Building human-centred design capability within the public sector
I have delivered a range of capability building workshops and keynote presentations to public sector audiences.
For example, BizLab Academy taught human centred design principles and techniques to policy, program and service delivery providers across the Australian Public Service (APS). Engaged by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science in 2018, I co-facilitated several three-day training courses to a diverse range of public servants in Canberra.
Working collaboratively with co-facilitators from BizLab, I supported participants to become more citizen-centred and to learn and apply methods and tools in problem definition, user interviews, thematic analysis, insight generation, prototyping and pitching ideas. I also provided advice and activities that helped to improve the course design and facilitation methods.
Participants reported feeling informed, inspired and empowered by the training. All respondents on the feedback survey strongly agreed that ‘the trainer was knowledgeable about the topic’ and ‘the trainer was well prepared’. The training has helped to embed co-design and human-centred design skills in agencies across the APS, supporting the drive towards a more innovative, collaborative and transparent public service.
Further experience building public design capability
I have also delivered the following presentations and workshops:
‘Leading Innovation in the Public Sector’: A Public Leadership Masterclass Series for ANZSOG (2025)
‘Co-Designing Change with School Communities’, keynote presentation to Victorian Association of Secondary School Principals (2024)
‘Sharing power and engaging different perspectives’, deep dive for senior executives in the Australian Public Service, with the Centre for Public Impact (2023)
‘Collaborating to transform the justice system’ webinar for NZ Ministry of Justice leadership series (2023)
‘The politics in design and the design of politics’: Linköping University seminar series, ‘A hundred years of design and democracy’ (2021)
‘Systemic design practice for participatory policymaking’ at the National University of Singapore’s Workshop on Participatory Policy Design (2020) and for Mental Health Reform Victoria (2021)
‘Design methods for policy research’ and ‘Co-design and innovation’, guest lectures/workshops for The University of Melbourne’s Master of Public Policy and Management (2020-2021)
‘Co-design for policy and systems change’, two-part workshop for RMIT University’s Master of Design Futures (2020)
‘Co-Design for Social Policy,’ presentation to Master of Social Policy program, University of Melbourne (2019, 2020)
‘Design for Public Sector Innovation’ for the Asia Productivity Organisation and Development Academy of the Philippines (2018)
‘Enabling more people-centred policy practice’ keynote presentation for Policy by Design (Auckland Council, 2018)
‘Co-Design for Policy Innovation’ public seminar for School of Social and Political Sciences at The University of Melbourne (2018)
‘Co-Design for Public Sector Innovation’ workshop for APS staff in Canberra (2018)
‘Co-Design and Public Policy’ for Social Design Sydney event, ‘Is co-design a silver bullet?’ (2018)
‘Exploring “Islands of Experimentation”: An Introduction to Public Sector Innovation Labs’ for TACSI and the Office for the Public Sector - informing the development of the South Australian Public Sector Innovation Lab (2017)
‘Exploring examples of policy design to address complex social challenges’, co-facilitated workshop with Chris Vanstone from TACSI for Explore Design, Australian Department of Employment (2017)
Contact me for further details of my experience designing and delivering training and mentoring for public, non-profit and private sector clients.