Working Notes: #4

Marc Jenkins · 2nd March, 2026

I've facilitated two discovery workshops in the past month. I love running workshops; they're an opportunity to unpack the complexities of a project while listening to what people in different positions have to say.

It's this latter skill – deep listening – that I've been trying to work on lately.

When running a workshop, I try to create a trusted space where people can speak openly and honestly.

I then listen to what's not being said. Notice the tension. Feel the vibe in the room. A good facilitator doesn't rigidly stick to the agenda, they create the conditions for the right conversations to emerge.

During the last workshop I ran, something came up and I had to keep pulling that thread. It felt too important to ignore.

It transpired that the organisation I'm working with has a deep, unspoken resistance to large projects. It came up again and again.

While the workshop was ostensibly about a website redesign, the most important thing I took away from the day was that they had an internal belief that the project was destined to fail before it had even started.

Website redesigns tend to focus on the technical stuff: the CMS, the UX, the content strategy. All of that matters, of course.

But the thing that's often overlooked, and the thing that can make or break a project, is the human side. The culture. The historical baggage. The bureaucracy and internal politics. The lack of communication between teams. Design by committee. The lack of buy-in from senior leadership.

A website redesign isn't just a technical project. A website represents the whole organisation, involves lots of different teams, and requires alignment and ownership to succeed. It's an aspect that many organisations underestimate – heck, I've underestimated it many times, too.

I'm thinking a lot about how to address the human side of website redesign projects. Is it something you'd like me to explore further? Hit reply and let me know.

What I've been writing

Build notes for the new 16by9 site
Notes on the process I followed for the 16by9 website redesign.

Blogs I’m reading
A list of blogs I’m currently subscribed to. I’ve had lots more recommendations, so I’ll be updating this soon.

Book notes: How to Make Sense of Any Mess
Notes from Abby Covert’s book on information architecture.

Slow thinking
I reflect on the value of slow thinking.

What I've been reading

The agile comms handbook by Giles Turnbull
A short and practical guide on how teams can work in the open. I'll be recommending it to clients regularly.

Figcaptions versus alt text
A clear explanation of the difference between an image's alt text and a figure caption.

Hyperlink Hygiene
A useful primer on maintaining link quality and avoiding "link rot" on your website.

Principles of Adaptive Working
Principles to help organisations and teams find more effective ways of working. Worth a read.

PS: Well, look at that. A whole issue without mentioning AI ☺️

PPS: If there's a topic or challenge you're facing that you'd like me to write about, just hit reply.

Have a great week,

Marc