Giulia is an Italian living in London who started her own design business after struggling to find work, drawing inspiration from the migrant communities she observes. Her day involves getting coffee from a cafe that offers "suspended coffees" for those in need, connecting remotely with women in Kenya to understand their lives and culture to inform her designs, and taking on a commission to design a wedding dress for an Afghan woman while seeking a new studio space and opportunities for her friends.

1. Week in the Life ofa Life Hacker
Giulia is an Italian living in London.
She came to the city to live with her
boyfriend and find a job as a visual
designer.
She couldn’t find a job in London, so she
went to do an internship in New York in the
fashion industry, but came back to London
to start her own design business.
Her design is inspired by migrant
communities she goes to observe and
meet, in particular migrant women.

2. Actions
What does she need to do?
What does she do?
Why does she do this?
How does she feel about this?
Who does she interact with?
Morning
She needs to get some brunch.
She leaves the commune she lives in to go for a coffee at a
place run by friend. She doesn't have to pay for the coffee
as it's been bought by someone else. She then buys a
"suspended coffee" for a homeless guy she knows.
She knows the homeless guy would love to come to the
cafe, but feels embarassed as he can't afford to buy
anything. With the "suspended coffee" she's bought, he
will be able to go to the cafe without paying for it.
Awake and surprised she doesn't have to pay for the
coffee. She loves the idea of "suspended coffees" so buys
one for someone who needs the help.
Barista

3. Actions
What does she need to do?
What does she do?
Why does she do this?
How does she feel about this?
Who does she interact with?
Lunch
She needs to connect with communities in Kenya so they can describe
how they live so it can inspire her designs.
She connects remotely with the communities and they tell what's
been going on in their community in the last week. She live illustrates
their stories while they talk. This will inspire her designs and be
published in their local newspaper they share over mobile.
She wanted to find a way to support women in rural communities, so
she got her Kenyan friend who's an engineer in Nairobi to come up
with a very simple guide on how to set up remote technology in rural
villages to connect to the internet with a mobile.
She feels great that her support is helping communities not only find a
voice, but use the technology for other things they need.
Women from rural communities

4. Actions
What does she need to do?
What does she do?
Why does she do this?
How does she feel about this?
Who does she interact with?
Afternoon
She needs to make new connections for the new busines she's
set up as a visual designer.
She gets call from an Afghan women living in Brixton who wants
a wedding dress designed for her
She used to work with the Afghan community so enjoys
designing for them. She got the call thanks to "word of mouth"
contact because the community trusted her.
She feels very excited about designing the wedding dress for this
woman's special day. She also enjoys making new connections.
However, she's also stressed as the day's only just begun and
already she's very busy.
Afghan woman

5. Actions
What does she need to do?
What does she do?
Why does she do this?
How does she feel about this?
Who does she interact with?
Evening
She needs to look for a new space for her design studio, because with the extra work
she's getting from new customers she needs to hire people to design in her studio.
She discovers this empty building while walking to grab lunch and thinks this could be a
great place for her new design studio, as well as for other activities. She thinks about
who in her network could help her repurpose this building. She contacts two friends who
now work in call centres, but one of them, Francesco, used to be a carpenter, while
Manos, used to be a plumber. She proposes to them that if they can repurpose it, then
can live in this building, while she also uses it as a design studio.
Francesco and Manos came to London before to look for work, but couldn't find
anything, so she thinks this could be their opportunity to return to the city with work and
a place they can call and make their home. She also has a deep enough relationship with
them to know that even though they work in a call centre, they have other skills which
are critical to restoring this empty buildiing.
She feels solidarity with her two friends that they can finally enjoy the city.
Francesco from Italy and Manos from Greece

6. Actions
What does she need to do?
What does she do?
Why does she do this?
How does she feel about this?
Who does she interact with?
Night
Encourage her friend to help her design
wedding dress for Afghan woman
Coaches her friend Anja, an unemployed
fashion designer, to help her design the
wedding dress for the Afghan woman.
She sees opportunities in every one. She sees
herself in that person.
She feels proud that she has helped her friend
get work.
Anja, her friend who is an unemployed fashion
designer