If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Join our Community: https://circle.thisishcd.com/Join-CommunityWhen Chelsea Mauldin began bringing design thinking into the U.S. government, she was met with scepticism — design was still seen as “throw pillows and pretty fonts.”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.Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Chelsea Mauldin - Guest
Stef Murphy - Producer
Serdar Mele - Editor
Click here to view the episode transcript.
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Designing Safely: Safeguarding + Trauma-Informed Practice with Ali Fawkes (Humanly)
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Join our Community: https://circle.thisishcd.com/Join-CommunityDesign isn’t just creativity — it’s care. In this episode, Gerry sits down with Ali Fawkes, Head of Social Innovation at Humanly (founded by Jenni Parker) to unpack practical safeguarding and trauma-informed practice in design research. We trace Ali’s unconventional route from fine art and special education into service design, talk honestly about imposter feelings and labels, and get concrete about how to design safely — for participants and practitioners — especially on sensitive, high-stakes work.You’ll learnHow non-traditional backgrounds become real superpowers in designWhat “designing safely” actually looks like (policies, consent, escalation paths)How to prepare teams for disclosures (e.g., hopelessness/suicidality) without freezing the workWhy safer practice reassures clients and improves outcomesGuest: Ali Fawkes, Head of Social Innovation, Humanly (London)Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifawkesShout-out to SDinGov for the spark.Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Click here to view the episode transcript.
Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Ali Fawkes - Guest
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What Dying Teaches Us About Living — Lessons from a Hospice Nurse & Designer (with Johanna Lundqvist)
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Join our Community: https://circle.thisishcd.com/Join-CommunityGerry Scullion talks with Johanna Lundqvist, a former hospice nurse turned designer, about the wisdom gathered from years of palliative care. They discuss the Swedish memento mori mindset, why Western culture hides death, and how acknowledging mortality helps us live more intentionally. Johanna shares bedside insights on non-verbal care, the power of simple touch, and the consistent themes in people’s final reflections. It’s a compassionate exploration of designing for endings—so we can live better now.Learn more: https://sites.google.com/workplayexperience.com/johanna-lundqvist/home🔑 3 Key TakeawaysDeath teaches us how to live. End-of-life regrets center on time with loved ones—not titles or money.Compassion is practical. Presence, touch, and careful listening often matter more than complex interventions.Design the ending. Embracing endings—of services and of life—creates dignity, choice, and meaning.Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Johanna Lundqvist, - Guest
Serdar Mele - Editor
Click here to view the episode transcript.
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Everything is Everything: Imagination, Justice & Reimagining Government with Thea Snow
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Join our Community: https://circle.thisishcd.com/Join-CommunityIn this episode of This is HCD, Gerry Scullion sits down with Thea Snow, Director at the Center for Public Impact, to explore the powerful intersection of systems, imagination, and justice in reimagining government.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:The hidden connections that make systems workWhy government is not just about doing but also about beingHow physical spaces and design decisions influence justice and community wellbeingLinkslinkedin.com/in/thea-snow?originalSubdomain=auIf you care about systems change, design, and creating governments that truly serve people—this conversation is for you.Like what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Creators & Guests
Gerry Scullion - Host
Thea Snow - Guest
Serdar Mele - Editor
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Liminal Breaks with Mike Parker 'Riding the Storm – When the World Feels Like Too Much'
If you like our content, be sure to sign up to our weekly The Design Compass Newsletter. Design Smarter. Lead Better.Join our Community: https://circle.thisishcd.com/Join-CommunityWhat do you do when the external noise is too loud, and your system wants to shut down? This episode helps you stay open without getting overwhelmed.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.comTry the free reset moment: https://bit.ly/limhawkGet in touch: [email protected] what we do? Make a Tip. Or Leave a review: https://ratethispodcast.com/hcdSponsor links10x your service design offering with Smaply. Take 20% off your order with ''ThisisHCD20off'Sign up https://auth.smaply.app/sign-upCheck out This is HCD x Sutsu range. Gerry wears and endorses Sutsu ethical clothing. Get 10% off ScenarioCards.org when you used our link https://scenariocards.org/HCD10Creators & Guests
Mike Parker - Host
About This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast
Welcome to This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast, the global show for designers, innovators, and changemakers who want to create better products, services, and experiences.
Hosted by Gerry Scullion, with over 1-million downloads worldwide.
Each episode dives into conversations with leading voices in service design, UX design, interaction design, customer experience, and design strategy. Together, we explore the methods, mindsets, and real-world stories that bring human-centered design and design thinking to life.
Whether you’re a UX researcher, service design practitioner, product manager, or design leader, you’ll find actionable insights, practical tools, and inspiration to elevate your practice and drive meaningful change.
Tune in and join the global human-centered design community — learn how to design with purpose, create inclusive solutions, and shape a more thoughtful future.
Listen to This is HCD – Human-Centered Design, UX & Service Design Thinking Podcast, Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
Ireland