Cathryn's story

Originally from New Zealand, I'm now based in Australia where I work as a designer and researcher. Much of my work spans strategic, service, and product design across government, consultancies, and educational institutions.

My journey into design began as an anthropologist. Growing up as a mixed-race kid between NZ and Thailand, I've always been fascinated by humans. Observing and understanding behaviours, cultures, and contexts is core to my worldview. But mostly, I wanted to help make a difference for people. When I moved into human-centred design, it didn't feel like a career change; instead, it felt like an extension of that same mission. I see design as an applied anthropology.

My practice is firmly human-centred, holistic, and hands-on. I draw on my combined experiences in biosocial sciences and design academia, as well as extensive community and government work. Recently, I completed my Master of UX Design, where I researched the creative practices of cosplay communities in NZ and Australia and developed a design concept (which you can read more about here and sign up for testing here).

As a multi-passionate person, I also tend to draw heavily on my broad range of interests, hobbies, and various skills. I'm fond of travelling, learning languages, taking and editing photos, and singing at the piano. Trust me, they've all come in handy at some point in my design practice! 👩🏻‍🎨