Hi, I'm Rowan
I'm a service designer and researcher working on digital services in the UK public sector. I care about the bits that are easy to skip: the edge cases, the people who get left behind, the second draft.
I started out in graphic design, then moved sideways into research when I realised I was more interested in how people used what I made than in the making itself. That curiosity has shaped everything since.
Today I lead design and research on services that have to work for a very wide range of people — including those with access needs and low digital confidence. I also coach designers and help teams build a steadier research practice.
Career journey
From print design to public-sector service design, each step shaping how I think about people and services.
- 2012
Started in studio graphic design, learning the craft of getting an idea from sketch to finished thing.
- 2015 to 2018
At a research consultancy, I moved into user research across public and private projects, and found the work I actually wanted to do.
- 2018 to 2021
At a civic digital team, I led service design on complex, high-volume services and learned how research turns into delivery.
- 2021 onwards
Now a senior service designer on services that must work for everyone — the work I care most about, and the brightest point on this line.
Selected writing
A few things I've written about research, design, and public-sector delivery.
Designing for the people who get left behind
On building services that hold up for users with access needs and low digital confidence — not as an afterthought.
Read articleHow to make research land with delivery teams
Demonstrating the value of research inside an organisation, and turning insight into things teams actually build.
Read articleA free-to-use mentorship platform connecting designers and researchers with people who've done the job.
I've mentored designers and researchers through MentorHub since 2020. I do it because these fields can be hard to break into, and hard to navigate once you're in.
I especially enjoy talking with people trying to get into research, weighing up a next move, or stuck on a project. Portfolios, public-sector work, growing into a senior role — all fair game.
If that sounds useful, you're very welcome to book a session.