Today is my first day renting a desk in a co-working space. I’m sitting among other entreprenourial hopefuls and figured that my first point of action should be to catch up on my browser tabs and write a blog post. Y’know, really start with a clean slate like.
The company is named Matepo Research AB and as of this writing I’m offering 1) usability studies, large and small, and 2) foresight workshops, especially targeting the Design Fiction Kit that I localized to Sweden under the Hintlab name. I have a few months runway before I need to get a regular paying job — I’m throwing so much stuff at the walls that I’m afraid I’d not getting the deposit back, had there been one.
As so much these days there’s a lot written about AI – especially how it affects *waves hand all around.* I thought Frank Chimeros essay was a worthwhile attempt:
What surprised me wasn’t the AI hype, though, but the lack of solidarity that came with it. Faced with the story of AI labor displacement, our first instinct as technology workers wasn’t to protect one another, but to search for ways to use the tools to replace our collaborators.
I’m not particularly convinced of his analogy of GenAI use and different approaches to music, but it’s an honest attempt at finding some sort of peace with how the AI worls looks today — oligarchs and all. One sentence in the essey resonated with me:
When the system is designed to respect artists, scale becomes a tool rather than a threat.
This was a good articulation of a dissonance I’ve had for a while: I really don’t mind people using AI as such for whatever purpose, but it’s too easy to do create too much mediocre and intellectually lazy crap, which has the added consequence that it’s drowning out people whose work — ironically — all GenAI has been taught on.
Even if the current AI scene wasn’t a 100% value extracting scam by a few oligarchical players who ought to be strung up and flogged, the signal-to-noise ratio is defeaning. This problem will sooner or later come out in the wash where new services, a revival of “auteurship” or whatever else will happen when people get bored of AI generated Halloween scenes from Friends, but it still doesn’t have to be a problem in itself: Noise can make artful points, but when everyone’s shouting it’s just a waste of breath.
So, I started a company again: Matepo Research AB. My services on offer right now are a mix between what I’ve done with Hintlab — i.e. foresight and design fiction workshops — and what I learned during my two years at ITHS, i.e. UX and accessibility.
As per the name, I’m more into the “research” bit than I am into the UI bit when it comes to design, and I’m extending my ambitions to encompass service design as well as usability. As far as I’m concerned they’re similar enough in method — albeit different in scope — that I feel confident that I can do that as well.
When I posted this on Linkedin a lot of people thought I’d been employed. Which I found childishly funny.
I have a six months long runway to start making money, after which my funds will have run dry. I’m looking to supplement the consulting work with other breadwinning work, and expect that I’ll have to do that for a while.
I’m having a heck of a time trying to find clients though: I’ve never been a good salesperson, so I have a blockage when it comes to selling a value proposition regardless of how good a fit I believe it might be. My thinking has always been that I’d rather work than sell the work, but the point is of course that selling is part of the work and I just have to get with it.
I’m torn between sending emails cold to companies and agencies (I know times are lean and everyone is scrounging for work, so what’s the point in makework by adding to the noise) and on the other hand coming up with a more gimmicky campaign (perhaps similar to the newspaper portfolio I did a while back) to stand out from the crowd. The benefit of a gimmick is that it’s fun to do and might give some leads, the drawback is that it might just be procrastination on my part, will cost money and will eat up what little runway I have left to make a go at this.
To sum up, althought I’m excited about the possibilities in running my own company (again) and I’ve received a lot of moral support from some nice senior people in the buisiness, I’m somewhat nervous about the “business” aspect of running a business.
The first time I used the Plano F0 sketch pad was when I was studying in Karlstad, if I recall correctly. That was back in 1999, and even though I occasionally switched out of necessity, I always got back to it if I had the option. Together with the Shachihata 204 FAXBLAC 0.4 pen it was a perfect combo, and it’s my reference for how writing on paper should feel. I bought a whole bunch of Plano blocks a while back, but I’m on my last block and wanted to order more.
Unfortunately, Plano was run by one man – and the man died with no-one to take over the business. So the F0 block I have now is the last one. Unless someone has a supply stashed away somewhere I’m going to have to either manufacture a similar block myself or find something close enough.
Regardless, I will miss the quirky logo and the feeling of continuity that it gave me. I appreciate well made tools, and the apparent simplicity of pen and paper made me think I’d always have access to it – one purchase away. But someone died and now it’s no longer made
The other day I had a chat with an AI – as one does these days – asking for suggestions on how to build a robotic platform to exterminate the slugs that are infesting our garden. It suggested electro-shocking as means of murder and either a stationary platform with an arm, or a mobile hexapod roamer. As a result I’m starting to look into computer vision and robotics solutions – here’s a similar Hackaday project – to complement my own low tech extermination efforts.
This is new: I’ve previously refrained from killing slugs – I couldn’t consolidate a “minimize pain” approach with killing slugs directly. I’ve gone as far as spreading iron phosphate pellets, reasoning that it gives them a sporting chance not to eat the stuff, and a painless death otherwise. Weak approach, I know.
But this year I planted 40-something tobacco plants which I’m hoping to turn into cigars, and even though I waited as long as I could before putting them in the ground, the fucking critters decimated them. I had hoped that the nicotine would keep the pests away – it seems to keep insects and deer at bay – but one night I plucked over 150 slugs from just one group of tobacco plants. One hundred and fifty! And that’s when I lost my patience with the slimy things and started going after them with a guillotine. But this is a losing proposition – the number of snails in the surrounding areas is so great that for evey one I decapitate, two more show up to take its place.
So next year I’m going full defensive and put up an electric fence around all things I’d like to keep, as well as agressively pursue slugs. Be it with pellets or a robot with a death laser.
The four plants in the greenhouse have managed the best and some leafs are nearing 70cm.
Side note: I’m growing four kinds of tobacco. Two traditional Swedish types – Alida & Per-Pers – as well as Havanna and Monte Calme. I can’t say that I see all that much difference between the plants, but I’ll try to keep them apart when I dry them so to see if I (or more likely Sara) can taste a difference. I got them from tilbudet.se.
Me and my brother travelled to Japan in May 2025, primarily to visit the Expo2025 exhibition in Osaka, but we also made a detour to Tokyo. As usual I shot a bunch of video, and above is a chronological cut.
As is so often the case with my videos, it’s mostly observational and rather detached – as it happens, that’s also rather fitting for Japan: it’s difficult to penetrate the surface of both Osaka and Tokyo. The cities are huge and sprawling and the press of (polite) people will guide you along the path of least resistance to do a lot of shopping and eating.
I like to travel light – I had a less-than-full carry-on with me.
We flew from Stockholm to Osaka via Helsinki, and didn’t bother buying stow-away luggage on the outbound trip. We did figure we’d shop a bit while there though, and the only option was to buy 2×23kg each, which seemed excessive. For some reason, it was cheaper to buy a return flight from the same city rather than from Tokyo.
Most airlines avoid flying over Russia these days, so we took the long way aroundThere is no coherent colour, style or scale to the urban space – neither in Tokyo nor Osaka – which gives rise to some odd buildings and skyscrapers jostling low shotgun housingSmoking has been increasingly banned in Japan, which was a total surprise to me – growing up watching Japanese movies, it seemed everyone smoked all the time. Not so much any longer, only designated areas or some restaurants with fewer than 20 seatings allow smoking. Annoying for a cigar smoker such as I.
There are a lot of arrows and instructions all over the place. The “less is more” approach to information hasn’t won much ground here, and in addition to boxes, arrows and lanes, there are people in uniform every 50 meters that keep announcing to “stay left” or “move along” – I’m assuming that’s what they were saying, since my Japanese is nonexistent.
The most impressive part of the Expo2025 was the giant wooden walkway they’d built around the whole area. Even though we were there in the middle of the week, the queues to get in to any pavillion were prohibitive, often requiring booking using arcane websites.
The Expo website is a complete mess and Reddit is replete with people complaining about their difficulties obtaining tickets or even knowing how to buy the proper ticket. It blows my mind that an event which has required years of planning, millions dollars and international collaborations galore, can screw up something as important as their main platform for selling tickets and informing visitors.
Missing and wanted people on a noticeboard
If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re going to end up in one the many shopping districts. And you will find blinking noisy machines enticing you to grab toys with janky claws. I swear these machines are rigged to drop the stuff on purpose.
In most bathing facilities (Onsen) you’re not allowed to enter with a tattoo. At our hotel you had the option of covering it up if it was small enough, but anything larger and you’re barred and can be thrown out. This seems to be changing though, and we saw a few young Japanese sporting larger sleeve and leg work.
Roof view from APA hotel & resort near Namba, Osaka, with a view over the city
Finding vegan food proved really difficult, which is a shame since Osaka is famous for its cousine. Even when I managed to order some noodles with tofu, they slapped a slice of ham on top of it as garnish. I’m not a picky eater so make do with whatever, but when so much of the culture is centered on sharing food, I miss out on a lot by not partaking in it.
Adorable vegetarian / vegan place – Oko Oko – run by one upbeat woman. One of the few times I ate my fill.
Just like in Poland 20 years ago, a good option for finding vegan food is to look for places with a “healthy” profile. Here we’re in a small restaurant near Kitazawa, close to our apartment in Tokyo.
Don Quijote is a chain of discount stores all over Japan, with the larger ones having dedicated floors for electronics, books, toys and what have you. It wasn’t as cheap as all that, probably because they make a mint off of overwhelmend tourists who appreciate having everything in the same place, but it’s great fun just browsing and buying stuff based on packaging. If you’re looking for bargains, I’d recommend the second hand chain BookOff – especially if you’re looking for toys or clothing.
I have a hard time getting my head around the sexualisation of girls in Japan, and to my eyes it just looks profoundly fucked up. From the old men who rent (seemingly barely pubescent) girls as coffee dates, to kids in bunnysuits luring you into bars, to the really young streetwalkers in some areas, there’s a fetish of childlike girls that’s just straight up pedo. I’m sure one could read up on it and see nuance in the phenomena, and perhaps I’m just ruined by too many years on the uncouth side of the Internet, but it was jarring.
Most interesting places need to be sought out – this cigar bar was two flights of stairs up an anonymous building, and had only place for six. Many places are one-person run shops, which gives a very entreprenourial vibe to the city. Wherever there’s a small space, someone will start a buisiness.
Underground pipes and such marked out on the street – perhaps to aid planning or prevent accidentaly digging through the infrastructure?Colourful manhole cover in Osaka, Japan. These were all over the place, with each municipality or ward springing for their own. The sense of local and community pride really shines through in things large and small.
Shinkansen was a great to experience, but in the end it’s just a train. A fast train, mind you, but a train nonetheless. And I don’t know why I imagined that it’d be noiseless – I probably had it mixed up with a maglev – but it made noise just like trains back home. Comfy and fast though!
Both cities have their power go through the air, which is incongruent with how orderly the street level is. Where each curb and colour on the pavement seems accounted for, the aerial wiring looks choatic and improvised.
One conspiracy theory we were proffered by way of explanation was that when Tokyo wanted to put the power underground, the concrete companies bribed the politicians to keep them in air – since the utility poles were made of armored concrete. And so it has remained.
Once you learn how to navigate the subways, you’re one step closer to be comfortable in the city. Instead of buying a period card we bought single tickets – this was more expensive, but it also made sure that we exited the right way when trying to leave a station, since if you don’t have the correct ticket it won’t let you out. (And if you’ve paid too little for your trip, there are machines that easily allow you to pay the difference by the exit.)
But even if you’re comfortable navigating the metro lines, the stations are still giant by any standard and take time to traverse. The Tokyo metro system handles 6 million passangers daily, and is dimensioned accordingly. Ridiculously large – and if you add some remodelling, repairs and rerouts to the mix, you end up staring at Google maps a lot.
A Hintlab sticker near Shibuya CrossingTomasz wanted to go clubbing so we ended up in The Womb – it was a slow night and mostly tourists, but I’ve never heard a soundsystem sound so good in a club before.Instructions for unpacking a seaweed-wrapped rice snack from a 7/11. These saved me many times over, and I’ve never eaten as much rice as during this trip.
We spent 10 days or so in Japan, split between Osaka and Tokyo, and my reaction was similar to the one I had when visiting New York: It felt like I’d been here before, as if I was an extra in a movie.
If I ever go back to Japan I’d love to make plans to actually do something or learn something. Perhaps a design project of some sort? A documentary work? I need a mission to guide my travels – I’m a pathetic tourist – and I’d make sure to learn more than “thank you” in Japaneese. English is not enough, and Google Translate can only take you so far.
Song is Man, by Appetite, Free Music Archive (CC BY-NC-SA)
I recently got back after short of two weeks in Japan, where me and my brother first went to Osaka for the Expo 2025, and then Tokyo. I ended up buying a whole bunch of stuff, and most of it I bought just cause it was so darn pretty!
The colours, mascots and logos all over the place are really on a different level from what I’m used to, and our trip was spent trying to navigate beyond the facade of consumerism. Which we failed. Still worth the trip though.
Half of Sweden has been coughing since last fall – whatever virus the aliens have release is really doing a number on us. Dry coughing is the new normal, but last week I came down with something more serious, and this past weekend has seen me violently coughing up enough lung tissue to feed a small family, and I’m so fatigued that just walking up the stairs is taxing.
It’s not as bad as back when I had Covid but according to my sportswatch my SpO2 dipped well below 80% some nights, and my average is hovering under 90% – during the pandemic the recommendation was to seek a hospital if you went to 92% so my blood oxygen levels are really shit. I mean, they are shit even in normal circumstances given my asthma, but this weekend was truly a giant pain.
And as much as I have hated hacking and spitting all day, I can only imagine the panic if I’d become too weak to even cough up the garbage that the infection is producing in my lungs: I’d literally be drowning in it. So: despite having torn my throat raw and given my abs the most intense workout in years, I’m thankful that I’m in good enough shape to be able to cough.
As a side note, this ordeal got me motivated to finally read the Kurzgesagt book Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive and we truly are made up of an aweinspiring collection of mechanisms. I can recommend the book if you’re looking for an easy introduction to the human immune system – it’s accessible and pedagogical, just like their videos.
Crossposted at Linkedin, which is my most active community outside of NFL and Reddit.
The increasing polarization of both international relationships as well as intra-national politics has a radicalising effect. As expected, much of it is generated by the perfect storm of power politics and the dismantling of multilateralism that the current US administration is enacting:
The point of the report is not that their short-term predictions are prescient, but that human short-sighted focus on current risks – very real and dangerous as they are – hides the long term problems we should address: global warming, pollution and biosphere depletion, increased national and interantional polarization, the super-ageing societies reliant on immigrants that become second-rate citizens or guest workers.
So perhaps by looking closer to home, and looking further ahead, we could start to discuss not only what we are afraid of today, but what we gives us hope for tomorrow in our societies? Becuse I dearly want to feel more hopeful, and rather than doomscrolling and complaining, is there something I as a UX designer and futures studies practitioner can do to make you feel better?
One major reason that rich democracies are more stable is that capitalist development disperses human, financial, and organizational resources away from the state, generating countervailing power in society.
If you only read one summery of the dangers of the Trump presidency, the above is a good one. It provides examples from 20th century on previous autocratic ambitions and how they’ve played out. Worth a read.
It’s only halfway through February of his first year and I’m already so utterly tired of seeing the face of him or his cronies. It’s time to look over our own houses – Sweden & EU – where the authoritarian tendencies have been on the rise the past thirty years. Just yesterday AFD came in second in the German elections, and that’s a straight-up fascist party.
The idea of the Bicameral mind is that humans quite recently didn’t have a conscious introspective “drive” – but rather we were actually hearing voices that our conscious executive part would execute on. A remainder of this system can be seen in the “commanding voices” of schizophrenics.
If the idea being that humans developed or “turned on” self consiousness some 3000 years ago as a response to societal pressures, is there a way to turn it off again if the pressures change? If we previously thought that our drives and actions were commanded by gods and voices in our heads, what will happen if we once again start giving up our own agency in favour of aligning ourselves with external voices – can we revert into this post-hoc rationality of what it means to be a person?
I’m thinking that there’s a parallell between how I understand Julian Jaynes theory on the bicameral mind and the functions of strong external voices – be they religious or political.
In other words: If we start experiencing what other people are saying as stronger than our internal voice, we will treat it as our own drive. It’s not just a question of a consciously parasocial relationship with gurus or influencers – it’s a genuin interpretation of their “voices” as internalised commands. Hand-to-God these commands drive us, and we want nothing more than to execute on our interpretation of what they say.
It’s not only that we belong to a fandom because we happen to be socialised into it, but that the mechanism of fandom (political, religious, etc) works because it latches on to our bicameral mind that just recently – evolutionarily speaking – was used to obeying commands.
Is this what might happen if we’re once again moving towards an authoritarian and isolationist world, propelled by external crises such as global warming and the knock-on effects of that?
When in fear, listen to the loud voices of confident men telling you how to feel.
