In edtech, history matters: Reach Capital just closed its largest fund to date — TechCrunch

An interesting read from TechCrunch. It does prompt one to think about the next waves of EdTech and the points of tension that they may bring.

Reach Capital, one of the first venture firms to focus exclusively on edtech, closed its last investment vehicle during an unprecedented boom within tech. The San Francisco-based venture firm saw an increase in digital infrastructure, remote learning and society’s ever fickle attention as an opportunity — and unsurprisingly, those same tailwinds then helped Reach close…

In edtech, history matters: Reach Capital just closed its largest fund to date — TechCrunch

There’s still green in climate robots — from TechCrunch

Kicking things off with a big funding round for AMP Robotics this week for a couple of reasons, but when push comes to shove, it comes down to something really simple: There are a lot of great reasons to be bullish on automation and there are a lot of equally great reasons to be bullish…

There’s still green in climate robots — TechCrunch

Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart launches metaverse shopping experience — TechCrunch

The article from TechCrunch is interesting, but even more interesting is the emerging experience network discussed in the article: gamification, loyalty points, immersive brand experiences, content creators….. all come together for a metaverse e-commerce production. “UX²“

Flipkart has launched a metaverse offering for consumers to more interactively discover and shop new products, the latest bet from the Indian e-commerce giant as it experiments with web3 offerings to supercharge its customer experience. The Walmart-backed Bengaluru-headquartered firm has partnered with eDAO, a Polygon-incubated firm, to launch the metaverse offering, which it is calling Flipverse.…

Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart launches metaverse shopping experience — TechCrunch

Putting the Human into Human Centred Design — Digital Tim

Thanks Tim Woolliscroft! I really love that power is being discussed. It is such a big part of our interactions, and I really looking forward to a growing discourse around this!

This blog post focuses on the relationships between power, user research and design. Consideration of power and empowerment was central to my PhD research, and my community sector roles as well as my user research work. Based on all of these I believe that it is impossible to achieve anything more than incremental change without challenging existing power structures. As such vested power interests and existing organisational structures and hierarchies are amongst the most significant barriers to improving user experience in most organisations.

Putting the Human into Human Centred Design — Digital Tim

Privacy trade-off on Internet culture and governance through user research — Internet Cultures & Governance

I missed this piece by ruihanwu from April 2022, but glad I came across it again. Some interesting points raised!

Data has been dubbed “the new oil,” and as the big data market matures, data begins to flow and the value of data is being increasingly realized. In the internet market, there is a definite need for data purchase and exchange, but trading through legal channels is still problematic. The difficulty in smoothly connecting supply and demand […]

Privacy trade-off on Internet culture and governance through user research — Internet Cultures & Governance

Study of Facebook friendships explores how economic mobility works in the US — TechCrunch

Interesting research using FaceBook data – the contextual limitations would need to be considered, but pretty fascinating. Here is the link to the Nature article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01843-4 Unfortunately, it is behind a paywall.

A large-scale study of Facebook data sheds new light on the ties between Americans — and how those relationships in turn shape economic outcomes. A research team led by Harvard economist Raj Chetty published the results today across two papers in the journal Nature, exploring how social connections lead to economic opportunity. The researchers examined…

Study of Facebook friendships explores how economic mobility works in the US — TechCrunch

Drover AI is using computer vision to keep scooter riders off sidewalks — TechCrunch

A really interesting read from TechCrunch, especially in relation to the use of data.

Shared micromobility companies have been adopting startlingly advanced new tech to correct for the thing that cities hate most —  sidewalk riding. Some companies, like Bird, Neuron and Superpedestrian, have relied on hyper-accurate GPS systems to determine if a rider is riding inappropriately. Others, like Lime, have started integrating camera-based computer vision systems that rely…

Drover AI is using computer vision to keep scooter riders off sidewalks — TechCrunch

The Case Against Collaboration

I really enjoyed this piece by Paul Taylor…. some very quotable insights on how, and when, collaboration should be considered. Worth a read, or even a few reads!

Paul Taylor

The challenge is not to cultivate more collaboration. Rather, it’s to cultivate the right collaboration

Morten T. Hansen

One of the most popular arguments for getting employees back to the office is about collaboration. We need to be on site, we’re told, because collaborating with one another has been harder to do when everyone is working from separate locations.

Even if that were true – and there is some evidence for it – we risk placing collaboration on some kind of pedestal. 

The time spent by managers and employees in collaborative activities has ballooned by 50% in recent years.

In truth most of the people you work with have nothing or very little to do with your work, yet collaboration with them – for more and more of the time – has become conventional business wisdom.

It’s partly this that has led to us all being meetingedand emailed to death

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UK’s Magical Mushroom Company uses Mycelium to replace plastic packaging — TechCrunch

Global plastic waste has more than doubled, and 40 percent of that waste comes from packaging. Luckily there are no shortage of sustainable packaging startups in Europe. 242 more words

UK’s Magical Mushroom Company uses Mycelium to replace plastic packaging — TechCrunch

Addressing Complex Adaptive Problems with Design and Systems Thinking — Digital Tim

• An interesting piece by Tim Woolliscroft 

In this post I briefly outline the evolution of design into how it is now being applied to address complex problems. I discuss how systems and design thinking are being combined in this space and consider some implications for skill requirements. I also reflect on my own background and what I may have to offer. The shift in design from a process focussed purely on the aesthetics and functionality of products towards one that also includes services is now firmly established…..

Addressing Complex Adaptive Problems with Design and Systems Thinking — Digital Tim