Developing design guidelines to the public sector.
I joined this project to help scale design thinking across government services. The mission was to build on the Digital Design Playbook: a toolkit that enables Queensland Government teams to create more thoughtful, citizen-centric services.
Challenge
Co-creating tools for government-wide service design.
The playbook already existed in concept, but the TMR Digital Service Design Office (DSDO) wanted to evolve it into a richer, more interactive, and empowering resource. The goal was to co-create a suite of service design exercises and guidelines that anyone across the Queensland Government, regardless of background, could pick up and use with confidence.
Each activity needed to support a different stage of the service design requirements, from discovery to delivery.
Process
From static guidelines to an interactive design portal.
We shifted from the static documentation of previous version and embraced interactive collaboration. Working in Miro, we developed 24 dynamic play templates with instructions.
Every play was hands-on, creative, and built from real-world government teams tackling service challenges.
Personally, I took an active role in developing key plays including the Service Blueprint, Customer Journey Map, Service Ecosystem Mapping, Powers of 10, and User Interviews.
These plays were intended to balance structure with adaptability, allowing facilitators to run meaningful sessions across a range of challenges and team contexts.
Each one included facilitator instructions, editable canvases, and ready-to-share components that made it easy for teams to pick up and use.
Solution
Prototyping, validating and bringing it to life.
In addition to developing the plays, we were also building the Digital Design Playbook website on the QLD Government platform. It was a great opportunity to scale the content, make it accessible across the public service, and help position design as a fundamental part of government work.
To bring the experience to life, I was responsible for the prototype it in Figma using the QLD Gov Design System, ensuring full compliance with brand and accessibility standards.
We validated our designs with over 100 users using Maze, turning feedback into clear improvements that made the Playbook stronger and easier to navigate.
From there, we worked to transition the prototype into the QLD Government’s CMS, bringing our design vision to the live environment. To support the handover, I also facilitated a few focused sessions with the TMR team, so they could confidently manage and evolve the site internally.
Results
An award-winning public sector design toolkit.
By the end of this engagement, we had 24 detailed plays that spanned the full service design process. The content had been tested, refined, and brought to life through a high-fidelity prototype and public-facing implementation on the QLD Gov website.
The Digital Service Design Playbook launched publicly at forgov.qld.gov.au.
Just as importantly, we helped build service design capability within the Public Sector, leaving a comprehensive structure that enables government to design better services long after the engagement ended.
The final result was a recognised public sector resource, honoured with a Good Design Award for its contribution to government service delivery.
Takeaways
Scaling service design in government.
Working alongside TMR, helped bring a modern, practical framework to the public service, one that promotes curiosity, inclusivity, and better outcomes.
More than just a playbook. This was a foundation for more empathetic, informed, and collaborative decision-making across government. And to see it recognised with an industry award was an incredible bonus.
It reminded me just how powerful and meaningful it is to design guidelines for scalable operations, especially in systems that could serve millions of people.