When this is useful

I work with organisations developing learning programmes, and with individuals and teams who need space to think through complex challenges before deciding what to do next.

This might involve:

What we think through

Together, we slow the situation down just enough to see it more clearly and understand the different perspectives at play.

Drawing on systems thinking, design research, behavioural insight and strategic thinking, we ask:

These are just some of the questions people need to be able to ask when working on complex challenges in practice.

How we begin

Most engagements begin with a real situation - a project, decision, conversation or learning challenge.

Together we explore the context, challenge assumptions, connect ideas across disciplines and widen the range of perspectives before deciding how to move forward.My role isn't to tell people what to think, it's to help them see more of the landscape before making important decisions.

• My background
• How I work

"When you can't see the angles no more, you in trouble, baby."
— Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way (1993)

I have worked at the intersection of sectors and disciplines for over fifteen years, repeatedly helping people understand and navigate complex challenges at the intersection of environment, society and the economy.

Across work with the World Health Organization, Design Council, universities, local authorities, mission-driven businesses and community initiatives, I have helped people connect research, practice and different perspectives before making important decisions. Before this, I spent over a decade founding and leading an innovation and design practice, creating products, spaces and public installations that explored how design can encourage more sustainable ways of living.Over time, I came to realise that complex challenges are rarely difficult because nobody has knowledge. They are difficult because everybody has knowledge - distributed across many different people, organisations, disciplines and lived experiences - and bringing those perspectives together is rarely straightforward.Most people remember Carlito's Way as a classic 90s crime drama. I remember it as a study in navigating complexity. Throughout the film, Carlito is constantly reading the landscape around him, noticing motivations, relationships, risks and possibilities before deciding how to move forward.His warning has stayed with me for years. When working through complex situations, we often need time to step back, question what we think we know, and look at the situation from angles we may not yet have considered.That is the space I aim to hold: helping people understand the landscape more clearly before deciding what to do next.

"Rigorously creative, in that she combines systems thinking and critical thinking with the spontaneity needed for new ideas. Not many people can do this."
— Darren Evans, Strategic Designer and Design Council Expert

Ongoing research and development

Alongside my teaching and advisory work, I develop learning experiences, frameworks and field guides that help people build the judgement, observation skills and ways of thinking needed to navigate complex place-based challenges.

Selected publications

Relevant qualifications

I hold an MSc (Distinction) in Sustainable Development in Practice from the University of the West of England and a BA (Hons) in Fashion Promotion & Illustration from the Surrey Institute of Art and Design (now University for the Creative Arts).

A thinking space for people working on complex challenges.

Drawing on systems thinking, design research, strategic thinking and fifteen years of cross-sector practice, I help people connect ideas, disciplines and perspectives that do not usually sit alongside one another.Often, the hardest questions are not simply about finding the right answer. They are about understanding the situation well enough to know:

My role is to create space to explore those questions before you decide what to do next.

Where this starts

Most engagements begin with something already happening:

We begin by exploring the context around the challenge, slowing down just enough to build next steps on a stronger understanding of the situation. I ask questions, introduce useful frameworks, recommend resources, and help you see aspects of the situation that may otherwise remain hidden.

Ways we can work together

For organisations developing learning programmes

I work with organisations designing leadership programmes, learning experiences, workshops and courses that want to prepare people for the real-world challenges they will face in practice.This may include:

For individuals and teams navigating complex challenges

Thinking partnership

An ongoing space to explore complex decisions, projects or periods of change. A place to test ideas, challenge assumptions and think through possibilities with someone outside your immediate context.

Focused thinking session

A dedicated conversation around a specific challenge, decision or upcoming event. Useful when you need time and perspective before moving forward.

Strategic project support

Working alongside a team during a particular piece of work, helping make sense of complexity, connect perspectives and identify what needs attention before important decisions are made. This might include research, facilitation, sense-making, learning design or bringing different viewpoints together.

"She approaches complex challenges with care and intellectual rigor, always seeking to understand the deeper dynamics at play."
— Dr Hebe Gouda, World Health Organization

Whichever the format, the purpose is the same: to help people better understand the landscape before deciding how to move through it.