Richard Edwards
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richardedwards.me
Richard Edwards
@richardedwards.me
230 followers 110 following 240 posts
Co-director at @outlandish.com, designing + building socially positive tech (see https://nookcrm.com 🥳). Also UX at https://openux.design
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richardedwards.me
Spotted in our office meeting room this morning 😅 #traitors #celebritytraitors
A whiteboard in an office meeting room. Someone has written very large and neatly across the full board: FULL TRAITORS DISCUSSION ALLOWED.
November 11, 2025 at 9:43 AM
richardedwards.me
This week we pressed the button: NookCRM - the case management tool for #CommunityEnergy groups - is coming out of pilot and is now available for all! #fuelpoverty #opensource #civicrm 🥳🎺🎉
NookCRM
The open source client and case management tool for community energy groups.
nookcrm.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:57 PM
richardedwards.me
If you want to take one practical step TODAY for #digitalsovereignty: use meet.coop instead of Teams, Zoom etc. Spending £9 / month on a basic business tech function that’s *cooperatively owned* is an incredibly low risk and useful step towards a better future.
November 7, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Richard Edwards
powertochange.org.uk
Join us in Westminster for the launch of our new essay collection, marking a decade of Power to Change and the community business movement and looking ahead to the next 10 years.

In-person launch: 18 Nov, panel chaired by @anooshc.bsky.social.

Quick register: lnkd.in/l1k8w
November 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM
richardedwards.me
Well played, team. Well played.
A photo of a tradesperson’s van, belonging to a Metal Roofing Specialist. The business name is Full Metal Jacket.
November 6, 2025 at 3:39 PM
richardedwards.me
Excited to be showcasing NookCRM.com at @commenergyengland.bsky.social‘s WINTER CONFERENCE, on 17 November! 🌟

Plus connecting with CEE members from across England, diving into crucial #CommunityEnergy matters.
🙌 If you want to learn more about how Nook can support your case management come say hi!
Nook CRM
The open source client and case management tool for community energy groups.
NookCRM.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:49 AM
richardedwards.me
Thinks: I can go one more week without a haircut.

Finally sits in barber’s chair: What the hell was I thinking?!
October 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
richardedwards.me
Very cool! The Nook team have built a referral system, allowing one #communityenergy network to receive referrals from Birmingham healthcare orgs *and then push* cases into the relevant partner groups’ CRM.

Mind. Blown. 🤯

Project writeup coming! #civicrm #fuelpoverty
October 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM
richardedwards.me
Our next online NookCRM community meetup is this Wednesday! Come talk about #communityenergy case management, find out about this whacky CRM stuff and more! Energy advisor, manager, developer - all are welcome at casa Nook this Wednesday 😉 🥳

#fuelpoverty
Nook CRM Community Hour
Monthly online sessions for existing Nook users, developers, and potential users, to connect, ask questions, and share insights.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
richardedwards.me
Like all businesses #coops need good financial planning to survive. I’m really happy to come across this super simple method of illustrating your business’s financial health for your team: the £1 model.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=IwoU...
The £1 Model Explained w/ Ai Van Kok
YouTube video by workerscoop
m.youtube.com
September 27, 2025 at 2:23 PM
richardedwards.me
I’m dying! 🤣
rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · Sep 25
Doing 5Live in a minute on ID cards and I'm wracking my brain as to why anyone would need an ID card to report a pothole? Could people get some kind of gold star for reporting more than 10 potholes? Penalised for reporting too many? WHAT IS THE USE CASE?
The public back a “super-digital identity card” to report potholes and missed bin collections, a report by Tony Blair’s institute has suggested.
September 27, 2025 at 10:48 AM
richardedwards.me
This week the NookCRM team are bopping about to the news of: welcoming our 12th #communityenergy org to our CRM pilot AND our becoming a member of @commenergyengland.bsky.social 🥳🎉🥳
A map of England overlaid with the text “I’m a member Community Energy England”
September 23, 2025 at 8:14 AM
richardedwards.me
This
claragt.bsky.social Clara Greo @claragt.bsky.social · Aug 28
Friends, using gen AI to create user personas is a *really* awful idea.

🚩☹️🚩

This suggestion comes from the AI Knowledge Hub prompt library on GOV .uk. Here's the problem:

AI is designed to give you back only what you already know. It will generate what it thinks you want to hear.
a section of an HTML page showing the text: Persona-Based User Stories Develops user stories tailored to different personas based on their goals and challenges User Research - Stakeholder Engagement - Project Planning Usage notes This prompt is intended to support early thinking and ideation. Use it as a companion to spark discussions. It is not a substitute for user research. Always validate insights through real engagement with users. The prompt Copy prompt Project Overview: [BRIEF, 1-2 SENTENCE SUMMARY OF YOUR PROJECT] Personas: [PROVIDE PERSONAS] Instructions: Using the provided personas, create a set of user stories that will guide the development of this project. User Story Format: As a <type of user>, I want to <feature/function> so that <reason/benefit>. INVEST Criteria: Independent: User stories should be independent of each other. Negotiable: The specific details of a user story can be negotiated. 12 equity and justice questions about AI These questions help teams think through and talk about the consequences of using AI. This will help mitigate possible harms, consider hidden effects and check in against organisational values.
August 28, 2025 at 10:20 AM
richardedwards.me
Levant hawkmoth. Just hanging out. 🦋
A very large brown moth in the corner of a dusty window frame.
August 20, 2025 at 7:30 AM
richardedwards.me
Working in tech is weird and wobbly right now. So this month I joined a tech union. Maybe you should too?

#uxdesign #techjobs #holdsteady
Designer? Now is the right time to join a tech union | Open UX Design
Now is the time to claim and exercise what power you have as a designer, before it’s too late. The tech jobs market is changing. For devs and designers this is especially true, and we see it ourselve...
community.openux.design
August 19, 2025 at 4:15 PM
richardedwards.me
Now this is a lovely development. We're starting a regular community of practice for NookCRM users + #communityenergy groups to talk approaches, opine about case management and to generally swap notes. Come join!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nook-crm-c...
Nook CRM Community Hour
Monthly online sessions for existing Nook users, developers, and potential users, to connect, ask questions, and share insights.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
August 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM
richardedwards.me
It took me a while to write this, so excuse me bumping it again! #systemsthinking #uxdesign
August 19, 2025 at 12:33 PM
richardedwards.me
Fully restored from holidays and it’s time to get back into UX! Come UX with me & the Open UX Design community this September 💃🏻🧑‍💻🥳

community.openux.design/c/events/ope...

#uxdesign #uxui
Open UX Design #19 - Come UX with us | Open UX Design
Come, do your UX work with us. You'll be amazed at how productive you can be. 1. Turn up with some work you want to focus on 2. Tell us what you want to do 3. Get to work 4. And after an hour, tell us...
community.openux.design
August 8, 2025 at 1:29 PM
richardedwards.me
More happy tidings! Nook, our CRM for #communityenergy groups, has secured a second batch of funding from the Energy Redress Scheme to develop improved reporting features for orgs working against #fuelpoverty and for #WarmHomes 🥳

nookcrm.com
Nook CRM
The open source client and case management tool for community energy groups.
nookcrm.com
July 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM
richardedwards.me
I'm reeaally excited by these forthcoming workshops from the ex-Innovation Lead at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 🤩🤩🤩 Technology readiness targets ✔️, evidence frameworks ✔️, it's got it all!
#innovation #startups #socialimpact

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/designing-...
Designing and Running an Impactful Pilot Project: Laying the Groundwork
Develop a Theory of Change, define scope, duration, and SMART KPIs to guide your success.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
July 16, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Reposted by Richard Edwards
carolinejmolloy.bsky.social
So much more that could be said about this.

The other day I heard about a previously independent older lady who no longer drives to her social group (or anywhere much) because… she finds the endless parking apps impossible.

Just one more tiny exclusion in the name of “tech efficiency”.
eastangliabylines.co.uk East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · Jul 15
We're building a world that's easy to use…if you're young, sighted, able-bodied and tech-savvy.

But what happens when you're not?

Digital Exclusion is real. And it’s growing.

Kate Moore reports. #AccessibilityMatters
Stay young – the online world isn’t designed for the old
Technology should empower, not exclude. For many, ageing means lost independence in a digital online world built without them in mind
eastangliabylines.co.uk
July 15, 2025 at 7:39 AM
richardedwards.me
As a designer, you have more levers than you think at your disposal: societal, communal, commercial. Do more with them! www.richardedwards.me/pushing-agai...
Pushing against the system - designing for real change
Take a second to consider this design challenge, which was used in a local government design activity I recently took part in. 👇 Household waste is rife. So how might we tackle it? How might we help ...
www.richardedwards.me
July 14, 2025 at 7:40 PM
richardedwards.me
Yesterday we held a fantastic event for #LondonDataWeek, gathering urban ecology data, talking about citizen science, and connecting with lovely people!
A man speaks to a group of people in the street about infrastructure to increase ecological stability. A photo of a black ball like fungi on a tree called King Alfred’s Cakes A photo of a wild barley growing amongst leaves. A group of people in a room sitting around three tables, talking. A slideshow is visible presented on screen in the background
July 10, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Richard Edwards
bhesco.bsky.social
Earlier this year, the UK Govt held a Select Committee which examined how to unlock the potential of #CommunityEnergy.

Here were the findings from Session 2

bhesco.co.uk/blog/unlocki...
#CEF2025
July 9, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reposted by Richard Edwards
vicarogers.bsky.social
Good to see #TechSovreignity front and centre at #CoopCongress. The #coop movement needs to be bolder and braver in controlling its own tech. We have the resources. We just need to channel them appropriately.
July 4, 2025 at 10:12 AM