2023 Wrap Review

Intro

Key

What went well this year?

• 💼 Took over IOS and Android app UI/UX design for 3P and built strong foundations with the mobiles teams

• 💼 Improvement in process using project board with Tanya + Jira at 3P Learning

• ⚙️ Met a lot of great people networking

• ⚙️ Positive self reflection and habit/ process building - now have a clear path of working towards the person I want to be, that has come with much more audiobooks, podcasts and increased learning which no longer feel like a chore at times but part of my personality!

• ⚙️ Launched Almost Human agency
• Probono work for case study (startup inro)
• First paying client (UTS GG) $5k]

• ⚙️ Built first mini app MVP inspired by MFM podcast episode and the mvp landing pages for Buffer

• ⚙️Blackbird Giants
• Now part of an amazing network!
• Learnt about Blackbird podcast
• reconnected with Paloma who inspired me to reach out to starmate on starting a south coast community
• bootcamp course
• an in to the community of startups and design leaders across ANZ
• Started a startup build concept
• Mentor platform
• Met Ross.C - inspired super lean mvp ready for launch in 2 days with airtable
• Met Luke → presented the power of nocode bubble.io and how it can be used to build our true mvp alongside testing our lean mvp

• ⚙️Startmate Pitch night
• saw some great pitches
• connected with more people
• understood how alive the ANZ startup ecosystem is

• 💼  WDX13 Conference
• Met Hayden, Mizko, Lucy, Sarah and more - great networking and advice from true design leaders
• Saw some great talks
• networked some more
• Inspired takeaway series for knowledge retaining and sharing across socials

• 👪 Visited Forster, Albury, Sydney, QLD and more… and had lot’s of friends visit us!

• 🪓 Managed to get one drawing/ piece of art finished

• 👪  Sydney and Albury friends visited for the start of the year over new years!

• 👪  Ben and Courtneys Wedding!

• 👪  Julian went from 7 Months, starting solids and falling over from sitting → 18 Months, running, jumping, walking the dog opening doors and wanting to feed himself at with adult utensils at the adult table. He is inquisitive, loves animals and is obsessed with birds, currently all birds are 🦆 ducks to Julian.

• 👪  Julian Had his first Birthday!

• 🏋🏼  Not enough but played some golf and definitely am improving

• 🪓 I bought a boat!

• 🏋🏼 Got a couple of hikes in!

What didn’t go so well this year?

• ⚙️ could have spent more time focusing on Almost Human for consistent revenue and growth

• ⚙️ Spent too much tie on constant redesign and niche repositioning for Almost Human

• 🪓 Did a sketch and started a lino print nd despite wanting to make this a habit, still in progress since October 😬

• 🪓 Spent a long time getting boat sorted!

• 👪  Fixed interest home loan is coming to an end 😵‍💫

• 🏋🏼 Limited health and fitness

What did I learn?

• 💼 Running weekly updates on a project board can help track progress and project changes.

• ⚙️ If you want to build something, just jump in and do it - use tools as tools and design can come later, after validation!

• ⚙️ Profitable designer course
• Helped with value based offering and pricing work for value - led to first paying client AH
• Reached out and met JAY.C, provided advice on how to approach meetups and events (pick 3 people to meet and study them, understand what you want)

• ⚙️ Binged MFM podcast
• Mindset and fast learning for business and startups - realised that you just need to get in, do the work and build. Don’t put VCs, Startups etc on a pedestal. Anyone can do it. Try, fail, learn and start again!

• 🪓 Relearning the Lino print process

• 🪓 Started Bullet journaling

• 🪓 Played around with midjourney and chatgpt and increased productivity

• 🪓 Learnt echidnas can swim

• 👪 Being a dad is awesome

• 🏋🏼 Get back into a routine!!