Weeknote 12: Boxes for the move

Oh my word we're late aren't we. I was pretty exhausted on Friday and Saturday and I thought very seriously about just skipping this week. I'm a little hungover but I think I'd rather write this up. I don't think it'll be a long one.

A quick reflection

It was reflection week but I wasn't reflecting. I spent the Monday doing the final little bits to finish off the aims from the previous week. Link text and search results work is now finished. The squad had a final chat on Friday to go over what was left and where best to put those bits for if any of it is picked up in a future cycle or as a small story for team members.

This squad has felt really good to work with. We've been able to work through initial friction that was slowing us down to the point where this cycle just gone it felt ultra fluid. I think the entire team are skilled and capable collaborators but I'm very grateful to have spent the last few months working with this core group. Kelly, Cal, Hazal, Anika, Izzy, beeps and Char. If you're reading this, you're alright.

Moving and shaking

We didn't get a lot of time to reflect this week though because we found out quite suddenly on Tuesday that the team are being moved to a different programme.

For folks who aren't aware, GDS is split into roughly 3 programmes, aside from operations:

  • GOV.UK for the literal, https://www.gov.uk website,
  • Platforms & Services for products and services we provide for government digital service teams eg: GOV.UK Pay or GOV.UK Forms
  • Digital Identity for the GOV.UK OneLogin service and it's surrounding projects

At the moment the GOV.UK Design System lives in Platforms & Services, or P&S, and we're being moved to GOV.UK in mid December. I personally don't agree with the move but it's not my choice and I can't do anything to meaningfully affect it.

The rest of the week was spent discussing what this means for the team and figuring out what our strategy is and who the people to go speak to now are. I've also been doing some guerilla investigation to find out what the environment is like in GOV.UK at the moment.

I was in the GOV.UK programme for a year and a half before moving to the Design System team and it was a fairly intentional choice so it's disheartening to be moved back without given very much choice. However, the evidence so far is positive. Leads and Heads Of in GOV.UK appear to have a good idea of what we're about and are keen to protect us and our work. The team has also really come together around this which has been very heartwarming to be apart of. I'm hoping that myself and the team can ride this wave, look out for one another and continue putting out top quality work.

Hacked off

On top of all that, we still managed to put on the 3rd Design System Day of 2024. We ran a hackathon out of the White Chapel Building and online with the brief to rationalise all the different design systems across government (which is a good thing!). Wandering around and listening to some of the group stuff in WCB I heard some really cool interesting chat happening. A special shout out to one of the in person groups looking at design systems for internal services discussing what an internal service means. Some very very cool ideas.

It wasn't the easiest thing in the world given that we were all a little knackered but it turned out grand. Well done to the team for pulling it off. An extra special mention to Cal for directing a group of us to Ye Ye's for dinner afterwards.

Out of office notification

There will be no weeknote next week, for anyone who's invested. I'm going to Edinburgh for a long weekend to see some close pals. Very much looking forward to a break, and pakoras.

Everything else

There was a lot of work/social overlap this week which added to the tiredness but it was nice social stuff.

Accessibility megastar and former Design System team member David Cox was visiting from his home planet of Toronto this week so we grabbed lunch on Tuesday at Beam and then saw him again at the Design System Day afters. I'm really glad to have caught up with him again. Very glad you're doing well, David.

Yesterday I had my very first of several Christmas socials that are starting to fill up the calendar with some mates at The Jackalope. Lovely old man pub with an excellent noodle kitchen attached. If you want some great hot soup noodles, this is the place.

Outside social gubbins, right after I put out last week's weeknote, Kung Fu Kenny stealth dropped GNX. This is probably Kendrick's most conventional album and it's also one of his best. A reminder that he's an excellent rapper underneath the avant garde nature of his previous albums. Favorite songs are Reincarnated, Luther and Hey Now. Obviously, TV Off lives in it's own stratosphere.