Effective by Design

I develop digital teams, digital talent and digital experiences. I am passionate about helping people bring their best selves to their design work.

My work focuses on helping clients get where they want go by linking their goals and values to a strategy and tactics. That’s being Effective by Design.

Availability update as of September 2019: I’m currently on a 3 day/week contract with RBC’s Digital Design Operations team until the end of June 2020.

Design Thinking

There are many ways to achieve your business and personal goals, but which is the best? How do you define “best”? Are you clear on what your goals are? What do you value? What’s your intention?

My services are grounded in Design Thinking, a strategy-making process that focuses on human behaviour, values and context. I work with clients to:

  1. Define the problem.
  2. Imagine a future based on observing human behaviour: what’s working, what’s not, where are the gaps?
  3. Test these ideas for the future to find out what is likely to work best; that might mean interviews, pilots, or prototypes.
  4. Identify the capabilities, skills, activities and resources needed to bring the best idea to life.
  5. Implement the solution: finding resources, planning the work, keeping you on track, and reminding you how this path appeared.

And it is a path, not a destination. Things change. Let’s talk about how to prepare for change.

Coach or Consultant?

Good consultants do some coaching, and good coaches do some consulting. I use whatever skills are necessary for the situation.

Coaching is a “right-brained” activity. I follow my curiosity and ask lots of questions to find out what’s really going on and what you want.

I help envision possibilities and draw connections between seemingly unrelated ideas and concepts.

My training from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and coaching practice helps me ask questions that will help you think about a situation in a new way.

Consulting is a “left-brained” activity. You have a specific goal in mind.

I provide expertise based on over 20 years of experience in the business of digital product development and user experience design, on top of six years as an economic consultant.

I can dig in and do the work, recommend research methodologies, and make sense of data.