Week in the Life of a Life Hacker

Giulia is an Italian living in London. She came to the city to live with her boyfriend and find a job as a visual designer. She couldn’t find a job in London, so she went to do an internship in New York in the fashion industry, but came back to London to start her own design business. Her design is inspired by migrant communities she goes to observe and meet, in particular migrant women.

ActionsWhat does she need to do?

What does she do?

Why does she do this?

How does she feel about this?

Who does she interact with?

MorningShe needs to get some brunch.

She leaves the commune she lives in to go for a coffee at a place run by friend. She doesn't have to pay for the coffee as it's been bought by someone else. She then buys a "suspended coffee" for a homeless guy she knows.

She knows the homeless guy would love to come to the cafe, but feels embarassed as he can't afford to buy anything. With the "suspended coffee" she's bought, he will be able to go to the cafe without paying for it.

Awake and surprised she doesn't have to pay for the coffee. She loves the idea of "suspended coffees" so buys one for someone who needs the help.

Barista

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LunchShe needs to connect with communities in Kenya so they can describe how they live so it can inspire her designs.

She connects remotely with the communities and they tell what's been going on in their community in the last week. She live illustrates their stories while they talk. This will inspire her designs and be published in their local newspaper they share over mobile.

She wanted to find a way to support women in rural communities, so she got her Kenyan friend who's an engineer in Nairobi to come up with a very simple guide on how to set up remote technology in rural villages to connect to the internet with a mobile.

She feels great that her support is helping communities not only find a voice, but use the technology for other things they need.

Women from rural communities

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AfternoonShe needs to make new connections for the new busines she's set up as a visual designer.

She gets call from an Afghan women living in Brixton who wants a wedding dress designed for her

She used to work with the Afghan community so enjoys designing for them. She got the call thanks to "word of mouth" contact because the community trusted her.

She feels very excited about designing the wedding dress for this woman's special day. She also enjoys making new connections. However, she's also stressed as the day's only just begun and already she's very busy.

Afghan woman

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EveningShe needs to look for a new space for her design studio, because with the extra work she's getting from new customers she needs to hire people to design in her studio.

She discovers this empty building while walking to grab lunch and thinks this could be a great place for her new design studio, as well as for other activities. She thinks about who in her network could help her repurpose this building. She contacts two friends who now work in call centres, but one of them, Francesco, used to be a carpenter, while Manos, used to be a plumber. She proposes to them that if they can repurpose it, then can live in this building, while she also uses it as a design studio.

Francesco and Manos came to London before to look for work, but couldn't find anything, so she thinks this could be their opportunity to return to the city with work and a place they can call and make their home. She also has a deep enough relationship with them to know that even though they work in a call centre, they have other skills which are critical to restoring this empty buildiing.

She feels solidarity with her two friends that they can finally enjoy the city.

Francesco from Italy and Manos from Greece

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How does she feel about this?

Who does she interact with?

NightEncourage her friend to help her design wedding dress for Afghan woman

Coaches her friend Anja, an unemployed fashion designer, to help her design the wedding dress for the Afghan woman.

She sees opportunities in every one. She sees herself in that person.

She feels proud that she has helped her friend get work.

Anja, her friend who is an unemployed fashion designer