Take 10 with…Tamsin Eldridge, Senior Designer at Ryman Healthcare
In 2020, during level 4 and 3 of Aotearoa New Zealand’s COVID response we launched Take 10 With… an article series with you – to do a pulse check on how our community was feeling, working, what you missed, and learn about your hopes for the future.
We had feedback that you really enjoyed the series so we have tweaked the questions and invited more of our friends and peers to participate in these candid profiles of Aotearoa NZ designers today as we navigate this lockdown throughout August and September 2021 in levels 4 and 3.
1. Who are you? What’s your day job and where do you work?
Tamsin Eldridge, I am a Senior Designer at Ryman Healthcare.
2. Who’s in your bubble this lockdown?
My husband and our 6 year old twins.
3. What do you like about lockdown?
I’m really enjoying the more relaxed mornings, taking the time to be more mindful about where/how our bubble time is spent. It feels great to go for wanders around the neighbourhood and see some of our community doing the same. We’re also enjoying the warmer weather and lighter mornings
4. What do you miss in lockdown?
I miss catching up face-to-face with friends and colleagues. I love being around people and feeling the inspiration and joy that often comes from random, unplanned conversations.
Some recent work
5. What are you working on this week?
This week, with a couple of projects being inevitably put on hold for a little while, I’ve been drafting out marketing plans and timelines, scheduling future publications and design resource, and looking at our longer term innovation projects to get an indication of Covid-impact. It’s all fairly changeable at the minute but it’s still good to catch up with stakeholders and project teams to check-in on how people are going as we navigate the current environment and search out the opportunities.
6. What are you struggling with at present?
With the extended lockdown comes a sense of the unknown, and whilst the feeling can be liberating in the way it forces us to slow down, it also means that the joy I get from planning becomes a little more of a struggle – so now we have a plan A, B and C and lots of communication and flexibility in between.
7. What did you do this week to relax?
Cook – those that know me well know that cooking is not my forte – I’m more of a ‘use every utensil and bowl in sight, triple the prep time and the inevitable clean-up kind-a-cook’ – but I do find it relaxing working through the process and being able to enjoy something yummy at the end. During the first lockdown I was persuaded by the kids that we should bake Pain Au Chocolates. Just a heads up for anyone else blissfully unaware of such things; the time involved to make this type of croissant dough recipe is a full-day commitment!
My workstation
8. How are you taking care of yourself and others?
Checking-in with friends, family, and colleagues as connection is important for me and my mental health. Getting outside in the sunshine feels great and helps the kids to burn through their endless amounts of energy.
9. What’s a book or podcast you’re enjoying at present or one you’d recommend and why?
I love listening to the podcast No such thing as a fish – presented by the researchers of the British panel game QI. Each week they discuss a favourite fact that they’ve come across that week; it’s insightful and hilarious – a very entertaining way of learning some (mostly useless) facts with some wonderful belly laughs along the way!
10. What’s a movie or series you watched this week or one you’d recommend and why?
I’ve recently been hooked by British detective series Scott & Bailey, it’s an oldie but who doesn’t love being able to plough through a series without the wait in between episodes?! If you enjoy this genre without too much gore then I would recommend it.
