching to write about #SDinGov and update my #weeknotes but..... I'm on strike and I'm not sure if it counts as 'scabbing' to write about work on my personal blog 😬 So, here are some 'strikenotes' from 2 weeks on the picket lines

I've been itching to write about #SDinGov and update my #weeknotes but..... I'm on strike and I'm not sure if it counts as 'scabbing' to write about work on my personal blog 😬 So, here are some 'strikenotes' from 2 weeks on the picket lines

Well this is disappointing. I would quite like to go back to work 🥲

BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)@bcgeu.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Waiting for the employer.

This time last week I was filling my heart and brain with ideas and knowledge and connections at @sdingov.bsky.social This week, instead of returning to work, I joined our union @bcgeu.bsky.social ‘s picket line to fight for fairer wages for our public servants. What a September 😅🥳

“AI isn’t taking your job, the people making the decisions are” “Responsibility must be shared, not outsourced” “Being able to ignore the doom and gloom is a privileged position” “Be hopeful AND cynical” Necessary truth bombs from @elmosmoe.bsky.social at @sdingov.bsky.social #sdingov

Unreal moment this morning. Almost feels like there should be some sort of holiday for “the starter word you’ve used for literal years was finally the Wordle word” Or at least something more than a quiet “woo” alone in a hotel room 😆

Imagine you were scheduled for a 15 minute chat with the absolute top person in your public service org (besides the elected leader.) What would you use that time to say or ask? For me, it's prob something around how human-centred designers and/or grass-roots community organizers can have impact

a microphone with the number 3 on it

ALT: a microphone with the number 3 on it

media.tenor.com

A 'fun' / challenging game to play in government is "try to find this person on the org chart" Are they in this vaguely-named division or that one? (NEITHER) Ooo this branch has all the right keywords...maybe there? (NOPE) Which of these 35 'strategy' teams are they be part of? (NONE OF THEM)

July monthnote up ft: - Recent work (internal project + usability testing) - Writing some things - Spending perhaps too much time on non-design-specific tasks to make the design happen - taking connection opportunities wherever I can find them www.marthaedwards.ca/monthnote-ju...

Monthnote: July 2025

July started slowly for me: recovering from illness, travelling with my kids, bringing home a new puppy wore... it all wore me out. But work kept chugging along at its usual pace. No summer slowdown h...

marthaedwards.ca

The full schedule of ‪‪@inclusivedesign24.bsky.social‬ is online, and it's going to be an amazing 24 hours for anyone interested in accessibility. For those not familiar, it's 24 hours, free conferences on accessibility, available on YouTube. Save the date: 25 September 2025!

Inclusive Design 24 (#id24)

A free 24-hour online community event on accessibility and inclusion

inclusivedesign24.org

Rail question for UK folk: Let's say I'm booking a semi-flexible one-way, meaning I can travel on any of the same train within a 70 min window Best train for me is 11am but 10:30 is cheaper. Is it irresponsible to book the 10:30 semi-flexible with the intention of taking the 11?

So many 'private sector' mindsets have been adopted in gov that go against our core principles. EG the idea of 'proprietary' work- People 'protecting' work from being copied & shared. It wastes $ & leads to inefficiency & duplication How can we move from 'it's mine' to 'everything is co-owned'?

Short-form weeknotes 21-25 July What happened - Working on internal service design review atm: team interviews + built out a blueprint, glossary, team guide and list of all tech and touchpoints (whew) - helped a colleague by running a few UX testing sessions on a big public-facing service

June weeknotes are now live, ft 🚀 Thinking about the future (and activities that help do this) 🚀 ✨ Proof that working in the open really works! 🫠 Another re-org in my division 😴 taking a break from design community 👯 much extroverting 🐶 and a new family member www.marthaedwards.ca/june-monthno...

Monthnote: June 2025

This is a few days late because my youngest and I were struck down with a nasty stomach flu last week and I still haven't bounced back completely. Anyway, here's what's been happening in my world lat...

marthaedwards.ca

In the past month, I've learned that 2 of the houses I walk by *daily* on my way to the kids' school belong to people I know through work. Feels like some kind of metaphor for how disconnected we are from our neighbours even though we are connected online (or maybe just coincidence + small city)

Last week I shared a workshop activity that I was planning (headlines of the future) at our x-gov design crit. That activity has already been used twice in one week by designers who got the idea from my share. In case you needed a reminder to share what you are working on 🙂

Absolutely gutted by this heartbreaking decision. Charleigh goes to school with my own 9yo and she's such a joyful presence in the school community 💔 I hope @timescolonist.bsky.social & other media are giving this decision the scrutiny and attention it deserves

Times Colonist@timescolonist.bsky.social · last yr.

Here's something I've been noodling over as I reflect on the delivery cultures in the gov orgs I've worked for. Before I obsess any further .... 1 - I feel like someone must have done something similar before. Does this ring any bells for anyone?! 2 - any thoughts? does this resonate?

Interesting user research recruitment method…. Just send people cash in the post with messaging that presumes they will do your diary study! 🤣 (I enjoy getting random money in the mail so will definitely incentivize this behaviour by participating)

When Canada elected Mark Carney as its Prime Minister on Monday night, the word 'humility' came up six times. It's a word and trait I deeply value, as it's how I would describe my most formative leadership role model: my dad. So I decided to write about it: www.marthaedwards.ca/leading-with...

Leading with humility

Why being humble is a trait that's too overlooked and underrated "I am going to begin with the value of humility, and by admitting that I have much to be humble about.... Over my long career, I have...

marthaedwards.ca

Monthnote for April is up, somewhat on time this month. Ft: - A ministry re-rog 😬 - a federal election 😬 - taxes 😬😡 - and a bit of work stuff too www.marthaedwards.ca/april-monthn...