Work

Hi, I'm Dan, and I specialise in applying participatory design methods to achieve strategic outcomes. I have over 20 years of experience delivering strategic design projects to enable social innovation and policy design in digital and non-digital contexts.

I revel in the grey areas, taking a systems-thinking approach to making sense of complex, nuanced, cross-functional, and cross-cultural contexts. I believe in the importance of human-centred approaches in delivering participatory public policy-making, and the role that ethical technologies and open standards can play in linking public policymakers with the communities they serve.

My work has ranged from digital product development and public sector innovation to policy co-design. As a former public servant, I applied design methods to diverse fields including international development, counter-trafficking, and international labour migration. With broad exposure in the public and private sectors across Australia and the Asia Pacific, I've worked extensively with design innovation companies, the Australian federal government, and the United Nations.

As Head of Partnerships for Today, a values-driven design practice, I focus on strengthening our design, research, and systems practice, particularly within the public sector. I support our team of expert mixed-methods researchers and collaborate with not-for-profits and government agencies to use systems thinking for understanding communities and organisations, identifying leverage points, and co-designing solutions.

I hold a Master's in International Relations from the Centre for Global Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin and a Bachelor of Arts specialising in Design.

I'm always open to connecting and discussing projects, policy, or simply having a chat. Feel free to reach out anytime.