Explaining why we are doing something
Being honest about why it is happening
Knowing how it will make a difference to others

If I can understand these things, there will be no persuasion required.

I think that I am an empathic person.

I love making things, more than that I love making things that I can see have a positive effect on another person.

Working with a partner always gets me energised, I like pairing up and doing things together.

Having colleagues who I know genuinely care about one another is important to me. We spend more time at work than anywhere else, and with anyone else in our lives. In the same respect, I want to be there for the people around me. If there are things I do that don't make it work for people, I want to change that.

I prefer physical environments where the number of people around is limited.

5 is at the outer edge of my comfort zone (in working groups), particularly in meetings. Beyond that can often feel uncomfortable and I may become anxious, or appear confrontational.

This is usually because I'm worried that not everyone is able to be heard, or that if someone isn't contributing to the conversation I'm scared I have taken over, because I'm loud, or that they don't feel safe, or comfortable in the room.

In open plan spaces, I will more than likely have headphones in. I listen to loud music because it helps me concentrate and drown out others. I get distracted by conversations you can't even hear, and then can't tune out. There either needs to be a quiet burble or a ruckus.

Immediately, and with good intention to help me reflect and work on making improvements that may be considered.

I'm OK with you being honest, especially if it is a personal thing. We don't learn if nobody gives us a chance to is what I think.

Nothing fills me with more dread that getting the impression someone has stockpiled a load of criticism and then bring it up 3 months later without having any opportunity to rectify, or address things in the moment.

Of course feedback is usually positive, for that - whenever you like! I will shrug it off like it's no thing but deep down I will be bouncing around.

I have aspergers

Talking about things I have an interest in get me excitable, and I am likely to talk until you say stop.
You can say stop.

I like having ground rules to conversations that we are all clear on before meetings. For example, it helps a lot if there is a facilitator that will direct people to speak in turn to avoid speaking over or interrupting each other.

Be on time. I try to be early to anything. I get frustrated by things not starting when they said they would - don't use public transport with me, and don't try fly anywhere unless you want to experience a full-on meltdown.

I am high functioning but this also means I can often go too deep, and burn out.

You will know I am having mental health issues long before I realise. You may give me a call and ask me about it.

I live with wife Cami. She's a paddle board instructor and guide and runs Sup and Soul where she hosts wellness retreats for women where they experience a day of paddle boarding, life coaching, yoga and wild swimming activities.

I used to be in a number of mildly successful heavy metal bands.
I used to be a freelance music journalist and photographer.
I ride mountain bikes, motorbikes, snowboards, and will try anything with wheels on it.
I love animals but have an asthma allergy. I've never had pets and can't stay in people's houses who have them.

Listening, supporting and thinking about ways to make it a comfortable space for all of us to be in.

I am at times too frank with my responses and I may unintentionally appear to be confrontational, but it's down to wanting to fully understand something so that I can work within its boundaries or see where they can be expanded.

I believe that the way my mind works means I can find ways of asking questions that allow others to think.

1:1, and discussion how to work through things. what I don't want is being told what to do. or that I can't do something, or hand it to somebody else to finish. that is not helpful and makes it worse.

when I am in the grip, I will attempt to establish some kind of control on the situation, usually related to the environment in a hope that if I can manage it I can simmer down.

Sometimes I just need to go walk around the block and talk it through.

My work pattern is full time, Mon-Fri.
I will always be around during core hours (10am-4pm).

When I am running user research sessions, my working hours will flex between 8am and 8pm because I like to make times helpful for working people to not disrupt their day or need to take time off.

I don't have a particular time of the day that is better or worse.

I like working in big bursts of energy followed by brief downtime to recover and reflect before trying again.

I go through phases of needing short spurts of 20mins to get through something that is in many stages of done vs needing a day to focus entirely on one thing.

I am not good with meetings that last more than 30minutes. If there is a need for something that is an hour for example I will most likely leave the room a few times, sometimes I lose concentration, but it is mostly because if it is that long I am losing confidence there is an action coming out of it.

I'm not great with managing multiple 'priorities' because you can only do 1 thing really well at any one time. I prefer to block out time I am doing things, usually today is this kind of day, tomorrow I do this other type of work.

Quite often, I'll start at 08:30 because I'm awake and it gives me time to plan for the day and get things ready.
I prefer to finish by 5pm.