Workplace Insights by Adrie van der Luijt
Careers aren’t really ladders, they’re more like messy scribbles with occasional moments of clarity. I’ve spent decades watching talented people waste years chasing what they thought they should want rather than what actually suited them.
The posts in this section reflect what I wish someone had told me thirty years ago: that the most successful careers are built on knowing your strengths, acknowledging your limitations and having the courage to navigate workplace politics without becoming what you despise.
Whether you’re just starting out or questioning decades of choices, you’ll find honest reflections on creating a career that works for you rather than burning yourself out for an organisation that sees you as replaceable.
As AI reshapes our digital landscape, who’s being left behind? A government digital standards pioneer examines the accessibility gaps in current AI systems and provides practical guidance for truly inclusive design in the age of concentrated digital control.
Work-life integration for purpose-driven professionals: A trauma-informed content specialist explains why balance is the wrong goal when your work spans borders and helps vulnerable people.
EA role transformation in an AI-driven world is hampered by a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a management support professional valuable in this transformative era.
A career move can be sideways, diagonal or into territories that aren’t on any organisational chart. The most successful career move isn’t always up.
Analysis of UK government AI skills research reveals how worker “skills gaps” frame masks organisational deployment failures. Why distrust of AI is rational, not a training deficit.
The COVID-19 Inquiry documented a failure that should embarrass everyone in government digital services: no British Sign Language interpretation at press conferences, no accessible formats for emergency guidance. The Inquiry states plainly: “Everyone should be able to understand the action their government is asking them to take.” So where was GDS? Where were the senior content designers? An insider who worked in the Cabinet Office during COVID exposes what went wrong and asks the uncomfortable question: would a future government just outsource this to AI?
Discover how strategic timing in content design affects user trust, cognitive load and accessibility. Learn when to slow down interfaces to improve credibility and when urgency messaging backfires.
The COVID-19 Inquiry documented a failure that should embarrass everyone in government digital services: no British Sign Language interpretation at press conferences, no accessible formats for emergency guidance. The Inquiry states plainly: “Everyone should be able to understand the action their government is asking them to take.” So where was GDS? Where were the senior content designers? An insider who worked in the Cabinet Office during COVID exposes what went wrong and asks the uncomfortable question: would a future government just outsource this to AI?
Discover how AI can transform your user research and testing process while avoiding common pitfalls. Learn a practical framework for using AI responsibly in content design, with real-world examples from GOV.UK and Environment Agency projects. Honest insights about AI hallucinations and where artificial intelligence genuinely enhances research outcomes.
The expertise vacuum created by AI poses risks that go far beyond job losses. It threatens to undermine the very foundations of reasoned decision-making within organisations and society more broadly.