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Patternmakers 4/2/20 Patternmakers 4/2/20

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This week, we’re launching a podcast. ‘Theory of Creativity’ is a series of weekly interviews with experts in research, economics, innovation, advocacy and policy. Here’s some of the reasons why we’re taking time out from client work, to do some listening and learning.

This week, we’re launching a podcast. ‘Theory of Creativity’ is a series of weekly interviews with experts in research, economics, innovation, advocacy and policy.

It has meant time away from client work, my team and my family. I’ve been asked ‘why’, ‘why now’, ‘why a podcast’ and my favourite, ‘shouldn’t you charge people for that advice?’ Here are my answers.

Where did the idea come from?

After participating in the Australia Council’s Arts Leaders Program 2016-2018, I reflected that many of our conversations on the program related to one of three central needs for arts and cultural organisations: reaching more people, securing funding and creating positive impacts through our work.

I’ve spent 10 years in the arts as a researcher, and seen how the right ideas and insights can enable teams to achieve ambitious goals. But applying insights in the arts is not straightforward. Partly because there are complex tensions between what’s artistically interesting, financially viable and socially impactful.

A new decade is here, and I firmly believe in the power of the arts to be a force for good in the world. But if we’re to realise the full potential of a creative society, as a sector we need to be bigger, better and stronger. With this podcast, I’m making sure cultural professionals can access the best possible thinking and insights, from experts that really know their stuff.

Who is on the podcast?

All the guests on Theory of Creativity are leaders in their field. In the first season, this includes experts in audience research, economics, policy and design thinking - who know how to apply these tools in the arts sector.

For many of the interviews, I’m joined by an Australian arts leader, including many of my colleagues on the leadership program. I’m grateful to colleagues who collaborated with me in developing the podcast: Simon Abrahams, Amy Maiden, Jade Lillie, Erin Milne, Kate Eltham, Morwenna Collett, Anna Reece and many more - you know who you are!

What is in each episode?

Listeners can expect to hear a friendly and frank interview with an expert. Each episode goes for about 45 minutes, and in that time, we cover, the details of their practice, key successes and challenges for that field, and tips for those applying these techniques in their organisations.

We also cover useful resources, further reading, and what lies ahead in their area of expertise. At 45 minutes, it’s designed to be digestible during a commute or workout.

Why a podcast?

Podcasts are the only media that I believe give you your time back. All other media - whether that be reading article, attending a discussion event, doing online training - require you to give up your time to engage.

Podcasts are designed to be consumed while commuting, cooking, walking, doing the laundry. As a busy working mum myself, I’m hooked on podcasts! If you haven’t yet got into podcasting - give it a go!

Who is it for?

The target audience for the podcast is leaders and mid-career professionals in the arts and culture sector. So, people working in theatre companies, museums, galleries, festivals. They might be CEOs or Artistic Directors, Marketing Managers, Program Officers or Directors of Development.

It’s for anyone who is thirsty for more knowledge, more insight, who believes that we have greater potential as a sector.

How have you produced the podcast?

Pretty much everything has been done in-house by me and my wonderful team. I used the media room at our co-working space Hub Hyde Park to conduct interviews. I bought a second hand Yeti microphone to interview while I’m travelling. I also use Skype for some interviews. In editing, we used free Audacity software. I purchased a music track by Pop Villains on music platform Premium Beat. Our freelance designer Marchelle Matthew produced the artwork for the podcast, and set us up with templates in Canva. My colleagues Jodie Bombardier and Aurora Nowosad produce the show notes for every episode, using transcription service Rev. The podcast is published via Whooshka, a free podcasting platform, and that pushes the episodes through to Apple iTunes and Spotify,

Knowing absolutely nothing about podcasting before I started, it has been a sharp learning curve, and really this is only the beginning. I could list 100 things that aren’t right about our first episodes, but I’m super proud that they are done and out there in the world. Now we can start work finding ways to improve the experience for our listeners.

I was able to access a small amount of seed funding from the Australia Council, which has enabled me to cover some key costs for the first season. Otherwise, we have done it all on a shoestring with a few late nights!

Shouldn’t you charge people for that advice?

This one’s easy. No. We’re honoured to work one-on-one with our clients - and we put in 110% on every job. But as a sector we have so much to do!

This podcast is about serving our wider community of culture professionals. If this helps us serve you better, job done.

What are your aspirations for the podcast?

I hope this podcast helps arts and cultural professionals stay informed about the techniques that are available to them, and to be wise to the success factors for applying them in their own organisation. I hope it helps build research literacy in the sector, and that we have better conversations because of it.

I hope it allows for more nuance, in discussing complex topics.

By undertaking the interviews, I hope to build my own understanding how how they can be applied in combination to grow and strengthen organisations. Already I’ve learned so much!

Ultimately, I hope that it helps us collectively to reach more people and do more good in the world.

I’d love to hear your ideas. You can get in touch any time with us at theoryofcreativity@thepatternmakers.com.au

About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director, Patternmakers

Tandi is a researcher and management consultant in the cultural sector (and now, host of the Theory of Creativity podcast!)

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Patternmakers 29/1/20 Patternmakers 29/1/20

Resolutions for a new and different year

Our team is back at work after the holiday season. It's early days, but we know we want to work differently in 2020. Here are some of our #newyearsresolutions.

As we welcome in a new decade, it's time for new ways of working.

This summer, Australia's tragic bushfires have had such an enormous impact: environmentally, socially, politically. It feels like the universe has shifted and we all need to rethink our place within it.

My team met for our first team meeting of the year yesterday, and I won't lie. I didn't get that exciting 'back to school' feeling that I usually do. It felt wrong to say 'happy new year!', chat about our holidays, how much we ate and what Santa brought for our kids.

Mostly, we talked about the fires (#AustraliaisBurning), about single-use plastics, about sustainable travel. We talked about how wrong many of our summer traditions feel (fireworks, plastic toys, Christmas lights, shopping on the sales).

We started to reflect on all our roles and responsibilities: what the Government should be doing, what businesses should be doing, and what we should be doing as individuals. As a team we are only at the beginning of this journey, and though we had lots of great questions (we are research geeks after all) we had few answers.

I don't yet have the answers of how Patternmakers will change, but over lunch a set of #newyearsresolutions emerged. I'm sharing them here to say publicly: we will be working differently in 2020 and beyond.

Patternmakers Resolutions for 2020

We will think about the impact of our decisions, and use our skills to help others understand the impact of theirs.

We will continue to serve the arts and culture sector as a force for good in the world - and we'll explore working with other good causes where we can make a difference.

We will be active citizens: openly reflecting, joining discussions and sharing our ideas publicly and often.

We will work with teams that want to make a bigger contribution.

We’ll prioritise the exciting and meaningful research questions to tackle, over #vanitymetrics and #boxticking.

We’ll be stronger and smarter, not bigger.

We will travel; slowly & consciously.

We’ll stay true to our core values of integrity, support, creativity and positivity.

We’ll put as much effort into looking after ourselves and eachother, as we do into helping others.

Do you have new year's resolutions this year?

...

The image featured above is from a Team Day we had in 2018, organised by Penny Cannan with Parva Little Things. We made our own lip balm and body scrub using pantry items like coffee grounds, essential oils and salt. I'd choose something like this over the pub any day!

Patternmakers 12/12/19 Patternmakers 12/12/19

Our 2019 team highlights

2019 has brought its successes and challenges. In this post, MD Tandi Palmer Williams reflects on the highlights and learnings.

2019 is the last year of the decade, and in many ways it has felt like a coming of age. It’s now my fifth year in business, having started freelancing as a research consultant in 2016, and I’m finally beginning to feel settled - though the learnings just keep coming!

As a team, we’ve achieved so much, but there is still so much work to do! Arts and cultural organisations are lagging behind other not-for-profit sectors in terms of capturing data about their impact, and our fundraising is not yet delivering the rates of return seen in other sectors.

But there is a lot to feel good about too - and one of my big lessons is to pause more, express gratitude and reflect on how far we’ve come. Here are some of our team’s highlights of the year that was 2019.

Audience Research Toolkit released

After two years in development, involving a needs analysis, data collection, co-design workshops, and user testing, Creative Victoria’s Audience Research Toolkit was launched.

Designed to help the small-to-medium creative arts sector conduct ‘DIY‘ research in-house, we developed the toolkit’s tools, templates and guidance for surveys, focus groups and data analytics.

I spoke with artsHub about the toolkit and how it can help creative arts organisations develop audiences and build engagement.

Visit the toolkit at www.creative.vic.gov.au/toolkit

GENEXT report published

We were delighted to see our research for the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) published as a report, ‘By young people, for young people: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA’.

The research found that by empowering a committee of teenagers to program regular festival-style museum ‘take-overs’, the institution has created a safe space for young people to express themselves. It has also led to audience development: past participants in GENEXT are more likely to attend the MCA, make art themselves, buy works of art and donate to arts organisations.

The research was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald in September.

Speaking about audience development

In August I was thrilled to co-present at Performing Arts Connections in QLD with our client, Rebecca Bennell from The Cube Wodonga. We talked about Actioning Change: converting research to reality in regional venues.

Since working together on an audience development plan in 2017, The Cube has gone on to grow ticket sales, increase membership income and diversify their audience. Rebecca shared what has worked, and what hasn’t, and I spoke about the lessons for audience development.

It’s been a real honour to work in partnership in this way and see what a great team can do with research.

Presenting at Culture 2.0 in St Petersburg

In November I was invited to speak on a panel as a part of the St Petersburg International Cultural Forum. The subject was where the world is heading, and how cultural institutions are innovating in relation to global trends.

It was an honour to be one of the only Australians at the event, but it was challenging too! Speaking to a foreign audience, with live translation in Russian and Chinese, it really put my speaking skills to the test, in a good way!

It also forced me to ‘zoom out’ on our work and put it in the context of global issues. I spoke about how Australian cultural institutions are delivering public value and contributing to topics like climate change, diversity and migration, and youth mental health.

On stage at Culture 2.0 in St Petersburg. Image credit:

Working with a team of legends

One of the highlights of this year, and of my life generally, has been working with a team of super bright, incredibly talented and supportive people.

Our newest team member Bianca Mulet is our rising star, creating sharp insights from all kinds of data. Dr Catherine Davis has brought sociology to our team, which we have all learned so much from, and Jodie Bombardier our Operations Manager connects all the dots behind the scenes to make everything flow!

In 2020, we’re looking forward to having Aurora Nowosad back after her baby break, and farewelling Catherine as she takes on new challenges. It’s such an honour to work with these stars and I’m incredibly grateful for their support and commitment to our vision.

There are many, many more highlights - but I’ll leave it there for this year. The working year is not quite done and there are deadlines to be hit, presents to wrap and sparkling wine to drink!

Over summer, I’ll be sharing some predictions for 2020, and how we can continue working together to grow culture, creativity and community.

See you then!

About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

2019 team highlights

2019 has brought its successes and challenges. In this post, MD Tandi Palmer Williams reflects on the highlights and learnings.

Audience Research Toolkit released

After two years in development, involving a needs analysis, data collection, co-design workshops, and user testing, Creative Victoria’s Audience Research Toolkit was launched.

Designed to help the small-to-medium creative arts sector conduct ‘DIY‘ research in-house, we developed the toolkit’s tools, templates and guidance for surveys, focus groups and data analytics.

I spoke with artsHub about the toolkit and how it can help creative arts organisations develop audiences and build engagement.

GENEXT report published

We were delighted to see our research for the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) published as a report, ‘By young people, for young people: A report on the impact of GENEXT at the MCA’.

The research was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald in September.

Speaking about audience development

It’s been a real honour to work in partnership in this way and see what a great team can do with research.

Presenting at Culture 2.0 in St Petersburg

Working with a team of legends

One of the highlights of this year, and of my life generally, has been working with a team of super bright, incredibly talented and supportive people.

There are many, many more highlights - but I’ll leave it there for this year. The working year is not quite done and there are deadlines to be hit, presents to wrap and sparkling wine to drink!

Over summer, I’ll be sharing some predictions for 2020, and how we can continue working together to grow culture, creativity and community.

See you then!

About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 20/4/19 Patternmakers 20/4/19

What career advice would you give your younger self?

In March 2019, our Founder Tandi Palmer Williams joined a panel at a KYHO Networking event called ‘Breaking the Mould’, held at UTS Startups. In this post, she shares her experience of imposter syndrome, burnout and entrepreneur lessons, in case it helps anyone out there embarking on a journey of their own.

I recently had the honour of speaking at a KYHO Networking event called ‘Breaking the Mould’, held at UTS Startups. It was a great conversation, covering imposter syndrome, mentoring, burnout and entrepreneur lessons. I thought I’d share my responses to some of the facilitators questions, in case this helps anyone out there embarking on a journey of their own.

Can you describe what your career path has looked like from graduating university to where you are now?

I spent the first seven years of my career at professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Firstly graduating as a Chartered Accountant, I then retrained as an Economics and Policy consultant and helped organisations conduct economic analysis to inform their strategy. It was a real thrill seeing my work leading to regulatory change, major investment and international partnerships - and I learned a lot from some talented economists.

But in all honesty, I was miserable. I was working late into the night, sometimes on jobs not aligned with my values, and my health was starting to be affected.

I could see that some things that we innately know are important, like cultural expression, sense of community and social bonding – aren’t easily measured in dollars and cents. I was working my butt off, but it wasn’t for what I believed really mattered.

I became fascinated with fields like cultural economics, triple bottom line accounting and social return on investment, and eventually followed my passion into the cultural sector and worked for three years in Research & Strategic Analysis at the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body.

After falling in love with my (now) husband, I moved to the UK and worked for two years at Nesta, managing the research elements of the $5m Digital R&D Fund for the Arts. I’m grateful for that experience seeing the inside of an innovation lab and having opportunities to work with some of the world’s most iconic institutions like the Royal Opera House.

I started Patternmakers back in Australia in 2016 after I had been freelancing for one year full time. Today I lead our brilliant team of four researchers, and a network of contractors and advisors across Australia and internationally.

At what moment did you decide it was right for you to start Patternmakers? What has the reception been like, and how did that feel?

From Covent Garden to Colac (VIC), I began to realise that many arts organisations and cultural institutions were experiencing similar issues: trying to grow audiences, secure funding and deliver greater impact.

I’ve now worked with organisations of all different structures and sizes and I’ve seen how some organisations grow and really make a difference, even in hard times when there’s an economic downturn, or public funding is declining.

They do it by becoming insightful institutions. It’s not about counting dollars and cents. If you’re an impact-driven organisation you need to be adopting the practises of research and insight to reach more people, secure funding and deliver even more good in the world.

Today, Patternmakers supports cultural organisations to become more insightful and impactful. With my team of researchers and strategists, we help cultural leaders collect data, create experiences people love, evaluate their impact, build compelling business cases and share their knowledge to grow the sector and change the world.

We’ve now been operating for two and a half years, and demand for our services has led to us to grow really strongly. It’s been a real rollercoaster.

But my reasons were also somewhat selfish… When my husband and I started planning a family, I started thinking about how I could grow a great business that could allow me to work flexibly.

I’m really pleased that I can now support other parents the same opportunity to balance work and family.

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome? If so, how have you broken out of that thinking?

Of course. We all live in fear that someone will find out that we’re not good enough to be doing what we do.

But I try and channel it into self improvement and professional development. I can recommend the book ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’.

Do not let imposter syndrome stop you doing things. Just make a commitment to yourself that fear and self doubt and insecurity is not going to be the driver of what you do & don’t do.

What advice would you have to young women who are entering the workforce and are feeling like a fraud or an imposter?

What I’m learning about tackling imposter syndrome is that it can help to identify and articulate the value that we bring to any conversation. Saying ‘I’m only this’ or ‘I’m just that...’ is not helping anyone. Even the youngest person in the room has something that no one else has: the perspective of youth and everyone wants to tap into that.

A colleague of mine Kathryn Geels, who now leads the Engaged Journalism Accelerator, recently shared with me the value of taking time out to reflect on your work, roles, track record and really articulate what your unique perspective is.

So for me, it’s that I understand the language of both art and maths. And it’s not until my 30s that I could see the patterns and connections and the narrative of my career, but looking back, it was always there.

How should a young person starting out go about accessing mentorship or acquiring a mentor?

Getting good guidance is critical. And there are actually three types of mentors I have accessed at different times: a great boss, a coach, and several mentors.

I’ve been lucky to have several great bosses in my journey, such as Bridget Jones, who taught me about the value of quality research closely linked with strategy. We were joint recipients of the Award for Collaboration at the Australia Council which was a great honour.

It definitely pays to seek out jobs with someone amazing to report to. You can even do reverse checks on them!

A great coach is also gold. I’ve worked with Monica Davidson from Creative Plus Business for the past three years and it has been partially subsidised by the NSW Government through Business Connect. So valuable.

A mentor, or in my opinion several mentors also play an important role. And as my co-panellist, career coach Rebecca McFarland, pointed out. It’s perfectly fine to have mentors that don’t know you are their mentor!

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?

In the early part of my career it was managing burnout and navigating organisational dynamics. As an ambitious, self-motivated employee there are times when bureaucracy can slow things down and it can grate when you hit certain roadblock. But there are many things to be learned in such situations too.

Since starting Patternmakers, the challenges are many, but so are the rewards! Producing work that is very high quality, while balancing the books does lead to many late nights, very few true holidays and worryingly blurred boundaries between work and everything else.

They say the entrepreneurs journey is a financial one and I tend to agree. There is a lot to learn about managing cash flow, assessing profitability and getting to know your business model inside out, and with every recruit, it can change. There have been months when I’ve wondered how we will make payroll, but it is a great discipline in becoming very, very resourceful.

In the next five years an area that will be demanding for me is HR and recruitment. Because for a business at this particular stage (and frankly, life generally) it’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people.

Did you receive a piece of advice when you were starting out that was particularly influential?

Don’t hesitate to put yourself forward. A good friend of mine, Morwenna Collett, encouraged me to apply for the Australia Council’s Arts Leaders Program. At the last minute, I put in an application. It was successful and it ended up being a pivotal experience that has shaped my world ever since.

If someone asks for a volunteer, put your hand up. If you see an award category that’s relevant to you, put an application in! You’ll be surprised how often you get further than you think. And building a great track record is the best thing you can do for your career.

What advice would you have liked to have heard?

Trust your instincts. I’ve taken on projects that I knew weren’t the right fit - and learned my lesson the hard way. More and more, I want to be selective about the people, projects and ideas that I let into my life.

And enjoy the journey! Research is the most exciting, enriching, fulfilling career. Being in the field, meeting people, hearing about their lives is such an honour and it’s so important to love what you do each day.

About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

Between 2013 and 2015, she was Research Manager for the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts, based at Nesta in London.

Be in the loop

2018: a great big Patternmaking year

When Tandi decided to spend a few months freelancing as a culture researcher in 2016, I had very little idea of the learning curve ahead. In this post, our MD Tandi Palmer Williams shares the rewards and challenges of our biggest, best year yet.

When I decided to spend a few months freelancing as a research consultant in 2016, I could never have predicted the rollercoaster ride that lay ahead.

Three and a half years later, research agency Patternmakers is a thriving team of five. We’ve conducted research in five Australian States and Territories, the UK and in several Asian countries, helping culture professionals use evidence to grow their audiences, secure funding and amplify their impact.

Our monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Update, which started as an informal bulletin for a small network of colleagues, is now read by hundreds of culture professionals around the world each month.

Over the same timeframe, my team has delivered four new babies into the world! Needless to say, we are learning a lot about balance, prioritisation and perspective.

As 2018 draws to a finish, I thought I'd reflect on the successes and challenges of the year.

January: leadership program

In January I completed the final residency of the Arts Leaders Program, and returned to working four days a week after my baby break in 2017. It was an honour to participate in the program from 2015-2017 and learn from some of Australia's most exciting artists and arts managers. Particularly during a time when I was faced with a lot of choices to make about my career, family and lifestyle.

If you're considering applying to the program (or taking on any career challenge) while raising a family, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go for it! Do get in touch if I can help you in any way.

Arts Leaders Program participants in Hobart, January 2018

February: touring review

In February, Patternmakers was appointed by the Victorian Government to conduct a Review of Touring and Engagement, in partnership with Professor Peter Matthews. Travelling across Victoria throughout March, we held six open forums, conducted interviews and visited cultural sites - and saw with our own eyes the importance (and further potential) of a strong touring environment. A great chance to enjoy Victoria in all its autumnal magnificence!

The complexity of touring made this project enormously challenging, but it goes without saying that the chance to contribute to its future is rewarding. Having delivered our report, we are continuing to work with Creative Victoria to refine the recommendations and operational considerations ahead of further announcements in 2019.

April: impact partnership

In April we were appointed Impact Partner to BlakDance, and will be working alongside the organisation over the next three years to 'catch' and 'keep' stories about First Nations dance. I'm grateful for the opportunity to refine our practices with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, I know we’ll learn a lot.

I’m really excited that it’s not just a one-off project, but a three year relationship. We'll be sharing our insights with you as this work unfolds.

May: presenting at Vivid Ideas

Vivid Sydney arrived in May 2018 and we were delighted to present a sold out discussion event, Data after Dark at the 107 rooftop in Redfern. It was a spectacular evening of wine, cheese and statistics (a match made in heaven!). Based on the success of the evening we will be expanding the event into a discussion series that will be touring Australia in 2019. Please get in touch if you think this sounds like something you need in your life!

Research Manager Brooke Boyce presenting at Data after Dark: Vivid Sydney

June: toolkit testing

Since mid-2017 we have been working with Creative Victoria to develop an Audience Research Toolkit for creative arts organisations. Based on interviews and a sector survey, the toolkit will provide practical guidance and tools to support research practices in small to medium creative arts organisations.

In June 2018 we piloted the tools with a number arts and culture organisations in Victoria, and it was fascinating to see how the tools measured up in practice! The finalised resources are due for launch by Creative Victoria in early 2019.

The team visiting Moyhu, Victoria as a part of the Review of Touring and Engagement

July: restructure

In July 2018 we restructured the business as a company, and welcomed ‘Patternmakers Pty Limited’ to the world. With this change came a new constitution, new accounting software, bank accounts and new employee agreements. Embedding new systems is always challenging (am I wrong?) but I'm confident this new structure is the right move for everyone. Thanks for your support throughout the transition!

August: regional roadtrip

In winter we travelled to Horsham, Colac and Castlemaine as a part of three Full House projects to develop evidence based audience development plans for regional arts facilities. In each location, we conducted interviews and focus groups with business leaders, artists, service providers and residents - exploring what is working well, and where there are opportunities to improve.

Regional work is demanding logistically - but we are addicted to getting out of our city lives and hearing about different ideas, lifestyles and values. We're really excited to see this evidence being applied to programming, marketing and venue management in each location - and following the journey of these communities over the next 3-5 years.

September: young people and the arts

In Spring we were delighted to explore results of two projects concerning young people. Firstly, working with the Museum of Contemporary Art, we surveyed 800 people under the age of 32 about their experiences of visual arts and the MCA GENEXT program. Stay tuned for the published report in early 2019.

Secondly, working with Barking Gecko Theatre Company, we explored the impact of its Ensembles Program and discovered very promising results for this emerging program, which is active in remote parts of the country like Karrutha, WA.

Working with young people makes me feel old, but fills me with such hope for the future that I know it will be an area we continue to investigate in years to come.

November: team changes

The team continues to grow with talented new researchers joining us, like sociologist Dr Catherine Davis. In November we farewelled Research Manager Brooke Boyce, as she prepares to welcome a new baby this month. It’s always hard farewelling close colleagues, but new people breathe new life into the team as well!

I should mention that we also officially welcomed Bianca Mulet to the team, after a three-month internship with Patternmakers. As a part of her capstone subject Social Inquiry at UTS, she investigated the role of evaluation for arts and culture organisations in Australia. I’m really proud of Bianca’s journey with us, and we'll shortly be releasing her report, which (of course) received a high distinction!

THANK YOU

Thank you to all our friends, colleagues, partners and clients for a wonderfully rich and rewarding year. We'll be taking some time out to reflect and recharge - and hope you too enjoy the break.

For any questions about the above projects, or to share your own news, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at info@thepatternmakers.com.au

About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Patternmakers’ Founder and Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams is an experienced consultant and arts and culture research specialist.

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Patternmakers 26/9/18 Patternmakers 26/9/18

Free 1-hour consultation on data, research & evaluation

Navigating the world of data and insights can be confusing. You don’t have to do it alone though, we are here to help.

Navigating the world of data and insights can be confusing.

There is more and more data out there, and we have less and less time to do anything meaningful with it.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to do alone. If you need help working out your priorities, or you have an idea that you want to discuss, we are here to help.

Our free one hour consultations are designed to give you that second opinion, and help you along your data journey.

What we can cover

In your one hour consultation, we can cover things like:

Diagnosing your organisation’s current strengths and weaknesses when it comes to research and evaluation
Identifying opportunities for you to become a thought leader through research
Designing the right methodology for your project
Finding suitable partners
Budgeting and resourcing research or evaluation
Getting started with free resources and tips
Identifying people to talk to, reports to read and things to think about.

What happens after that?

You will be under no obligation to work with us, and we do our best to point you in the direction of free or low-cost resources that can help.

Some of our consultations do end up as projects, and we can suggest a range of consultants to approach for quotes, if this is helpful.

Interested? We’d love to hear from you.

How it works

To book your session, contact the team at info@thepatternmakers.com.au

We will then get in touch to arrange the session at a time and location convenient for you. We often do these via Skype or over the phone.

We will also send you a short questionnaire to help us make the most of the time we have together.

We're listening...

Where did the idea come from?

Who is on the podcast?

What is in each episode?

Why a podcast?

Who is it for?

How have you produced the podcast?

Shouldn’t you charge people for that advice?

What are your aspirations for the podcast?

About the Author

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Resolutions for a new and different year

Patternmakers Resolutions for 2020

Our 2019 team highlights

About the Author

Be in the loop

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2019 team highlights

About the Author

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What career advice would you give your younger self?

Can you describe what your career path has looked like from graduating university to where you are now?

At what moment did you decide it was right for you to start Patternmakers? What has the reception been like, and how did that feel?

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome? If so, how have you broken out of that thinking?

What advice would you have to young women who are entering the workforce and are feeling like a fraud or an imposter?

How should a young person starting out go about accessing mentorship or acquiring a mentor?

What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?

Did you receive a piece of advice when you were starting out that was particularly influential?

What advice would you have liked to have heard?

About the Author

Be in the loop

Categories

2018: a great big Patternmaking year

About the Author

Categories

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Free 1-hour consultation on data, research & evaluation

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What happens after that?

How it works

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