Evidence-oriented design in service of a more just and sustainable world.
I’m a designer and researcher focused on building the public sector’s capacity to respond to wicked problems like climate change. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Politics and Public Policy at SWPS University as part of the CoDesign4Transitons doctoral network, where I study design’s role (and limitations) in public policy design and implementation.
Before my PhD studies, I spent seven years as a practicing designer in the public, private, and academic sector, including as an inaugural design fellow with the Office of Evaluation Sciences in the US General Services Administration, a service and intervention designer at The Policy Lab at Brown University, a design strategist at See Change Institute, a senior service designer at PPL Electric Utilities, and a behavior change designer at Mad*Pow. I got my start in the intersection between design and social science via the Brown|RISD Dual-Degree Program, where I earned a BA in Cognitive Science and a BFA in Industrial Design.
Outside of work hours, I’ve volunteered with Work On Climate and ClimateDesigners.org, spoken at various conferences and events about behavior change and climate design, and written a guide to help designers transition their careers to climate action.
I’m always happy to get into the weeds on public sector innovation, intervention design and evaluation, design methods, and climate transition. Whether you’re interested in conversation or collaboration, you can reach me here:
Research
Current policymaking processes are failing to address complex social challenges like climate change, housing, and health disparities. My research focuses on understanding the contributions of design methods to reforms meant to help public institutions deliver more effective, responsive, and trustworthy policies and services, such as democratic innovations, experimental policy, and mission-driven governance.
- Doctoral dissertation | 2024 – now
Learning by doing? Characterizing the role(s) of prototyping within policy responses to wicked problems
- Working paper | 2025 – now
Making theory concrete: Exploring design prototyping as a tool to build and test program theory
- Conference presentation, ICCP7 | 2025
Learning by doing: Prototyping to support policy innovation
- Conference presentation, IRSPM | 2025
“What do Urban Policy Labs mean by ‘Design’? Highlighting current trends in design methods used by urban labs across the world” (co-researched with Dr. Karol Olejniczak and Dr. Adam Wellstead)
Teaching
Design in the public sector and design for social innovation come with a distinct set of responsibilities and ethical obligations that aren’t always addressed in traditional design education. As a result, I’m drawn to developing and teaching BA and MA-level service design methods and research design courses.
- Guest workshop for Dr. Luca Simeone’s MA Design Futures course at Aalborg University | 2026
The Relationship between Philosophy and Practice, co-presented with Christina Lindeberg
- Guest panelist for Dr. Marzia Mortati’s MA Service Innovation course at Politecnico di Milano | 2026
Service Innovation Roundtable
- MA thesis advisor, RISD Industrial Design | 2022
- Guest lecture for Dr. David Glick’s Local Policy Analysis Lab course at Boston University | 2022
Design and Administrative Burden
- Guest lecture for Ben Guhin Delphine’s Public Management course at the LBJ School of Public Affairs | 2022, 2021
Visual Communication for Policy and Program Management
- Guest lecture and critic for Andy Law’s Urban Interactions course at the Rhode Island School of Design | 2021
Visual Communication and Storytelling
- Guest lecture for Brady Bonus’s User Experience Design course at General Assembly | 2019, 2018
Behavior Change Design Primer
Talks & workshops
I enjoy teaching and learning outside of the classroom, too! Here are some presentations I’ve (co)developed on the intersections between design and other disciplines.
- Seminar, EUROREG (recording) | 2026
Urban Policy Labs: A global overview of local tinkering (co-presented with Dr. Karol Olejniczak)
- Seminar, SciencesPo METHEVAL series (session description) | 2025
Make to learn: prototypes as a bridge between design and evaluation (co-presented with Dr. Karol Olejniczak)
- Lecture, Practice Makes @ Accenture | 2022
A Starter Guide for Designers Who Want to Work on Climate Change
- Workshop, Health Experience Design Conference | 2021
From Intervention to Interaction (co-facilitated with Dustin DiTommaso)
- Panelist, Climate Roundtable, Social Happy Hour for Social Good at the Clarity Conference | 2020
- Lecture, Weber State University’s Climate Change and Culture Shift speaker series | 2020
Designing for Better Behavior
- Lecture, Prescribe Design Boston | 2020
Designing for Health Behavior Change
- Workshop, Health Experience Design Conference | 2019, 2018
Designing and Measuring Engagement with Digital Behavior Change Interventions (co-facilitated with Dustin DiTommaso)
- Lecture, Action Design Boston | 2018
Let’s Review: Incorporating Scientific Evidence into the Design Process
- Panelist, Designing for Health and Wellness, RISD careers and Johnson&Johnson | 2017