Projects

Designing under pressure: rapid service design during COVID:19

The Challenge

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenge was urgent and human: how to protect and support 11,500 NHS staff under unprecedented pressure.
 

Within days, the hospital needed testing, vaccination, and guidance services that were effective, safe, and compassionate.
 

The Approach

Rapid service design principles were used — prototyping fast, scaling quickly, and prioritising empathy.
 

Within 48 hours staff health call centre was operational. Soon after, one of the first mass-testing services and one of first NHS vaccination centres in the UK was launched.

A parallel advice and guidance service was created, providing direct human connection and reassurance for staff.

Every element — from signage to communication tone — was intentionally designed to reduce anxiety and create clarity in chaos.
 

The Impact

• 200,000+ PCR tests delivered

• 68,000+ vaccinations administered

• 24/7 staff guidance and support line operational within 2 days

• Rapid, replicable model adopted by other regional trusts
   

From Here Insight

• Design under pressure reveals what matters most — clear communication, trust, and human kindness.

• In crisis, design becomes care.

Reimagining End-of-Life Care

The Challenge

A hospice needed to evolve its services to reflect changing patient needs, demographics, and expectations around end-of-life care.
 

How could a hospice honour its deep humanity while innovating its model of care?
 

The Approach

A full human-centred redesign of day therapy and support services through co-production with patients, families, and clinicians was undertaken.
 

Workshops and storytelling sessions uncovered what people valued most — dignity, connection, continuity, and compassion. Analogous thinking led to introduction of complementary therapies akin to those found in a Spa.

From those insights came a new integrated therapy model and narrative positioning the hospice as a forward-thinking partner in the health system.

The process also strengthened internal culture and community relationships — aligning care experience with brand purpose.
 

The Impact

• New therapy and support services co-designed and launched

• Increased referrals and broader community reach

• Recognised by commissioners as a key strategic partner

• Elevated staff and volunteer engagement through shared story
   

From Here Insight

• Even in the most sensitive contexts, design provides language, structure, and empathy to shape change.

• When we design with compassion, we design for life.

The Good Work Programme

The Challenge

Major regional employer faced declining staff engagement and high turnover within a workforce of over 13,000.

The organisation wanted to shift its culture — from “people management” to a genuine employee experience that empowered and valued every colleague.

The question was: how might we design a system where people feel supported, included and able to thrive?
 

The Approach

The Good Work Programme — a design-led, multi-million-pound transformation reframing what “good work” means in a modern workplace.

Using service design methods, behavioural insight and systems thinking, the team mapped the employee journey from recruitment to retention, surfacing friction points and unmet needs.
 

Co-design workshops with staff, leaders, and clinicians generated interventions spanning onboarding, leadership, wellbeing, and environment design.

​

The programme embedded “good work” as a shared value and strategic pillar — shifting the narrative to human experience and employee value proposition.
 

The Impact

• +44% increase in staff survey participation (37% → 54%)

• Staff turnover reduced from 14.5% → 10.6%

• £2.5M secured annually to sustain transformation

• “Supporting our staff” adopted as a top-three organisational priority
   

From Here Insight

• Transforming experience at scale begins with listening — not just to data, but to people’s lived reality.

• Good design turns insight into belonging.

Designing a System for Workforce Wellbeing

The Challenge

Wellbeing initiatives across NHS, local authority, and VCSE partners were fragmented and short-term.
The region needed a coherent, shared approach to workforce wellbeing — one that reflected real experience and system interdependence.
 

The Approach

As Chair of the ICS Workforce Wellbeing Enabling Group, Giles our founder, convened leaders across multiple organisations to co-create a unified wellbeing vision and strategy.
 

Through participatory sessions and storytelling, he brought together voices from clinical, administrative, and community sectors — building shared language and trust.
 

The group identified common priorities, designed pilot models, and secured national funding to test two innovative staff support services. One of these became the first system-wide mental health service for NHS staff.
 

The Impact

• National funding secured for two pilot wellbeing initiatives

• Co-authored Work, Health and Wellbeing Strategy for the region

• New cross-sector staff mental health service launched

• Increased collaboration and policy alignment across the system
   

From Here Insight

• System change happens when people design together — across boundaries, hierarchies, and professional languages.

• Shared purpose is a design outcome.

Volunteering Reimagined

The Challenge

Healthcare volunteering programme was valued but outdated — lacking diversity, structured development pathways, and connection to wider organisational goals.

The challenge was to modernise and professionalise the service while keeping its human heart intact.
 

The Approach

A complete redesign of the volunteering model, rooted in co-production with staff, volunteers, and local community partners.

The work involved rebranding the service, creating accessible roles, and designing volunteer journeys that built confidence and belonging.

He secured £100K of innovation funding from Nesta to pilot fresh patient-volunteer partnerships — testing new ways volunteers could enhance care, reduce isolation, and support staff.
 

The redesigned model became a bridge between hospital and community, with volunteering reframed as part of clinical care, workforce and inclusion strategy.
 

The Impact

• Expanded to 500+ active volunteers

• £100K grant secured for innovation pilot

• Inclusive youth and employability pathways created

• Recognised nationally as an exemplar model

• Contributor to The King's Fund report
   

From Here Insight

• Designing with people, not for them, creates ownership and sustainability.

• Volunteering, when well-designed, becomes a social connector — not just a service.

Designing a System for Workforce Wellbeing

The Challenge

Wellbeing initiatives across NHS, local authority, and VCSE partners were fragmented and short-term.
The region needed a coherent, shared approach to workforce wellbeing — one that reflected real experience and system interdependence.
 

The Approach

As Chair of the ICS Workforce Wellbeing Enabling Group, Giles convened leaders across multiple organisations to co-create a unified wellbeing vision and strategy.

Through participatory design workshops and storytelling, he brought together voices from clinical, administrative, and community sectors — building shared language and trust.

The group identified common priorities, designed pilot models, and secured national funding to test two innovative staff support services. One of these became the first system-wide mental health service for staff across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
 

The Impact

• National funding secured for two pilot wellbeing initiatives

• Co-authored Work, Health and Wellbeing Strategy for the region

• New cross-sector staff mental health service launched

• Increased collaboration and policy alignment across the system
   

From Here Insight

• System change happens when people design together — across boundaries, hierarchies, and professional languages.

• Shared purpose is a design outcome.