Pictured above: Our friend's house in Kigali, Rwanda. A beautiful example of modern African design and decoration. See more photos on Instagram.
Welcome to April. I’ve had a gentle start to the new year and have some good things that happened in 2022 and even the beginning of this year that I wanted to share with you. Last year I took some amazing trips, primarily a 2 week trip to Kenya and Rwanda last summer. There are a couple conferences on my radar including UX Scotland, where I’ll be speaking later in June 2023.
What’s new with you? What good things are you open to sharing? What workshops or conferences are you attending?
BTW: My work calendar is opening up around June this year. Lately I've been working on healthcare, startup innovation, and non-profit projects. If you're looking for some service design, UX design/research, and design innovation collaboration, I'm your woman. Just hit reply to this email or click tricia@triciaokin.com and we can start having a convo.
Back to Africa – Kenya & Rwanda, specifically
The African sun on my skin was healing.
Overlooking the Kilimani neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya
Last July I had the opportunity to visit Rwanda and Kenya for the first time with the invitation and guidance of friends who live there and visit regularly. Going to Rwanda and Kenya was one of the biggest things that has happened to me in years.
If you possibly listened to my podcast interview I gave February 2022, you would’ve heard that the last time I was in Africa was the age of five, when my family fled the coup in Nigeria at the time. Packing our bags and driving through a military checkpoint at night, I woke up in Spain and then in New York City. Counting on multiple fingers, that means I hadn't stepped foot in Africa for 37 years.
Being in Nairobi, Kenya and Kigali, Rwanda was such an interesting feeling. It surprised me how much and quickly I adjusted to being back in Africa and felt somewhat healing to be in the majority again. The colours, temperatures, food, and people didn't hurt either. I've posted a few images on Instagram and will add more over the coming weeks. (Teaser: there may or not be a in giraffe in there somewhere.)
Speaking at UX Scotland, June 7–9, 2023
Come join the discussion about finding your fit.
This June, I am so proud to be speaking at UX Scotland in Edinburgh. My session will delve into understanding which kind of teams work for you, how to express your needs and listen to others create a good working environment. Come join me – Get In Where You Fit In: Understanding Which Teams Work For You on June 8th, 3:30pm – 4:15pm GMT.
Buy tickets now at https://uxscotland.net/tickets and use the Promo Code:10Tricia for 10% off any ticket purchase.
Also, have a read of the article I wrote about how much I enjoyed the conference the last time I attended pre-pandemic. Overall, UX Scotland is a friendly conference with quality speakers and a good vibe overall.
QUESTION! What were some noticeable indicators about how well or poorly you worked in a team? Just email me at tricia (at) triciaokin.com and jot down a couple sentences.
Focusmate Round Up
Around the world, around the world...
You’ve all heard/read me yammer on about Focusmate last year, as the virtual coworking service I use to get things done in various parts of my life. Early in January they sent us users our individual 2022 totals. Call me blown away. Here are my stats:
22,325 Focused Minutes ( ≈ 372 hours)
210 partners spread over 37 countries.
Really, this virtual coworking thing has been a life saver for me. I've even made friends with some of my Focusmates and am going to meet up with them later this year. Whether I’m making art, working on client projects, writing this newsletter, meal prepping or even cleaning, it’s been a big help.
Find out more at http://focusmate.com. (I swear I'm not getting paid for this, I just love the damn thing.)
Travel 'n Tings
Where I'll be on this blue orb over the next couple months.
April 12 – 18, 2023: London
I'll be visiting friends, soaking up art, getting an injection of urban concrete and eating ALL THE THINGS. Hit me up for lunch or coffee if you'd like to meet up and chat.
May 4 – 9, 2023: Munich, Germany
That weekend is the Design Drives Conference focused on design innovation and strategy, which I will happily be attending. I'm also slipping in a side visit to Nuremberg to see a German art friend as well. Again, if you're close by or attending, let's connect.
June 5–12, 2023: Edinburgh, Scotland
The first couple days will be heads down prepping for UX Scotland but after that I'm free as a bird to hang out!
June 13 – July 14, 2023: 🗣️BROOKLYN!
I'm so excited to be back in my NYC home over the summer for a whole entire month. Definitely roll up if you'll be in town and let's hang out
That's April in the bag...
Thanks so much reading this little peek into what's going on over here. It's an attempt to stay connected with people I've known, met and worked with for years and decades and I love hearing from you. What's up with you and how are you staying connected to/in your personal and professional lives? Let me know and schedule some time in my calendar for a catch up. Next month, Links 'n Tings will return with some good links that have been floating around my note.
In the meantime, go find me around the web as well:
Website | LinkedIn | Medium | Twitter | Instagram
Have a lovely holiday weekend and talk soon
Tricia