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Monika Swiatek

@monikasw.bsky.social
117 followers 249 following 99 posts

Driving open working and user‑centred change across Wales. Service design | public sector | healthcare | UCD | surfing. She/her 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In case of the first one, wait for waves 😅, with the second one... it's really hard to say... Sometimes it may just be a matter of a little miracle or having good people around 🤗
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Nice notebooks! I like the visible seam. FYI you can get Moleskin notebooks in TKMax for less than half the oryginal price... 🤗
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
On a personal level: I went surfing after 2 months break 😁🌊 On professional: I managed not to loose my sanity 😅 On a general level: UCD community in Wales isn't as small as I thought 🙌
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
In the last three days I went to the cinema to watch two films. Unrelated, but there were too many parallels to ignore... Both stories centred on a boy who drowned in a lake, and one of the main characters wore a giant cube on their head. My wife says she's not going to the cinema with me anymore...
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm jealous! We'll need to catch up when you're back!
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
It is! I've already read Being wrong, it's such a good read. I think I've been on the topic for a while now. I've also read How to survive a crisis by David Omand. Interesting but with too heavy focus on diplomacy. Anything else comes to mind?
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
After a fantastic book about disaster recovery by Lucy Easthope I progressed to the Humble Pi. Disasters, errors and failures seem to be main topics I've been reading on recently. Any other recommendations?
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
It's about the journey, not (just) the destination 😉
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Yes and it was a bit confusing as English version arrived about 5 minutes later at the time when after initial frustration we came to terms with the fact, whatever it is, we won't save ourselves unless we know Welsh. Motivation to increase Welsh language uptake 😅
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
In Wales we experienced it twice. First for the Welsh version and a few min later for the English one.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Weeknotes 14 August medium.com/user-centere...
medium.com
Weeknotes 14 August
Just a year ago, UCD was a team of two. Now there’s six of us :)
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Hope you managed to have some sleep. I've found a pretty handy live wildfire map. It seems Blaenavon keeps on going... firemap.live?lng=-3.04690...
firemap.live
FireMap: Track Wildfires in Real-Time with NASA & Local Data
Explore real-time global wildfire tracking with data from NASA FIRMS, EFFIS, and local authorities on FireMap.live.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
It may get even more interesting when the programme is signed off with full agile delivery promise but solution already stated (and budget secured) 😅
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Perhaps it's a promise... There will be more... One day... You'll be getting back to finally be delighted by it 🤣
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
And how's your day going?
Bad services book on a bench with a view over the valleyBad services book, by the beach
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
In the world where you can do everything... Think twice (even more if needed) if you actually should do it. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
How a Starbucks marketing stunt spiralled into mass boycotts in South Korea
A botched tumbler promotion on the anniversary of a pro-democracy massacre unleashed a boycott, police investigation and political firestorm
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Lucky you! I'm planning my outfit for tomorrow to survive the heat during my commute and potential freezer like conditions in the office... 😅
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Finally went to the @hayfestival.bsky.social Best festival ever! Listening to Carissa Veliz and later Mariana Mazzucato talking about their newest books was 💕 There are many reasons to practice service design in the public sector!
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Reposted by Monika Swiatek
Jesmond Allen @jesmonda.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Sign up for our next HCD in health network online talk 🎉 www.onehealthtech.com/events-1/oht...
onehealthtech.com
OHT Better HealthTech by Design: Better Together: Clinicians + Designers in the NHS | One HealthTech
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
You're too kind 🫣 Thanks for sharing ❤️
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Hi, good to see you back! Is there a chance to add www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/Cardi...
healthjobsuk.com
Job vacancy: Senior User Researcher, Public Health Wales NHS Trust, Cardiff | trac.jobs
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
We’re recruiting a Senior User Researcher at Public Health Wales. This is an opportunity to help embed user research as a core part of how we design and deliver healthcare services, not an afterthought. Reach out if you'd like to know more about the role www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/Cardi...
healthjobsuk.com
Job vacancy: Senior User Researcher, Public Health Wales NHS Trust, Cardiff | trac.jobs
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I had the same problem and started carving spoons. It's pretty meditative and pragmatic hobby but I'm worried anytime I may end up at A&E.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Still not ideal but the first step towards more considerate approach.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Great example of inclusive service design. www.thetimes.com/article/7071...
thetimes.com
How the London Marathon is embracing new mothers
From mid-race breastfeeding stops to finish-line reunions, support is transforming how women experience the 26.2-mile challenge
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Thanks Ann for the opportunity. Always happy to talk service design! You actually gave me an idea for a session for our service design community of practice 😏 And yes! to in person days!
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Fantastic sticker from my colleague, who's an epidemiologist 😂 It made my day!
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Reposted by Monika Swiatek
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 04/04/2026
Voters in Wales failed by inaccurate UK media reports on devolved issues, study finds
theguardian.com
Voters in Wales failed by inaccurate UK media reports on devolved issues, study finds
Reports on English policies seen in Wales as relating to whole of UK contribute to widespread confusion, researchers say UK media is failing to report properly on devolved issues in Wales, leaving voters ill-informed about May’s Senedd elections, a report has found. A Cardiff University study of more than 3,000 news items found repeated patterns in coverage across different broadcasters and platforms, including not signposting whether an issue was relevant to England or England and Wales only, widespread references to “the government” rather than “the UK government”, and the use of “you” and “your” in contexts that apply only to people living in England. Continue reading...
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Just yesterday at the service design community of practice meeting I was highlighting how important it is to push back when we get a brief with a solution ready to be delivered.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
On Wednesday with @jocarter.bsky.social we were talking exactly about that, in the context of service design professionals in public sector and Jo referred to this classic. Thanks for sharing.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
At some point, working in the open becomes a lifestyle. medium.com/user-centere...
medium.com
Working in the open. How and why it matters for public services in Wales
Working in the open is a practice commonly used in digital service teams, especially in government and public sector, of making work…
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Looking at my bsky feed I have real #ukgc26 FOMO 🥺
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
My personal favourite and recently in high demand is 🤯 I really miss the one with a head banging on the wall.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Interested in working in the open? Have a look at this new website showcasing great examples of working in the open in Wales. (Yes, I'm biased as I'm involved 🙃 but it's really a great resource and saves you time searching leading to most active practitioners)
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
Cold water surfing is great! But taking the wetsuit off is like a torture requiring similar amount of energy as the whole surf session 🤣
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
I started exploring the area of clinical safety and there's very close link between these... and UCD (and it's a minefield)
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Sadly, it's so fragmented and complicated (because of many reasons) that NHS has additional digital service standard (on top of standard GDS) for that and not many services are actually compliant service-manual.nhs.uk/standards-an...
service-manual.nhs.uk
17. Make your service interoperable – NHS digital service manual
In an organisation as diverse and complex as the NHS, we need systems and services which talk to each other. Build for interoperability to share patient records and get data quickly from one place to ...
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Google maps is suggesting me today a time travel. Also did I say how much I love TfL which uses timetable as optional reference for drivers? End of rant. Thank you.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
Also in our case people started dismantling barricades which were to stop them using the path... Despite services putting bigger and stronger fences after the previous got "open"...
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
The local community exhausted all lines of inquiry... There are legal issues around the land ownership although all in one way or the other owned by the crown. Now waiting for the structural surveys and predicted cost for fixes grows from initial 30k last year to over a million now.
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
In a dead end Garw Valley, people are fighting for the cycle path to be reopened as it's the only option for safe travel. The only road is very busy with vanishing pavement. With changes to school transport kids can no longer walk to school safely. How can we approach that as citizens?
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
Or try long surgical pliers
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
I may be geeking out a bit, but who doesn't like a good marginalia? I bought a box of bingo pencils to have a pencil in every book I read and around the house so I have it when needed. open.substack.com/pub/culturis...
open.substack.com
How to Remember Everything You Read
Tips from an American philosopher
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Imagine how much time we'd gain if we replaced legacy systems and got rid of doubling or even tripling data collection efforts...
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Perhaps that's what we need 😁 bsky.app/profile/hans...
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Thanks! We were plotting the future of collaboration, communities and working in the open in Wales. And this future is bright! 🤞🏼
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
I went, I pitched and... don't remember much from the session. I think I was completely in my element and have temporary amnesia 🤣 Thanks Benjy for sharing your notes! #ggcy25
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
A few years ago in Bristol people were furious when the council stopped providing a paper "bin calendar"... They provided a pdf for printing with a black background 😫 Over time I realised there are so many ways to mess up bin collection day search 😔
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
It was quite a day! My first pitch and a truly active participation in every session 😅 Just a year ago (as usually in these kinds of events) I'd be just listening and dying of anxiety when I wanted to say a word... but something clicked! #GCcy25 thanks for that opportunity!
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Monika Swiatek @monikasw.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
I always start with reading Welsh and looking where English starts, but when I see, it's too late. It's quite tricky with longer text about roadworks 🫣 Different colours sound great!
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