Deborah Szebeko
Deborah Szebeko (born 1980) is founding director of the social design agency thinkpublic.
History
After volunteering for nine months at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in 2003, Szebeko identified opportunities to use design to improve communications and experiences. To encompass her insight, Szebeko set up thinkpublic in 2004.
Communicating the value of using design to improve public services, Szebeko and thinkpublic have worked with a vast array of organisations across the UK health and social sector. With an experience in designing services, products and social enterprise.
Working across the public and third sector, Szebeko has a unique ability to apply design methodologies to encourage service innovation and enterprise. Over the past eight years, she has successfully used her social design approach to inform and develop products, enterprises and service innovations that have been rolled out nationally by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the Department of Health (UK), NESTA and Alzheimer's Society.
In 2008, for her dedication to social innovation, Szebeko was listed in the Top 10 for The Observer and New Statesman ‘Future500’ and in October won the British Council’s UK Young Design Entrepreneur Award. Since setting up thinkpublic, Szebeko has presented her work at international design and health conferences including: Reinventing Design (Hong Kong Design Centre, 2008), Design of The Times (Newcastle, 2007), NESTA Young Innovators (London, 2007), The European Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare (Prague, 2006), Doors of Perception (New Delhi, 2005) and DOORS Leaders Round Table (Amsterdam, 2004).
Szebeko holds a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design & Advertising, an MA in Communications, and diplomas in Organisations, Relationship and Co-active Coaching. Szebeko is currently undertaking PhD research with Middlesex University, exploring the challenges surrounding user-centred design and innovation in the public sector.
References
- Andrews, K. (2008). Are You a Good Designer? Notes on Design, Sessions Online.
- Baker, M. (2007). Public life: Design Makes a Difference. The Telegraph.
- Hutchins, E. (2008). Inaugural Design Award Winner Announced at 100% Design. British Design Innovation.
- Service Design Network. (2008). thinkpublic receives the UK Young Design Entrepreneur Award
- Szebeko, D. (2008). Designing Healthcare Environments Health Sector Journal.
- UKYDE. (2008). "Co-design" pioneer takes top design entrepreneur award.
- Wodcast. (2008). Deborah Szebeko - Interview (mp3)