What is design and how can we work together?
Human-centered design is a process for solving problems, …especially when problems are messy, confusing, and involve people’s feelings and needs.
Design = change, from “what is” to a future state informed by the needs of the stakeholders you’re co-designing with, built on trust, engagement, and motivated by improved outcomes and impact.
Below is an outline of the design process I use at Learning, Designed where we partner with learning institutions and use design to improve experiences, outcomes, drive stakeholder engagement, and make change in communities.
Think of this page as a guide.
The headings below reflect the most common needs I hear from campus leaders and organizations. Find the one that best fits your situation—you’ll see how I can help.
💡 No need to overthink it. Start where you see yourself. Every entry point opens the door to curiosity, possibility, and testing together.
When you’re ready, reach out with questions—or book time to connect live. Let’s make something awesome together.
I want to help my team build skills in curiosity, problem-solving, and experimentation to drive student-centered change.
Run a 2-Day Design Sprint with your team
This highly interactive, team-driven event is both a crash course in learning and doing human-centered design on your campus. We’ll work on a real challenge your team is facing.
Over two days, you’ll:
Encounter design thinking through short “flash talks” that build core skills.
Use practical templates to focus and guide your thinking.
Work with live coaching to keep momentum and deepen your progress.
You’ll leave with:
A shared understanding of the challenge, informed by both data and student interviews.
Clear definitions of student needs and problem statements.
A range of possible solutions to test.
Quick, low-cost prototypes to validate your ideas and assumptions.
The sprint can be run on back-to-back days or split into two sessions a few weeks apart. [View sample agenda below]
This format is inspired by the “Global Service Jam,” a design sprint hosted in 100+ cities worldwide, and refined over nearly a decade with hundreds of participants from all backgrounds.
Voice of Participants
“This broke down a complicated problem into digestible steps, and helped to pinpoint the real issues and assumptions to create more innovative solutions”
- Design Sprint participant feedback, May ‘25
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A sprint feels like too much right now, but we need to get started building a culture that is curious, action-oriented, and responsive.
Start with an Innovation Self-Assessment (90 min)
This workshop helps us get to know each other while building a picture of where your team is today.
In 90 minutes, your team will:
Get a quick overview of the human-centered design process.
Name common barriers that get in the way of problem-solving on campus.
Diagnose where your team’s “rockets” (accelerators) and “anchors” (constraints) are today.
It’s a simple way to surface strengths, challenges, and next steps for driving student-centered change.
I want to host an event that brings students, employers, faculty, + staff together to solve problems.
From large-scale design sprints to quick “speed-dating”-style formats like Dear Future Boss…, I design events that invite stakeholders into the process of solving real challenges together.
The result? Stakeholders walk away more connected, engaged, and invested in driving change on shared priorities.
Voice of Participants
“Having faculty, student and staff voice together was so valuable throughout the process!”
Design Session attendee, June ‘25
“It was such a unique and eye-opening experience. We came together with students, faculty, and community members to really dive into the challenges and opportunities first-gen business students face. There were group discussions, design thinking sessions, and hands-on activities that helped us explore creative ways to support students’ journeys, especially around career readiness, confidence, and building networks. It wasn’t just about listening, it was about contributing, collaborating, and shaping real solutions. Honestly, I left feeling both inspired and empowered.”
Design Session attendee, June ‘25
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I want coaching, advice, and guidance on a specific challenge.
Whether it’s student experience, work-integrated learning, or navigating human-to-tech handoffs, I bring human-centered design tools, perspective, and project management to guide, advise, coach, and lead you through long-term (6 mos+) design engagements.
“Get Curious” - Clarify the challenge.
Explore “What’s Possible” - Identify opportunities.
“Let’s Test It” - Design experiments.
Voice of Participants
“Loved the structure of the way we built from a problem to potential solutions.”
Design Session attendee, August ‘25
Voice of Leaders
“Brian and I worked together for two years on a truly novel and radically affordable academic program to be piloted initially in Tucson, AZ. He is an outstanding design thinker and doer, an emerging leader in the intersection of learning and working space, and a great teammate. One of the top 5 I have worked with during the past 30 years!”
Executive Academic Leader, April ‘20
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I want a facilitator, guide, or moderator for a conversation or event.
If your event needs structure, tools, and a trusted guide to make dialogue productive and inclusive, I can help. I design and facilitate sessions that move beyond talk into insight and action.
Voice of Organizers
"Brian was a pleasure to work with! In preparation for our event, Brian was deeply engaged in fleshing out the themes and direction of the panel conversation, including conducting his own due diligence on each panel member's strengths, accomplishments and how best each could enhance the conversation. As a result, Brian adeptly moderated the panel, actively listening and guiding the panelists through an engaging and enlightening presentation for our audience."
Event host and organizer, July ‘25
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I want a keynote to inspire my team or community.
For conferences, staff trainings, or kick-offs, I deliver talks on:
Human-centered design
Student-driven change
Cultures of innovation
Building futures together
Talks are practical, story-driven, and designed to spark curiosity and action.
Voice of Organizers - Organizational Development Keynote
“The YMCA of San Diego County holds an innovation summit each year to build staff capacity around innovation and design thinking, and highlight innovative projects from the year. Brian was our keynote speaker this year and did an exceptional job making design thinking accessible to staff of all levels in a way that was engaging, motivating, and inspiring. We look forward for more work with Brian for years to come!”
Executive Sponsor, April ‘25
Voice of Organizers - High School Design Keynote
"We needed a keynote speaker on the topic of design thinking for our 3-day youth-led design symposium, and Brian was an excellent choice. Not only is he knowledgeable about- and experienced in the field, he communicates very clearly - it was obvious to me that he is an accomplished educator! Additionally, his easy demeanor makes him approachable and relatable, a key characteristic when it comes to reaching people, especially youth. My only qualm was that our time with him was too short - I'm already ideating ways to collaborate with him again."
Executive Sponsor, July ‘25
Want to learn more about my work?
📬 This page is part of my newsletter. Here’s a preview. I share stories, tips, and work in progress weekly on this Substack.
👩🏼🎓 Education wasn't designed around students, but we can improve the learner experience through design. 🎓
🧐 Here’s what you can expect:
Real stories from the frontlines of using design in education to drive change and impact
Work in progress (the messy, interesting parts nobody posts on LinkedIn)
Practical ideas you can use, adapt, and share
A healthy dose of design nerd humor, personal connection to the work, or other related-enough things I’m doing that are worth sharing
👷🏼 What am I building?
Here’s a mid-year progress update on the work that I’ve been doing and what I’m learning so far (and how it maps to the “Missions” I set out to accomplish in 2025). Follow my company page to Linkedin to see what I’m up to between posts.
Learn more about Brian, Principal Consultant + Design Strategist: Learning, Designed.