How a routine Pathology visit reminded me why I love user-centred design so much
Being a systems thinker and designer means one thing: I never switch off.
Most interactions turn into insights, an observation, or a question. Both by design and instinct, I take notes in waiting rooms, cafés, and social gatherings. It’s my own personal feedback loop, anywhere people are willing to share their experiences with me. This morning, was no different. I walked into a ten-minute pathology appointment and walked out with valuable insights.
“Every day, I fill an entire bin with plastic waste and that’s just my room.”
Not because it’s necessary for infection control, but because of how workflows are designed.
Then they shared something even more curious at another location of the same business, they have a ‘better’ workflow in place that results in:
· Less waste
· Greater efficiency in their role
· Same clinical outcome
The process exists. The knowledge exists. The people closest to the work can see the gap and inconsistencies every day.
Now, being the curious system designer that I am and never wanting to miss a learning opportunity I couldn’t just leave it there.
So, once bandaged up, I asked the Phlebotomist if they would mind showing me exactly how these workflows differ.
And they did, happily (albeit, slightly confused by my enthusiasm for their workflow).
So, as a healthcare strategist and systems thinker, I left with even more unanswered questions that I wished I could have asked.
My interaction was as brief as my appointment, which made me wonder: how many other valuable user and business insights could be uncovered with more time?
What always strikes me in these moments is:
· When people are given the space to share, they do so generously
· Inefficiencies voiced aren’t complaints, but rather opportunities for insights and to both improve the way work is delivered, and the experience of those that team members care for
And often, their insights align with the strategic priorities that executives and boards are already trying to solve but from a completely different vantage point.
Yet in so many organisations, these insights don’t have the opportunity to travel upwards in meaningful ways to those able to enact change.
The tension for leaders is this: We push for financial and operational efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainability, yet we often structure decision-making and innovation programs in ways that disconnect those closest to the ‘problems’ from contributing their expertise in solving them.
The smartest organisations know that financial and environmental sustainability aren’t competing priorities, they are strategic imperatives.
The best insights for driving change often sit with the people already working (and interacting) within the system and closest to the problems.
In my experience, some of the bravest and most effective service design improvements have come from these small, unplanned interactions.
Moments where curiosity, observation, and frontline insights come together in ways that no dashboard or report can fully capture alone.
If you’re interested in exploring how centring user insights can drive strategic decision-making, operational alignment, and execution, let’s chat via info@dialecticalconsulting.com.au or contact me via LinkedIn.
