Case Studies

experience design | Systems Thinking | Innovation Research

Re-Growing Trust After Organisational Change

Client: Leadership team in the Arts and Culture sector.

Opportunity:
The organisation had been through a restructure, which resulted in job redundancies and communication breakdowns, particularly between regional and local teams. This created a sense of antagonism, with conflicting goals and purposes between the teams.

Response:
We used conversational methods to encourage team members to see each other as more than their roles within the organisation. Through tools like More Than Words and the Emotional Culture Deck, we facilitated discussions that allowed team members to express how they felt about their work. This built psychological safety and fostered trust among the group.

Outcome:

Improved relationships between regional and local teams.
Enhanced clarity around roles within the organisation.
A renewed focus on shared goals, even when expressed in different ways.

Collaboration Towards Innovation Across Teams

Client: Local government waste management team.

Opportunity:
The team was tasked with innovating in the waste management space, but innovation required collaboration across multiple teams. The challenge was that these teams lacked a framework for collaboration and were stuck in business-as-usual (BAU) approaches.

Response:
We facilitated three workshops for a group of 20+ participants to build deeper connections and develop ideas for a smaller group to take forward. Following the workshops, we coached the main instigator in how to continue holding space for the smaller group to iterate the ideas generated by the larger group.

Outcome:

Stronger inter-team relationships focused on potential innovation, rather than just existing programmes of work.
Created space for ideas and improvements from across the hierarchy of the organisation and teams that rarely worked together.
Developed innovative, behavioural science-driven ideas to experiment with, and a framework to iterate within.

Creating a Holiday Programme for At-Risk Youth

Client: Research project in collaboration with a university, a local government policy team, and an alternative education school.

Challenge:
The programme aimed to help rangatahi (young people) imagine and create a healthier future for themselves through developing their creativity. The challenge was understanding how rangatahi could be led through such a programme and what impact it might have, offering an alternative to what society and institutions currently provide.

Solution:
We used Hautū Waka to rewrite a design thinking course, identifying specific needs for the group. Instead of starting the programme directly, we first engaged with the rangatahi in short creative exercises over a month, building relationships and giving them a taste of the programme. We also fostered ongoing relationships with other organisations to continue engaging with the centre.

Outcome:

Built trust with rangatahi who had low trust in the system through relational values and safety.
Applied culturally appropriate and ethical approaches, including compensating rangatahi for their time.
Led to a better understanding of the value of developing creativity for rangatahi.
Strengthened relationships between the alternative education centre and organisations that can offer ongoing support.
Empowered the team with a deeper appreciation of their ability to shift systems to benefit marginalised groups.