Why?
Design is a problem solving process.
Insights frame our understanding of “the problem to solve”.
Research draws the path for the design process to follow.
Understanding people’s needs and behaviour is a key starting point. Being able to translate this into a design solution, a process improvement, or something that makes the world a better place — is a challenge I love solving.
Services
I specialise in user research and human-centred design (HCD) for social and environmental impact projects.
Design Research
I use a mixed methods approach to understand people’s context, needs, behavioural barriers and to uncover opportunities to make a difference. Interviews inform design requirements for solutions and services, but for me, they go beyond questions and answers. I incorporate mini activities to get into more detail and depth, such as a game or a creative exercise to engage participants. This process produces rich insights that uncover opportunities for innovation.
Methods I normally apply in my practice, depending on the project context and objectives:
- In-depth contextual interviews
- Remote interviews
- Shadowing/ observation
- Diary Studies & mobile ethnography
- Co-creation sessions (remote, on-site & hybrid)
Behavioural Design
My expertise lies in designing for behaviour change in healthcare and environmental conservation. I incorporate insights from behavioural drivers and barriers into my design process, taking the time to thoroughly understand behaviours and their contributing factors. My approach involves prototyping and testing interventions and tools that encourage positive behaviour change.
One example of my work is a mobile app prototype that supports individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes in making necessary lifestyle changes, such as adjusting their diet and exercise habits. In another innovation project, I led the design of a program that encourages more sustainable agricultural practices through farmer collaboration and accountability, aiming for long-term systemic change. This pilot farmer program is currently in development in Syria and you can read more about it in my examples of work.
Service Design
My service design experience spans across a variety of service delivery contexts, including: humanitarian relief, healthcare, sustainability services, insurance, transportation & logistics, travel and manufacturing. I work closely with my client teams to define the process. We start by bringing the right people together in workshops and orchestrating the appropriate design process for the challenge at hand. I cook a variety of activities and design custom templates for each engagement to bring the best possible results.
Deliverables include, but are not limited to:
- Insights on user needs & opportunities
- Personas & Storyboards
- Customer Journey Mapping
- System Maps
- Service Prototypes
- Service Blueprints
Coaching & capacity building
As a design consultant, I often lead innovation projects within my clients’ organisations, coaching multidisciplinary teams along the process. I deliver custom and practical training sessions on various user research methodologies, particularly for international local teams. In this way, local teams can adapt the research tools for their cultural context, take ownership and run research activities independently. I am a firm believer in “learning by doing”, so I design tailored training sessions in the context of particular projects.
Who am I
Yanna Vogiazou, a design consultant with 14+ years of professional experience, drawing from tech start-ups, academic research & innovation in the non-profit sector.
I am looking for complex problems to solve and for projects that make the world a better place. In return, I bring a hands-on approach to fieldwork in challenging environments, combined with cultural sensitivity.
I believe in moving beyond Human-Centred Design (HCD), towards Life-Centred (or Planet-Centric) Design. Nature should form part of our design process – we can no longer afford to innovate without considering the needs of the natural world.
I have a PhD in human-computer interaction and have committed since a long time to design accesible, meaningful and useful products and services.
Interested to see some project examples? Go ahead and dive in.
Design follows insight 