My journey.
My combination of leadership experience, creative expertise and a career in tech offers a unique perspective to service transformation. I bring together strategic thinking, design expertise and a technological understanding to help organisations navigate complexity, identify opportunities for change and create services that work better for the people who use and deliver them.
"The designer’s job is to make a plan that balances the business’s need to thrive, the user’s desire to experience delight, and technology’s ever-growing ability to manifest dreams in code" - Christina Wodtke
How I got started in service design
My journey into service design has evolved through various design disciplines. It began in the late 1990s when I returned to study design communications, graduating with distinction. I started as a graphic designer in NHS health promotion before rapidly building a career in digital. Over the years, my roles have included web and content designer, digital services manager, and head of UX, leading to my current position as lead service designer. I’ve worked with some of the UK’s largest organisations, as well as digital start-ups and award-winning creative consultancies. To deepen my understanding of the discipline, I also completed a Master’s in Design Management with distinction, exploring UX theory, methodologies, principles and practice
What I've been working on
I’m currently working on transforming services at the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver a better experience and outcomes for schools, academies and trusts.
I work strategically with policy teams and senior leaders to identify service patterns across Regions Group at DfE, and within multidisciplinary, agile teams to baseline current services and design the future state, creating sustainable solutions and an optimal experience for schools, academies and trusts.
What motivates me
To make complex services work better for the people who use and deliver them.
Contact me.
Email: mandalouking@gmail.com