Our Team
We have a core team of four, bringing account management, research, research ops, strategy, service design, co-design, training, impact measurement, UX and UI design and development skills to our work. We also work with a varied assortment of associates, depending on the project, so we can bring in specialist skills, or more capacity around brand design, culture change, change management, behaviour science and more.
Rebecca Rae-Evans
Director and service designer
About
Bex has a varied and extensive 15 year background in research and user-centred design, working with blue chip clients on award-winning digital projects. For the past 7 years, Rebecca has transitioned into working exclusively on tech for good projects. Her focus is on digital transformation, lean research, service design and product innovation for social good.
Bex has given keynote talks at international conferences and has been an associate lecturer and mentor at a variety of HE organisations including MMU, The University of Salford and the acclaimed Hyper Island. Rebecca is a leader and senior in her field so has led multiple teams of strategists, researchers and digital experts on projects, but also as head of department within agencies.
Bex also co-founded Tech for Good Live, an organisation that empowers and equips individuals and organisations to use digital for social good. Tech for Good Live is the third biggest active meet-up in Manchester, putting them central to the local community in Manchester and the podcasts have a worldwide listening, featuring renowned guests across this varied sector such as Sara Wachter-Boettcher, Mike Monteiro, Matt Edgar and Dr Sue Black.
Favourite projects
Working with Chayn, co-producing a product to help survivors of sexual abuse
Working with Good Things Foundation co-designing lesson plans with ESOL teachers to embed digital into their lessons.
Working with MMU to develop their summer course in Designing for Social Good
Recent Public Speaking / Media
Camp Digital, Manchester 2018 & 2019 – Hosting the Tech for Good Live breakout room. Including interviews with Dr Sue Black and Cennydd Bowles.
BBC Conference Manchester 2018 – Speaking about Tech ethics.
UX Copenhagen Conference, Copenhagen, 2020 remote keynote and also 2018, 2019 Running and hosting the Tech for Good Live panels including interviews with Mike Monteiro and David Dylan Thomas.
Jonny Rae-Evans
Director and Designer
About
Jonny Rae-Evans has accumulated a wealth of experience in user research, service design, UX design and creative direction over the course of his career.
In previous roles, Jonny was Head of Design at Snook, a prominent design agency in the UK, with studios in Glasgow and London. Jonny was responsible for the design output, quality, practice and process of the various delivery teams (Research, Service Design, and Digital). Clients included large government departments (DfE and the Home Office), local government (Camden), healthcare (NHS), funders (CAST, Nominet, National Lottery Community Fund) and large and small charities (Save the Children, the Samaritans).
Before joining Snook, Jonny was Creative Director at Capgemini, with an international team. He has experience of working within the funding world, and was Head of Product Innovation at the National Lottery Community Fund and has run research and design teams at a number of award-winning design agencies.
He is an international speaker on the topics of designing for good and design ethics. In 2015 he co-founded Tech for Good Live and co-hosts their weekly podcast, and acts as writer and producer on their numerous special series.
Favourite projects
A research project to better understand the needs of UK Funders in regards to openly publishing their grant data.
A service design project to map out the service user “life stages” and user journeys for one of the UK’s largest charity counselling services.
A brand design project for a charity telemedicine product that connects volunteer doctors and medical specialists with peers who are out in the field in remote areas and need support.
Recent Public Speaking / Media
Camp Digital 2019: speaking on design ethics.
UXPA: speaking on designing for vulnerable people
UX Copenhagen Conference: opening keynote talk
Adobe Article on what constitutes “good” design
Mille Vardheim
Design Researcher
About
Digital transformation, engagement & project management.
Mille’s background comes from working on diverse digital and engagement projects as a project manager and strategist, especially within the third sector and government. Working alongside NGOs and charities, she has helped deliver award winning projects that have a real impact on people’s lives.
She has worked alongside organisations supporting the strategic vision and implementation of processes and products, whilst managing large cross functional teams of designers, researchers and developers. Having seen the life changing impact of projects, she brings a strong emphasis on user needs and sustainability to her projects. She is currently focusing her effort on research and service design in the third sector.
Favourite projects
Building a peer to peer support SMS service to help people struggling with the benefits system
Working with Equality Now, exploring the use of social media and the responsibility of big tech companies when it comes to human trafficking and abuse.
Working with Dogs Trust to research and understand their audience
Paul Jakubowski
Designer
About
Paul has over 5 years of experience working in project management, digital design and content strategy roles. In his previous role he worked as a project and partnerships manager at Reason Digital, leading cross-functional teams specialising in digital projects that support social impact and community development; projects that are helping people achieve more by using tech for good. He has supported a variety of charities and social enterprises, including WellChild, Liberty, RCPCH, The Trussell Trust and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Outside of this role, he helped create Tech For Good Live, a Community Association that wants to inform and inspire about how tech can be more ethical, but also how it can positively create social change. Paul is the podcast and content producer, recording and editing the TFGL Weekly shows, as well as documentary and live podcasts.
Favourite projects
Working with SCVO to develop their podcast series on Service Design – DigiListen
Redesign and development of the new website for local media cooperative The Meteor
Creating a new podcast course programme for the Manchester Metropolitan University.