Alastair Somerville
@acuity.design
Clarity and kindness as foundations for work. Information perception in physical & digital places. Facilitation and workshop design for codesign and civic assemblies. Public prototyping on BlueSky. He/him
Pinned
Alastair Somerville
@acuity.design
· Oct 12
How I help organisations and groups is mostly in spaces that people can’t quite define or feel uncomfortable about. Then using workshops to find shared language & purposes
Just listening is best way to start. Happy to listen for free: calendly.com/a-somerville...
Just listening is best way to start. Happy to listen for free: calendly.com/a-somerville...
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
New site for Stroud Valleys Woodcraft Folk bonfire event - small open barn for cooking.
November 15, 2025 at 7:57 PM
New site for Stroud Valleys Woodcraft Folk bonfire event - small open barn for cooking.
Walking Back to Hope questions
Why is your solution an act of violence?
Why is your perspective so nostalgic to a lost past?
Why do you place blame for pain on an Other and not honour the actual pain of your community and ancestors?
Why do you root your sense of self in resentment not gladness?
Why is your solution an act of violence?
Why is your perspective so nostalgic to a lost past?
Why do you place blame for pain on an Other and not honour the actual pain of your community and ancestors?
Why do you root your sense of self in resentment not gladness?
November 15, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Walking Back to Hope questions
Why is your solution an act of violence?
Why is your perspective so nostalgic to a lost past?
Why do you place blame for pain on an Other and not honour the actual pain of your community and ancestors?
Why do you root your sense of self in resentment not gladness?
Why is your solution an act of violence?
Why is your perspective so nostalgic to a lost past?
Why do you place blame for pain on an Other and not honour the actual pain of your community and ancestors?
Why do you root your sense of self in resentment not gladness?
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
The narrative spiral of hate is matched by one of hope. acuity.design/walking-back... Walking people back as possibility?
November 15, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The narrative spiral of hate is matched by one of hope. acuity.design/walking-back... Walking people back as possibility?
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
“Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”
November 15, 2025 at 6:15 AM
“Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”
A post about Active Hope and Active Hate acuity.design/walking-back... - how we could perhaps walk people back from right-wing radicalisation
Walking back to Hope – Acuity Design
acuity.design
November 15, 2025 at 9:52 AM
A post about Active Hope and Active Hate acuity.design/walking-back... - how we could perhaps walk people back from right-wing radicalisation
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
"In the UK, more than half of bank transfer scams recorded in 2023 originated on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, all of which are owned by Meta"
The F***b**k ratio of ads to thing you're interested in is 20:1
Few of these are safe and meta don't give a F*******k
www.which.co.uk/news/article...
The F***b**k ratio of ads to thing you're interested in is 20:1
Few of these are safe and meta don't give a F*******k
www.which.co.uk/news/article...
Leaked Meta documents predicted 10% of its revenue came from scam ads in 2024 - Which?
The social media giant projected earnings of $16bn from scam and banned adverts on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
www.which.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:09 AM
"In the UK, more than half of bank transfer scams recorded in 2023 originated on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, all of which are owned by Meta"
The F***b**k ratio of ads to thing you're interested in is 20:1
Few of these are safe and meta don't give a F*******k
www.which.co.uk/news/article...
The F***b**k ratio of ads to thing you're interested in is 20:1
Few of these are safe and meta don't give a F*******k
www.which.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
the world is a bit smaller tonight with the death of Alice Wong. if you aren't familiar with who she was please pick up any of her books.
Disability Visibility anthology
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century (Vintage Books, 2020) Click here for more about the anthology adapted for young people. Order paperback, e-bo…
disabilityvisibilityproject.com
November 15, 2025 at 6:04 AM
the world is a bit smaller tonight with the death of Alice Wong. if you aren't familiar with who she was please pick up any of her books.
In Active Hope workshop today. It’s a theory I knew nothing about. I was struck by how the hope spiral mirrors the radicalisation narrative used by the Right. One roots in gratitude and one in resentment 1/2
November 14, 2025 at 11:16 PM
In Active Hope workshop today. It’s a theory I knew nothing about. I was struck by how the hope spiral mirrors the radicalisation narrative used by the Right. One roots in gratitude and one in resentment 1/2
We seek Utopia in the Now and the Nowhere
(in an Active Hope workshops all day so just making notes)
(in an Active Hope workshops all day so just making notes)
November 14, 2025 at 11:47 AM
We seek Utopia in the Now and the Nowhere
(in an Active Hope workshops all day so just making notes)
(in an Active Hope workshops all day so just making notes)
Labour making economic politics sound more like Celebrity Traitors. What will we discover next episode? Is Wes a Traitor? Will they vote at the Cabinet Table?
'When those decisions are made the Chancellor will announce them'
On #BBCBreakfast Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy responds to reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has ditched plans to increase income tax in the Budget
On #BBCBreakfast Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy responds to reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has ditched plans to increase income tax in the Budget
November 14, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Labour making economic politics sound more like Celebrity Traitors. What will we discover next episode? Is Wes a Traitor? Will they vote at the Cabinet Table?
Avoiding hard Income Tax decision maintains a fantasy economic solution plan space for Farage/Reform to exist in and exploit.
Tightening the political space is needed when authoritarian populists can just lie and fabricate.
Tightening the political space is needed when authoritarian populists can just lie and fabricate.
November 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Avoiding hard Income Tax decision maintains a fantasy economic solution plan space for Farage/Reform to exist in and exploit.
Tightening the political space is needed when authoritarian populists can just lie and fabricate.
Tightening the political space is needed when authoritarian populists can just lie and fabricate.
Deep-fake tech causing narrative problems as did mobile phones for horror/thrillers
My review of The Running Man (dir. Edgar Wright) is up here: www.theguardian.com/film/2025/no...
The Running Man review – Glen Powell sprints through fun update of Stephen King future-shock sci-fi satire
Full-tilt chase sequences, a punk aesthetic and a sugar-rush soundtrack, means there is plenty of enjoyment to be had as Edgar Wright goes back to King’s original 1982 novel
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Deep-fake tech causing narrative problems as did mobile phones for horror/thrillers
Character in William Gibson Blue Ant novels who is viscerally aware of brands. A visit to Aldi with its almost but not quite packaging would presumably be hideous torture for her. Today’s sighting is not-quite Pizza Express salad dressing
November 13, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Character in William Gibson Blue Ant novels who is viscerally aware of brands. A visit to Aldi with its almost but not quite packaging would presumably be hideous torture for her. Today’s sighting is not-quite Pizza Express salad dressing
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
Great to see a digital design tool that starts with a problem statement and defined benefits (not actually optional).
Remember: don't build anything creepy and weird!
Remember: don't build anything creepy and weird!
New thing! The @carefultrouble.bsky.social Careful Consequence Check is now live and free to use. Based on research with the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, this practical tool will help you answer the question "is my AI product creepy and weird" www.careful.industries/consequences
November 13, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Great to see a digital design tool that starts with a problem statement and defined benefits (not actually optional).
Remember: don't build anything creepy and weird!
Remember: don't build anything creepy and weird!
Reposted by Alastair Somerville
Never turn the replies on for a joke, or a parody, or a satire.
If it works then people will enjoy it without a comment. (Or they can just scroll past.)
And you will be spared the earnest, soul-destroying 'actually' replies disputing the premise or 'correcting' the content which make one weep.
If it works then people will enjoy it without a comment. (Or they can just scroll past.)
And you will be spared the earnest, soul-destroying 'actually' replies disputing the premise or 'correcting' the content which make one weep.
November 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Never turn the replies on for a joke, or a parody, or a satire.
If it works then people will enjoy it without a comment. (Or they can just scroll past.)
And you will be spared the earnest, soul-destroying 'actually' replies disputing the premise or 'correcting' the content which make one weep.
If it works then people will enjoy it without a comment. (Or they can just scroll past.)
And you will be spared the earnest, soul-destroying 'actually' replies disputing the premise or 'correcting' the content which make one weep.
'You may have new messages' pop up from WhatsApp on laptop is tiresomely vague
November 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
'You may have new messages' pop up from WhatsApp on laptop is tiresomely vague
Politicians appear allergic to the Knowledge Economy being real and thus only the effect of cuts upon local shops/cafes is perceivable to them
'The prospect of hundreds of job cuts at Lancaster University could damage the city's economy, students have warned.'
'Could'? Surely 'will'.
'Could'? Surely 'will'.
Fears Lancaster University job cuts would hit city's businesses
Lancaster University is seeking to cut 400 full-time posts as part of efforts to save £30m.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Politicians appear allergic to the Knowledge Economy being real and thus only the effect of cuts upon local shops/cafes is perceivable to them
Asking for people to help care needs respect for what they already bear. Ask about past as well as futures in the present.
November 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Asking for people to help care needs respect for what they already bear. Ask about past as well as futures in the present.
Elegant Variation en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped... as a problem and something AI is trained to use (as a probabilty/proximity word machine).
Using a thesaurus too much is a dilemma, predicament, pitfall, conundrum, etc.
Using a thesaurus too much is a dilemma, predicament, pitfall, conundrum, etc.
en.wikipedia.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Elegant Variation en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped... as a problem and something AI is trained to use (as a probabilty/proximity word machine).
Using a thesaurus too much is a dilemma, predicament, pitfall, conundrum, etc.
Using a thesaurus too much is a dilemma, predicament, pitfall, conundrum, etc.
Big datasets of interesting person/lifestyle photos created by AI to boost Tinder appeal as judged by AI
techcrunch.com/2025/11/05/t...
*We can just glance at your pictures and we already know who you want to have sex with #AI
*We can just glance at your pictures and we already know who you want to have sex with #AI
November 13, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Big datasets of interesting person/lifestyle photos created by AI to boost Tinder appeal as judged by AI
Hitler Diaries to Hitler DNA's - there is nothing meaningful to learn from either as they both depend on fictionality
November 13, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Hitler Diaries to Hitler DNA's - there is nothing meaningful to learn from either as they both depend on fictionality
The history of literacy assumes reading was an elite/upper class skill that was spread thru schooling into mass literacy
However, it’s also possible that elite weren’t very literate but employed scribes/secretaries/lawyers and that mass literacy hid their continued lack of skills.
However, it’s also possible that elite weren’t very literate but employed scribes/secretaries/lawyers and that mass literacy hid their continued lack of skills.
November 13, 2025 at 10:00 AM
The history of literacy assumes reading was an elite/upper class skill that was spread thru schooling into mass literacy
However, it’s also possible that elite weren’t very literate but employed scribes/secretaries/lawyers and that mass literacy hid their continued lack of skills.
However, it’s also possible that elite weren’t very literate but employed scribes/secretaries/lawyers and that mass literacy hid their continued lack of skills.