Establishing an in-house design capability for government services
Establishing a central design hub and building internal capability to enable consistent, user-focused service delivery across a federal regulator.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Impact:
Established a centralised design hub to embed human-centred design across the organisation
Enabled consistent, user-focused service delivery through a tailored design framework and playbook
Built internal capability through hands-on training, enabling teams to independently lead design projects
Timeframe: 6 months
Services provided:
Strategy
Innovation operating models
Research
Qualitative ethnographic research
Design
Service design
Capability Building
On-project training
Multi-week design and innovation foundations programs
Deliverables:
Design playbook – provided a practical, step-by-step framework enabling teams to consistently apply human-centred design
Design hub operating model – defined how the hub would function, scale, and deliver value across the organisation
Leadership and cultural insights – informed a design approach grounded in the organisation’s mindset, structure, and constraints
HCD training program – equipped teams with the skills and confidence to independently lead design work
Design hub roadshow – created awareness, alignment, and buy-in across the organisation
Context:
Government agencies are under increasing pressure to modernise services while meeting rising expectations for simple, accessible user experiences.
Our client, a federal regulator, was undertaking a broader digital transformation but lacked a consistent approach to design. This made it difficult to deliver services that fully met user needs and created variability in how teams approached service improvement.
To address this, the organisation identified the need for a centralised design hub that could embed human-centred design (HCD), provide a clear methodology, and build internal capability to deliver better services over time.
WAVE was engaged to design and pilot this design hub, establishing the foundations, tools, and capability required to support long-term service transformation.
Approach:
The organisation’s design maturity varied across teams, making it difficult to deliver consistent, user-focused outcomes. We conducted research with leaders to understand their experiences, mindsets, and the cultural context shaping design practices. We identified a tendency towards consultation over collaboration, influenced by the legal environment, highlighting the need for a more practical and embedded HCD approach.
We tested a draft methodology through two pilot projects, using real delivery contexts to refine how design could work in practice. Regular reflection sessions with stakeholders helped us iterate the approach and demonstrate the value of design through tangible service improvements.
Building on these insights, we developed a design hub operating model, defining core capabilities, delivery processes, and a scalable team structure. We validated this with staff to ensure it aligned with organisational needs.
To support adoption, we created a design playbook with clear guidance, tools, and decision-making prompts. We introduced this through an organisation-wide roadshow and embedded capability through hands-on training, enabling teams to apply HCD in their day-to-day work.
Outcome:
We enabled our client to take a more consistent and user-focused approach to service design by establishing and piloting a centralised design hub.
The hub and operating model provided a clear structure for delivering design work, reducing variability and giving teams confidence in how to run projects. The design playbook translated HCD into practical guidance, supporting more consistent and informed decision-making.
Through training and on-project support, we built internal capability for teams to independently lead design work. This reduced reliance on external support and strengthened the organisation’s ability to continuously improve its services.
Together, these outcomes positioned the organisation to sustain and scale its digital transformation with the tools, capability, and structure needed for long-term success.
