Design for the public good.
We help government and civic-minded organizations create services that are easier to use, more equitable, and more effective.
OUR SERVICES
What we do
We help design and deliver people-centered practices and services that maximize impact for both their organization and the communities they serve.
Design Practice
We build actionable insights to shape and evaluate experiences.
Projects
We examine specific contexts to identify problems, understand current states, and shape preferred futures.
Co-design with frontline providers and communities.
Story-driven insights to inform strategy and prioritize change.
Programs
We strengthen organizations by embedding design into their structures and practices:
Team building, portfolio strategy, and operations.
Institutional capability that endures beyond individual projects.
Learning Experiences
We build capacity for more people-centered approaches.
What you’ll gain
Methods for research, service design, and delivery
Practical tools for policy, operations, and experience strategy
Confidence to apply people-centered approaches independently
Formats
Short, hands-on workshops
Multi-week sprints and clinics
Year-long capability programs
Announced November 13, 2025:
We are piloting new workshops designed for leaders and practitioners in public and social-sector organizations advancing mission-driven work in dynamic, constraint-rich environments.
OUR PRINCIPLES
How we do it
The people we serve are at the center of our design process, enabling us to build an accurate and inclusive understanding of the problem space, shape meaningful responses, and deliver intended and inclusive outcomes.
Our approach is grounded in five core principles: being rooted in human experiences, working collaboratively with partners as experts in their context, finding creative yet practical paths to change, designing across multiple channels and touchpoints, and adapting to the realities of institutions and the evolving nature of change.
Human-centered: We respond to how people actually experience the world.
Collaborative: We recognize our partners as experts in their work and context.
Creatively practical: We find real paths to make change possible within constraints.
Output agnostic: We adapt to existing conditions and evolving changes.
Multichannel: We shape experiences across policies, services, and interactions.
OUR TEAM
Who we are
We are a team with decades of experience in public service and social impact, supporting government and public-good organizations of all sizes.
We first came together at the Lab at OPM, a program within the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where we partnered across the public sector to instill, translate, and mature human-centered design practices.
Arianne Miller
Sean Baker
Patty Beirne
Sara Romanoski
Nadine Foik
Stay Tuned!
We are launching new collaborations, case stories, and opportunities to co-learn with peers across the public and social impact sectors.
To stay informed and to engage with us directly, send us your contact information and a note on what brings you here.
We look forward to hearing from you!