Working in a full house - the most important thing I've learned so far

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Like many of us I am working from home, which is not unusual for me, as I often work remotely or from home. What’s new is that my entire family is here in the house with me, all the time, and I’m unable to go outside as I wish. This has benefits, and challenges, that are unique to the situation we all find ourselves in.I also know from all the online meetings that I’m in a lot of us are getting used to having our children around us while we work. Having our 9 and 8-year-old children around all day has reinforced a couple of things we learnt as new parents in helping the kids get organised and focused on the task at hand. That is the importance of having a routine.We have had routines in our house for everything from our mornings, bath time, dinner and bedtime routines, and what we have for dinner as a family on a particular night of the week. These things have been important as we have moved internationally four times in the last 9 years. We have always had the same process in many areas, including the same family dish that we’ve had for dinner on a Monday night in four countries – which has been easier in some countries than others.At dinner time tonight in asking the kids how they are doing with school holidays and the COVID-19 lock-down they replied that they thought the daily routine was good. This was incredible to hear them offer this back and it made me realise that I am potentially missing a great opportunity for myself here.Right now, like many, I have extra time in my day because I do not have to commute to work each day. I also have three meals a day with my family. This is a perfect opportunity to tweak my own routines or put a positive new routine into my own personal life that supports me in my goals and fills in gaps where I have them.Business/career reading, writing, one-on-one time with the kids and my wife. Exercise, meditation, study, and reading for pleasure. These are some of the ideas I must tweak, or start, to improve myself.How could you use the current period of hibernation and restrictions on movement to improve your life? While we do not know how long this situation will last, it will end. You will regret not taking advantage of the opportunities that we do have right now. What could you achieve, working from home, during this period of hibernation? [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Rethinking the exit we will all make

Design is such a powerful tool that when it is used well, can be life-changing. My Godfather is a funeral director and has been for many decades, so this article on rethinking and redesigning death and funerals had a great resonance with me.

Change is ever-present. If we want to affect the outcome of a process using design, we need to approach it from all angles. Sometimes we need to rethink the entire process from top to bottom, and inside out. Creative Review has a great article about rethinking a process that we all encounter, that of funerals - Exit Here: The Future of Funeral Planning?

While the core elements of a funeral remain the same: collecting a body; preparing it for burial or cremation; and the conduct of a ceremony. By being willing to reconsider how the funeral industry approaches its core service, Exit Here has used design thinking to reimagine the customer journey and experience.

There was also a conscious decision to “all but eliminate black from the funeral world”, … opting for a neutral but more cheerful blue instead.

Ben Masterton-Smith, Director at Transit Studio

Without changing the function of a funeral parlour, but by changing the visual appearance of a funeral parlour, subsequently changes the experience from the start. Similarly, looking at how you can change other pieces of the user journey, such as bright yellow coffins and modern blue urns help to shift focus. By including options such as the choice of being buried on a farm the design team have, in short, reimagined funerals. We are all different, and no two funerals should be the same.

“You want to leave people with a positive memory of your life. You want people to think, ‘that’s the person I knew and loved’ – and I think we need to try and change the compass on how people see the culmination of their life. Of course, no-one wants to die, but we’re all going to – we know it’s coming – so let’s make it a more joyous affair, particularly for the people left behind.”

Oliver Peyton, Exit Here

This is an excellent example of rethinking the approach to a problem and improving the experience for those involved. What could you reimagine by changing your approach?

Photo by Kerri Shaver on Unsplash