Hustle 3: The Celtic Connection
Hustle was created to give local designers a wider perspective on what is going on in our industry. Whether that is about what tools are being used, processes adopted, mentality of work, or just how to do great design work.
On our third outing at Hustle, we really checked the boxes. Chris and Duncan both come from very different design houses in Edinburgh, doing very different kinds of work. One, working in-house for a Fantasy Sports company, the other, an agency working across the sectors, but with a charitable focus.
Founded in Edinburgh with its HQ in New York, Fanduel is slowly taking over the world with it’s unique proposition and digital roots. Hearing Chris’s story was an insight into the learnings of a large in-house design team, constantly looking for ways to improve their processes and deliver a better product for their customers.
Interestingly, Chris talked a lot about what they had done wrong. And in the spirit of Agile attested to failing often. But this wasn’t the message he was trying to beat on his drum. His message was to avoid failure as much as possible by good preparation and learning from others (such as the Google Ventures team and Spotify).
But Chris’s main message was about inclusivity, hearing about how Fanduel have started using Design Sprints to solve new problems, and the inclusivity challenge that brings to the table. And whilst they have run a few now and they achieve great results, they are still tinkering with the recipe to really make them inclusive from start to finish.
After a short break and visit to the bar, Duncan gave us a fascinating insight into doing design for good, bringing humour and insight to what could have been a sobering talk. Working at Whitespace in Edinburgh, Duncan confesses he has been fortunate to have worked with some inspiring not-for-profit organisations, and witness first hand the good they are doing in places such as Nairobi. But he also inspired us to think about our own goals, because it was actually by design that he wanted to use his skills to help make a positive impact in the world. Not only was Duncan’s work inspiring too, but the integrity with which Whitespace operates to challenge their charitable clients to help themselves, gave a full picture of what it takes to make that positive change.
Duncan introduced us to Mary's Meals, Republic of you.org (coming soon), Jennifer Daniels argument that design is capitalism, and Mike Monteiro's theory that design is destroying the world. Superbly thought provoking and insanely inspiring.
So a huge thanks to Chris and Duncan for skipping across the Irish sea to fill us up with shared knowledge and inspiration by the haggis-full. (Had to have some Scottish reference). The feedback from everyone has been incredible and we hope to see them back on the Hustle stage in the future.