Cathryn's story

Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, I'm now based in Sydney, 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 make a difference. When I moved into human-centred design, it didn't feel 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. I draw on a deep experience with both biosocial sciences and design academia. Recently, I completed my Master of UX Design, where I researched the experiences of cosplay-making communities across NZ and Australia and developed a design concept (which you can check it out here).

As a multi-passionate creative and artist, I also tend to draw a lot on my broad range of interests, hobbies, and various skills. I'm fond of travelling, learning languages, taking photos, singing at the piano, and fussing over my cat.