The goal
AGL wanted human-centred design to be something people across the business could use, not a specialist skill held by one team or role. The question was how to make that real for people whose roles had never included design.
CASE STUDY
Building greater customer focus across teams at AGL
Cross-functional by design
Cohorts were deliberately mixed across functions and levels: people who would not normally solve a problem together, in one room for two days. Complex problems are solved by diversity of thought, and the cohort is where people learn to work across the boundaries they normally work within.
Real problems, not case studies
Every bootcamp ran on AGL's own problems, chosen with the business before the session. Participants learned the human-centred design toolkit by using it on work that mattered to them, so the method arrived attached to something real rather than as theory to translate later.
Beyond the two days
Each bootcamp opened a three-month program. The cohort came back together for structured coaching sessions, sharing how they were applying the mindset, tools and techniques in their everyday work. They learned from each other what works inside their own organisation and what does not, and got direct feedback they could act on straight away. Certification came at the end of the program, once participants had shown the method working in their day-to-day roles.
What stayed
A shared language and a shared set of tools across teams that did not previously have one. People who design and run their own sessions. A community of practice that supports itself inside the business, where participants keep learning from each other after the program ends.
In AGL's words
“Customer experience is shaped by decisions made right across the organisation. This program has helped strengthen the skills and shared practices needed for more teams to apply human-centred design to solve real customer problems.”
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sammi@ruminx.io
Most of my work is in Melbourne and Geelong, and I work Australia-wide when the engagement calls for it.
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