Design isn’t just creativity — it’s care. In this episode, Gerry sits down with Ali Fawkes , Head of Social Innovation at Humanly (founded by Jenni Parker), to unpack what safeguarding and trauma-informed practice really look like in design research. Ali shares her unconventional journey from…
Design isn’t just creativity — it’s care. In this episode, Gerry sits down with Ali Fawkes , Head of Social Innovation at Humanly (founded by Jenni Parker), to unpack what safeguarding and trauma informed practice really look like in design research. Ali shares her unconventional journey from fine art and special education into service design, opening up about imposter feelings, labels, and the reality of working on sensitive, high stakes projects where people’s wellbeing is front and centre. This conversation gets practical, honest, and deeply human. In this episode, you’ll learn: How non traditional backgrounds become genuine superpowers in design What “designing safely” means in practice — from policies and consent to escalation routes and decision making How to prepare teams for difficult disclosures (e.g., hopelessness or suicidality) without derailing or freezing the work Why safer practice builds trust with clients and ultimately leads to better outcomes Guest Ali Fawkes , Head of Social Innovation, Humanly (London) Connect with Ali on LinkedIn: Shout out to SDinGov for igniting this conversation.
Humana Design — service design and design research consultancy, Dublin, Ireland.