What’s the most interesting thing you’ve done professionally since leaving Bridgeable?

I recently joined the Government of BC Service Design Team. In fact, I joined exactly one day before BC’s COVID response kicked into gear and everyone started working from home.

It’s a surreal time to start a new job, but it has also been interesting to see how the Government has adapted to rapidly develop and refine new and existing services during a state of emergency.

What inspired you to choose service design as a career, and what has kept you engaged in it?

I joined Bridgeable with very little knowledge of service design, so my career has been a series of happy accidents! I was initially struck by the power of human-centred design to uncover simple and elegant solutions, and I still get a lot of satisfaction from the way each service design project is as unique as the challenges it is trying to solve.

What’s one thing you learned at Bridgeable that has stuck with you?

These past few months I’ve been reflecting on the creativity and oddball humour Bridgers brought to work every day—and how that collaborative atmosphere translated so effectively to co-design sessions and other stakeholder touchpoints. In this time of being able to connect only remotely, it seems more important (and harder) than ever to create an energetic space where participants are engaged and encouraged to make rich contributions.

What advice would you give Bridgers and BAA members wanting to advance in the service design community?

Increasingly I find myself looking for opportunities to practice service design in unfamiliar sectors and topic areas. It challenges me to rethink past approaches, build comfort with new tools and methods, and connect with others tackling similar problems.

What’s your favourite Bridgeable memory?

Karaoke: the ultimate team building activity? Many evenings well spent with Bridgers and delicious soup dumplings in the New Jersey suburbs. And there was the time we managed to keep a co-creation breakout group on task even though small chunks of the hotel ceiling were falling down around us…

We’re looking for alumni to feature in future instalments of “Five questions with …”! Please get in touch if you’re interested in taking part.