Designing a path to better starts with people.

Name: Julia Allworth: Equity-Centred Design Thinker
Address: Milton, ON, CA

But first, let's talk about alignment - because getting many voices to sing the same song is hard. We see this in business, government, and academia. We know change is needed, but aligning on how to make change is where people get stuck.

We call this a wicked problem - a messy, snarled challenge where tugging on one strand affects a dozen others. Speak to twenty people, and their opinions all differ.

This is where I come in. Hi! I'm Julia and I use design thinking to help companies and organizations navigate their way to change. Design Thinking offers a path to untangling wicked problems and helps people discover the alignment needed to move changes forward.

Learn More

You already have experts. Are you ready to listen?

Design thinking puts people first. Whatever your business or organization creates, it derives value from the people it helps.

So when you run into problems, people should be your first port of call. Those affected by a challenge are the experts on their own experience. Work with them to understand the situation, and to find the "aha!" moments that spark new approaches.

The process works for many problems, but especially for wicked ones. Problems where few people can agree on the right way forward. Where everyone’s emotions are high.

That’s when an empathy-based approach offers the best way forward. And that’s where I come in.

How Design Thinking Approaches Problems

tangled nest represents a wicket problem

Julia Allworth stands against the wall wearing a yellow jacket with a smile

I use empathy to help teams...

Think deeply about problems that have plagued their communities for decades.

Novel solutions emerge from relationships of understanding, and I’ve always put people at the heart of my work as a leader. I believe the best outcomes occur when a solution works for all, and builds on the strengths of all.

By focusing on transformative empathy and equity, I've helped leaders better understand their organizations for over 15 years.

Learn More About Me

Let's work together

I help leaders embed design thinking into their organizations and discover better ways of confronting old challenges.

Here are some ways we can work together:

Through equity-centered design research to uncover user insights
Consulting to find new solutions to problems, empower people & foster a design culture
Designing hands-on workshops and training in design thinking
Speaking at conferences and events

Discover How We Can Work Together

Cover image for Design Thinking in Student Affairs: A Primer, book by Julia Allworth, Lesley D'Souza, and Gavin Henning

Read the book

I’ve worked with co-authors Lesley D'Souza and Gavin W. Henning to write about how design thinking works to create change in higher ed. Design Thinking in Student Affairs covers frameworks for transformative changes in higher education and beyond.

Learn More