Andrew Duckworth

Was quite happy to see it shared on a design newsletter recently as AI stuff seems to have killed normal means of reaching people

Creating prototypes constrained by the medium not our skills or understanding

If you missed it off linkedin here’s my blog spam for a recent blog post about prototyping. Thoughts about the value of using code but also getting behind your material skills with the urm… material

grillopress.github.io/2025/10/27/p...

Provoking through prototypes

Provocotype
Provcatype
Provokatype
Provotype
Pro-
Provoking prototype
Prototypes that provoke

A few words on them…

grillopress.github.io/2025/10/04/p...

White flowers falling over wooded side of a planter

Upwards shot of a beautiful white flower with green foliage behind

Look at these beauts

And it feels so obvious a tactics to defuse and disempower complaints

Noticed a trend and I’m guessing it’s a trained thing. Large companies when dealing with complaints will make people on the phone be really passive aggressive about “oh it’s not ME or MY FAULT [horrific failure from company]”

And it’s like …duh I’m talking to an organisation not Bob on the helpline

Anyone got any recommendations about good websites to buy custom build pcs from?

Tell your mum those green man ones are seriously cool

Find out what they care deeply about. What’s the *thing* for them.

The thing you care deeply about.

Define a what about their thing doesn’t happen that your thing helps with. Come armed with a book or something for them to consider deeper later

Dealing with one of those “if it was cheap and easy to sign up we’ll make it hell to stop” services 🫩

And back to tidsskrift.dk/daimipb/arti...

Page 157 is lovely summary I think of the value of provoking through prototypes.

About that ability to cut against the “we know this” and current accepted practice etc

(PDF) Provotypes for participatory innovation PDF | Central to multi-stakeholder processes of participatory innovation is to generate knowledge about 'users' and to identify business opportunities... | Find, read and cite all the research you nee...

In terms of when and how to use it. I liked the framework in here years ago www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Been around plenty for years and used on and off.

Thesis from 1993 that uses it tidsskrift.dk/daimipb/arti...

Like visualise stuff however you want to help communicate or for understanding. But replacing one cookie cutter suggestion with another one isn’t anything

a woman says you 're joking not another one Alt: a woman says you 're joking not another one

Someone on LinkedIn has “reinvented” the service blueprint and thinks we need a new name for ux and service design

It's not a JFDI, it's sparkling test and learn approach etc etc

The spirit and concept can be one thing. I love people giving names to things and explaining how things should be. But the behaviour and approaches that *really* end up happening (new and old) is what's quite interesting

As with anything that gains traction, I think it's always worth to watch what sins an in-vogue phrase like "test and learn" is used to forgive

Transplanting culture

Latest bloggo. Something about gut health and culture

grillopress.github.io/2025/07/27/t...

Apparently dark ones show up water stains etc more. But I’ve never had one and only stayed at a couple of places with them (and they were pretty new!) so maybe the white ones are okay

the grinch is a cartoon character with a very angry face and red eyes . Alt: the grinch slowly grins evilly

When you visualise a flow “just for your own clarity” about a thing lots of people say is obvious and the debates begin

I've just started another health project. Before that advising a big broadband provider. And this is as important a thing to be aware of as ever

You're a user but not your user

Regardless if you're gliding or stumbling into the weekend. Here's a thing I wrote:

grillopress.github.io/2025/07/18/y...

Someone on this train is editing a spreadsheet on their phone and it’s all text. Editing tiny cell with lots of words. Good luck pal

a man in a suit with a red tie is standing in a parking lot Alt: Mr Bean in gta4 face zoomed in looking non plussed

“As a single channel guest you can only direct message one person at time” urm yeah ok slack

To put it another way, if you save a GP or caseworker some time, does that get shared between the appointments they have or does another appointment get jammed in

One of the biggest lies teams and projects tell themselves is that if a thing they’re building saves time, that time saved will be used to focus on providing more quality

It is sadly not often the case. And best to be honest about that

Over a few different houses/providers this has always been how it’s happened for me. Haven’t ever been able to adjust it.

But good luck!

If any hat were made to stash marmalade sandwiches under, it would be the pope’s hat

So I’ve done classic stuff like something that helped us all but doesn’t get said etc, something you’re proud of etc

But I’ve also had other people send across their thanks or small videos for teams who are more motivated by being seen etc