Service design
When I join a project as a service design lead, I help teams make sense of complexity.
That usually means understanding how the service works today, where it breaks down, what users are actually trying to do, and what constraints the team is working within. From there, I help shape a better service that works for users and is realistic to deliver.
My approach is straightforward, but I adapt it to the project.
Understanding the problem
Before jumping into solutions, I work with the team to understand what is really going on.
That includes existing research, policy intent, operational processes, technical constraints, delivery pressures and stakeholder needs. On most projects, I'm working closely with user researchers, interaction designers, content designers, analysts and product people to build a shared picture of the problem.
The goal is to get beyond assumptions early, spot where the real pain points are, and focus effort where it will make the biggest difference.
Understanding users in context
Good service design starts with understanding what people actually do, not just what we think they do.
I work closely with researchers to understand users' tasks, environment, workarounds, frustrations and goals. That might involve interviews, observation, workshops or testing, depending on the project.
I'm particularly interested in the reality around the service: the policies, handoffs, offline steps, legacy systems and organisational constraints that shape what users can and cannot do.
Working with real constraints
Every project has constraints. Time, budget, policy, technology, governance, procurement, legacy systems, team capability. That is normal.
A big part of service design is working out how to improve the service within those constraints, not pretending they are not there. I look for the best path forward: something useful for users, sensible for the organisation, and realistic for the team to deliver.
Looking at the whole journey
I do not just look at a single screen or transaction in isolation.
Service design is about the end-to-end journey, across channels, teams and touchpoints. That means understanding what happens before, during and after someone uses the service, and where things fall apart between teams or systems.
Journey maps and service blueprints can help, but the real value is in what they reveal: duplicated effort, unnecessary handoffs, hidden decisions, confusing responsibilities and gaps between policy intent and operational reality.
Making progress visible
On complex projects, alignment matters.
I share work early and often through workshops, show and tells, playback sessions and working artefacts. That helps teams make better decisions, reduces surprises, and keeps the work tied to evidence rather than opinion.
It also means stakeholders can see how thinking is evolving, rather than only seeing a polished output at the end.
Iterating towards something better
Service design is not a linear process. You learn, test, adjust and keep moving.
As the team learns more, I help refine the journeys, priorities and design direction. Sometimes that means improving a service incrementally. Sometimes it means rethinking a bigger part of the model.
Either way, the aim is the same: make the service clearer, more joined-up and more useful for the people who rely on it.
What I bring to a project
I bring a practical, user-centred approach shaped by real delivery experience.
I've worked on public sector services used by citizens, civil servants, police officers and operational teams, often in environments with complex rules, legacy systems and high stakes. My job is to help teams cut through that complexity and design services that work in the real world.
If you'd like to keep browsing, you can explore project case studies, read my writing, learn more about me, or get in touch.