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We walk (literally) through the current state of service design, why so many teams feel stuck, and how journey management can help organisations move beyond one-off projects to achieve truly systemic change.
We talk about:
If you’re trying to move service design from nice decks to real organisational change – in public services or the private sector – this episode is for you.
🔗 Links mentioned
– Marc’s upcoming book & community: https://www.thisisjourneymanagement.com
– Smaply blog & resources: https://www.smaply.com
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Key Resources:
• AI Search Behaviour Research - Nielsen Norman Group study on changing user patterns
• Return of the Generalist - NNGroup video on AI's impact on UX careers
• Affinity Suite - Free creative tools via Canva acquisition (from Dense Discovery)
• Ordinary - One-page site builder for quick concepts
• Hamburger Menu Study - Updated NNGroup research on icon recognition
• Disability Tech Innovations - Mashable roundup of breakthrough startups
Sources:
• Nielsen Norman Group Newsletter
• Dense Discovery #365
• Sidebar.io Daily Links
• Mashable
Links:
• How AI Is Changing Search Behaviors: https://link.nngroup.com/ai-changing-search-behaviors
• Return of the Generalist: https://link.nngroup.com/return-of-the-generalist
• Hamburger Menu Recognition: https://link.nngroup.com/hamburger-menu-icon-recognizability
• Ordinary Site Builder: https://ordinary.website
• Affinity Suite: Referenced in Dense Discovery
• Exposure as a Designer: hvpandya.com
• Systems Leadership: hazelweakly.me
• Disability Tech Startups: mashable.com
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We’re on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh for a walking conversation with Lucy Kimbell — engineer-turned-artist-turned-academic, and one of the sharpest observers of how design actually lands in government.
Lucy has spent over 20 years moving between design, art, academia, and public administration. She’s worked with the UK Government’s Policy Lab, contributed to the recent Public Design Evidence Review, and now teaches and researches at the intersection of design, policy, and futures. We caught up whilst both of us were speaking at SD in Gov Conference in Edinburgh, in September 2025!
In this episode, we get real about three big themes:
1️⃣ Public design – what it actually is
Lucy untangles the messy overlap between policy design, service design, content design, digital, UX and more — and explains why public design centres' legitimacy and accountability to citizens, not just delivery metrics.
2️⃣ Conditions for good service design in tough times
We talk about inclusion, accessibility and co-creation, but also the hard stuff most conferences skip: politics, ideology, austerity, AI “silver bullets” and what scaffolding leaders need so design doesn’t get crushed by budget cuts or tech solutionism.
3️⃣ Careers with impact in uncertain worlds
From appropriate technology and feminist theatre to business schools, labs and policy work, Lucy shares the three habits that have shaped her path: curiosity, experimentalism and critical reflection — and how they help designers work further upstream with policy and senior leadership.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear:
🏰 We recorded this while walking the Royal Mile up to Edinburgh Castle — if you’re listening on audio, jump over to YouTube to get the full sense of place and atmosphere (yes, including a bit of rain!).
Links
Cabinet Office (2025). Public Design Evidence Review
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-public-design-evidence-review
Service Innovation Handbook (2014) by Lucy Kimbell
https://www.bispublishers.com/the-service-innovation-handbook.html
Substack for upcoming book Futures for Design: Scenarios for Uncertain Worlds
https://substack.com/@lucykimbell
Academic publications (open access) - https://researchers.arts.ac.uk/1178-lucy-kimbell/
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In this deep and fascinating episode, Chelsea — Executive Director of the Public Policy Lab in New York — joins Gerry Scullion to share her journey from urban planning to pioneering human-centered design in federal and municipal agencies.
They discuss:
✅ How design entered the public sector during the Obama era.
✅ Why half the real work happens after the design phase.
✅ Building trust, ethics, and change in complex systems.
✅ The People Say project — a groundbreaking, public repository for civic research.
✅ What AI means (and doesn’t mean) for the future of public services.
🎧 A must-listen for anyone working in service design, policy, or civic innovation.
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You’ll learn
Guest: Ali Fawkes, Head of Social Innovation, Humanly (London)
Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifawkes
Shout-out to SDinGov for the spark.
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Learn more: https://sites.google.com/workplayexperience.com/johanna-lundqvist/home
🔑 3 Key Takeaways
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We dive into why imagination matters in government, how systems shape agency, and the role of design in justice and social cohesion. Thea shares practical stories from Australia, New Zealand, and beyond—covering topics like:
Links
linkedin.com/in/thea-snow?originalSubdomain=au
If you care about systems change, design, and creating governments that truly serve people—this conversation is for you.
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This series is a starting point. Liminal Coaching works with individuals and organizations using guided relaxations, short-format coaching, and high-impact interventions to help people return to clarity and direction fast.
Explore more at: https://liminalcoaching.com
Try the free reset moment: https://bit.ly/limhawk
Get in touch: info@liminalcoaching.com
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Key takeaways:
✅ Hustle culture without intention leads to burnout and emptiness
✅ Productivity is about outcomes, not hours under fluorescent lights
✅ Well-being practices like yoga and flow states are survival tools, not luxuries
Links
https://www.thesukha.co/
Get 20% off with the code 'GETFOCUSED'
Note: I use The Sukha daily, so if you DO join, come and look for me inside :-)
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In this episode, Gerry Scullion speaks with Sara Fortier, CEO and founder of Outwitly, about her journey from being a hands-on designer to leading a 20+ person team and connecting contractors with organisations across North America.
Sara shares lessons on contracting, client relationships, hiring, leadership growth, and how AI is reshaping the design industry. If you’re a designer considering contracting, or a leader thinking about scaling your practice, this conversation is full of insights.
Preorder Design Research Mastery:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Design-Research-Mastery-Buy-Products/dp/9063699549
Learn more about Outwitly - Your Trusted UX Partners ™ for building high-impact teams.
http://outwitly.com/
Connect with Sara Fortier on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarafortier/
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Liminal Breaks is a three-part podcast mini-series offering practical, immersive audio experiences designed to reset your nervous system, sharpen your focus, and restore your inner clarity in just a few minutes a day.
Developed by Liminal Coaching, these episodes are more than ideas, they’re doorways. Each episode includes a short talk and a guided experience known as a Moment, helping you shift from overload to presence without needing willpower or meditation skills.
Whether you're overwhelmed, distracted, burned out, or just craving space to think clearly, this series is a gentle but powerful starting point.
Who is this for?
- Professionals carrying too much, too fast
- Creatives and knowledge workers struggling to focus
- Leaders who can’t afford burnout but don’t know how to stop
- Anyone seeking grounded, non-performative help
No spiritual fluff. No jargon. Just felt relief and a path back to yourself.
What You’ll Experience in Each Episode
Each episode includes:
- A short, focused introduction to a common psychological or emotional challenge (overload, overwhelm, stuckness)
- A 6-minute guided Moment you can repeat daily
- Integration guidance to help you understand what just shifted and how to use it
What you’ll need:
- Headphones
- A quiet place where you can lie or sit comfortably
- Ideally, close your eyes and allow the Moment to do the work no effort needed
How to Use This Series
- These Moments are most effective when used daily, even for just a week
- You don’t need to understand or try hard, simply listen and let go
- The guidance starts fresh each time, but if returning, feel free to skip ahead using the timestamps in the episode notes
What Issues Does This Help With?
The series and the wider Liminal Coaching approach addresses:
- Overload, overwhelm, and burnout
- Loss of focus or creativity
- Emotional shutdown or dysregulation
- Decision fatigue and life-direction fog
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In an extraordinary twist, Judge Gillian Hussey once sentenced three of the women at the table to the Dóchas Centre, Ireland’s women’s prison. Now, years later, they sit side by side, reflecting on that journey, the systemic barriers still in place, and the possibilities for real change.
This is a conversation about resilience, compassion, and the power of lived experience to shape a more humane justice system.
https://www.tiglin.ie/
ie.linkedin.com/in/senatoraubreymccarthy
Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Creators & Guests
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Episode overview
In this deeply human episode, Gerry Scullion speaks with Wellington-based design researcher Rachel Knight about the emotional realities of working in social impact. From navigating trauma-informed projects to setting boundaries as a freelancer, Rachel shares powerful insights on staying grounded while doing meaningful work.
This conversation is essential listening for anyone working in design research, especially those engaging with vulnerable communities or emotionally charged topics.
🔑 Three Key Takeaways
Don’t miss this raw and reflective episode. Subscribe and share it with your team.
Links
Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Click here to view the episode transcript.
Creators & Guests
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Key Learnings:
• Lived experience in leadership ensures services truly meet people’s needs.
• Designing for dignity builds trust, safety, and belonging in vulnerable communities.
• Long-term, community-centred support is crucial for breaking cycles of homelessness and addiction.
Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Click here to view the episode transcript.
Creators & Guests
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In this short update episode, Gerry Scullion shares an exciting behind-the-scenes change: the Global Human-Centered Design Directory has now moved to the main This is HCD website. What started as a quiet initiative has turned into a valuable resource for connecting values-aligned practitioners across the globe.
Discover how this small but intentional update improves access, strengthens the community, and could help you find your next collaborator, mentor, or team member. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to building a more connected human-centered design ecosystem—together.
3 Key Takeaways:
Creators & Guests
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In this episode, I speak with Irish garden designer and tv personality - Diarmuid Gavin. He has presented gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show on nine occasions from 1995 to 2016 - He has also authored or co-authored at least ten gardening-related books.
For regular listeners, you will be familiar with a recent episode I did with 16-time Grammy award-winning producer, Rafa Sardina - well this episode is continuing on that trend. I am really keen to explore other disciplines to see how they work to solve complex problems and also approach their work. I see gardening and working with nature as a direct parallel to working within organisations. Thinking like this, I was excited to speak with Diarmuid to see how he explores designing for the future and chat at length about external factors that could hinder the designer's vision.
Diarmuid was a great guest - and wanted to give a big shout out to his wonderful Instagram page where he answers questions regularly through his Live events. So if you are interested and getting started with anything garden related - Diarmuids yer man!
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In this solo episode, Gerry shares a heartfelt update on the This is HCD community and why it has evolved into an application-only model. Learn what makes this space radically different from noisy, growth-obsessed communities and how it’s built with intention, purpose, and a desire to create genuine impact.
Whether you’re a human-centred design practitioner or just curious, you’ll hear how members gain access to all of Gerry’s premium courses, personal coaching, and a low-noise, high-value space to learn and connect.
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