Hello, I am
I am a designer and anthropologist with over 12 years of experience shaping services that make a difference for people. Now I lead a practice, building and guiding a team while delivering impact that matters for our clients. My work is grounded in curiosity and collaboration, and increasingly focused on growth and leadership: Enabling people, teams, and organisations to shape and bring to life meaningful experiences, products, and services.
I care deeply about inclusive design and the impact my work has. This has led me to work with startups, consultancies, charities, governments, and health and social care organisations. I thrive where research, design, and strategy meet, and I’m at my best when I can shape and drive meaningful outcomes. I’m currently exploring public speaking, leadership, planet as well as people centred design, and permaculture to continue expanding my practice and perspective.
Work Highlights
skills
Leadership & Strategy
Experienced at leading design from discovery to delivery, aligning stakeholders and embedding user-centred thinking. Skilled at creating standards, guiding practice, and shaping strategies that allow design to scale and deliver impact.
Coaching & Capacity Building
Experienced mentor and coach, building design capability across clinical, managerial, and technical teams. Skilled at embedding inclusive practices, supporting professional growth, and strengthening organisational design maturity.
Inclusion & Equalities
Inclusion is integral to my practice. Skilled at co-design and ethnographic research with diverse communities, and at developing strategies and tools that embed accessibility, equity, and fairness into services.
Collaboration & Engagement
Thrive in multidisciplinary teams, building collaboration across silos and aligning people around shared goals. Strong communicator and facilitator, with public speaking experience at major conferences on the value of service design.
Research & Analysis
Skilled in ethnography, interviews, workshops, user testing, and co-design. Experienced in analysing data and translating insights into actionable design directions using journey maps, personas, and system taxonomies.
Design & Synthesis
Expert at turning complex needs into service concepts, prototypes, and tested solutions. Confident in applying and adapting design tools, creating artefacts—such as service blueprints and experience maps—that align teams and guide delivery.
Experience
I have championed inclusive service transformation in small and large organisations for over a decade. My experience spans startups, consultancies, charities, governments, and health and social care organizations.
Practice Lead at Opencast At Opencast Software Since Aug 2023
Practice Lead - Strategic Products & Services Since Oct 2025
I lead a new practice that brings together product management and service design to tackle complex client challenges. My focus is on delivering high-impact work for clients while driving the growth, commercial success, and long-term sustainability of the practice.
Practice Lead - Service Design Jul 2023 to Oct 2025
My focus is building and sustaining a thriving, adaptable, and diverse service design practice. I work across strategy, operations, and people, shaping how we grow, support, and connect our consultants. And I support Opencast's clients with service design and delivery support.
Client Roles with Opencast At Opencast Software Since Aug 2022
NHS England: Lead Service Designer Apr 2024 to Aug 2024
I worked with a multi-disciplinary team of data analysts and designers at NHS England. I used service design methods and mindsets to understand and improve record management processes, and the data they rely on.
HMRC: Lead Service Designer Aug 2022 to Jun 2023
I worked with a cross-functional team to deliver a digital service for claiming child benefit. Leading more junior designers, I promoted good practice in a rapid and complex project. I also supported my team to develop and iterate internal processes collaboratively. This included documenting and evidencing design decisions, working in the open, and seeking feedback. I acted as a strong design voice within the wider programme. I enabled collaboration across silos and promoted the value and importance of design roles. And I supported others to confidently influence and advocate.
Course Lead At University of Edinburgh, Usher Institute Jan 2024 to Jul 2025
I led on the 'Foundations in Design' module as part of the University of Edinburgh's 'MSc Leading Digital Transformation in Health and Care for Scotland' programme. Working closely with the programme team, I created a course summary, learning outcomes, and assessment design for the course. I crafted appropriate content and activities to help students achieve these learning outcomes. And facilitated engagement on the programme by contributing to online discussions, attending office hours, and chairing live sessions.
Senior Service Designer At NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland Feb 2021 to Aug 2022
I championed inclusive design, and provided design expertise at all levels. This included influencing senior stakeholders in NHS and government. And helping to organise Scotland’s emerging design community of practice in health and care. I also led service design across multiple long-term strategic programmes. My role was to coach clinical teams on applying design tools and methods. And to support them to create and implement system change.
Service Designer At NHS NES Digital Service Oct 2019 to Feb 2021
I joined a new team developing digital tools from within the NHS. I established and nurtured equality, diversity, and inclusive design practices. I also led service design for multiple agile delivery teams. This meant developing processes and methods to embed people’s needs at the centre of our products, content, and services. I defined the direction and strategy for the new National Digital Platform to enable service transformation across different parts of health and care.
Service Designer At Cohesion Medical Oct 2018 to Sep 2019
I worked on products to better record and manage clinical data. I collaborated with engineers and other designers. And I ensured all products are person-centred and enable end-to-end journeys. I supported business strategy, and helped to identify and curate compelling examples of our work.
Research Associate At The Glasgow School of Art, Digital Health and Care Institute May 2018 to Sep 2019
Working as part of a multidisciplinary design team, I supported multiple projects. I developed new methods for collaborative workshops for Scottish Government. I trained colleagues in a method I developed for mapping complex cross-organisational services. I mentored junior designers. And I taught postgraduate students design ethnography and innovation for health and care.
Innovation Designer At The Glasgow School of Art, Institute of Design Innovation Apr 2017 to Apr 2018
My role was to evaluate the work of GSA's health and care design lab. I designed and conducted interviews and creative workshops. This was to involve a variety of stakeholders in the process. I also researched and curated innovative processes, approaches, and tools in the field. I developed strategies for embedding these to make the team's co-design work more inclusive, fair, and impactful.
Graduate Designer At The Glasgow School of Art, Collaborative Futures Sep 2016 to Jan 2017
I mentored and worked alongside a multidisciplinary student team. We explored the future of banking through in-depth research into emerging behaviours. We prototyped and tested speculative concepts, and produced actionable recommendations. The resulting tools supported the client team to embed user centred design into their practice.
Business Analyst At Neat Living Jun 2014 to Jun 2015
I helped clarify the business opportunity for this startup. I tested it against the target market. And I redefined the value proposition and business model with people at its centre. I managed partnerships with West College and Strathclyde University. They were aimed at involving young people in design.
Design Ethnographer At 360 Studio Jan 2015 to Mar 2015
I worked in a multidisciplinary team of designers and researchers at this innovation studio. I carried out primary research and synthesized the results. I used these to support the design of new potential user experiences. Based on insights from user research, my team and I mapped a comprehensive service blueprint. And we identified future opportunities to pilot this in new markets.
Volunteering
Design Ethnography Lead At Peak15health Since Apr 2025
I work with communities and experts to co-design public health interventions that reflect local values and needs. My role involves guiding and translating ethnographic research into clear and actionable design directions, supporting capacity-building in design methods, and documenting and sharing insights to strengthen future health programmes.
Co-Organiser At European Association of Social Anthropologists Nov 2022 to Jul 2024
The Applied Anthropology Network of the European Association of Social Anthropologists is the main European platform dedicated to the exchange of information and experiences related to practical applications of anthropology and ethnography. I help run an online network and organise a series of talks. We meet, exchange ideas, best practice and resources on applying an anthropology perspective to health and social care.
Registry Advisor At Cystic Fibrosis Trust Jun 2017 to Jun 2020
I brought both lived experience and design expertise to this work. I advised the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust in developing a Registry dashboard. People with CF would be able to securely view their health information and enter wellbeing data that can be added to their NHS record.
Residential Carer At Camphill Vallersund Gaard, Norway Sep 2010 to Jun 2011
I lived and worked in an ecovillage and community of purpose. It was shared by disabled and non-disabled people on a small peninsula close to Trondheim in Norway. I learnt to weave and to knit, to cook, to collaborate, to love snow, and to pass very long winters.
Residential Carer At CSV London Sep 2008 to Jun 2009
I provided care and company for someone living with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I shared their home, countless cups of tea, and - with a little encouragement - an active life and love for buzzing London.
Education
MDes | Design Innovation & Citizenship The Glasgow School of Art | With Distinction Sep 2015 to Sep 2016
I developed my human-centred design practice. I focused on collaboration and translating research insights into inclusive service concepts. I explored how design can be used to understand, critically examine, and re-imagine the cultures, institutions and systems that shape our world. And to articulate preferable futures.
MA | Anthropology & Sociology The University of Glasgow | First Class Sep 2011 to Jun 2014
I gained theoretical knowledge and practical experience of designing and conducting ethical research projects. I learnt to use qualitative methods such as ethnography and interviews. Moreover, I developed critical thinking and a sociological imagination. This means relating individual biographies to culture, contexts, and systems.
Training
Fundamentals & Professional
Ultraspeaking
Influence, present, and communicate like a leader
January 2025
Nervous System Mastery
Curious Humans
Cultivate calm and resilience, sustainable focus, and rejuvenating rest
November 2024
Pitch to Win
SecondNature
Presentation skills to win new business
February 2024
Mentoring: Mission Include
Moving Ahead
Jul 2023
Upfront Bond 6
Upfront
Confidence for Women
Jul 2022
Trauma Informed Practice
National Trauma Training Programme, NHS Education for Scotland
Jan 2022
Management & Leadership in Health Services
University of Glasgow Microcredential
Jul 2021
Clinical Risk Management
NHS Digital
Feb 2020
Level 3: Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
ILM Institute of Leadership & Management
Aug 2016
Healing Words: Storytelling & Peace Building
International School of Storytelling
Mar 2011