Cat is a visible thought and practice leader in using data & design for social innovation, including a TedX on data and design, RSA design keynote on systems change and co-presenting BBC Radio 4’s The Fix series.
Cat is Director of Policy & Place at FutureGov where she leads on place-based change and innovation to tackle systemic issues. Currently she is leading work around homelessness, childhood obesity and in-work poverty. She combines 13 years of Government in posts in No10, Cabinet Office and the Home Office with a post-graduate education in design.
Previously, Cat was part of the founding team of the Government’s Policy Lab and created the first data ethics framework for Government at GDS. Cat is also a member of the Point People, a network of systems thinkers and an RSA fellow.
Projects
- Bloomberg Philanthropies Creative CityFutureGov worked as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge team to follow the journeys of 35 US cities who are engaging residents and prototyping innovations to tough city challenges. City teams were provided with design support to test and learn how to improve the ideas before putting in final applications, with 11 final winners. See more here
- Homelessness Systems ChangePolicy Lab's project with MHCLG to research and design ways to prevent homelessness informed elements of the Homelessness Reduction Act and informed a £40M fund to support 28 local areas to implement innovative ideas. FutureGov have worked with 8 of these to prototype, test these ideas, including using predictive data and community outreach to identify people at risk and intervene early, and creating more collaborative and empathetic conversations between the council and residents in need. Read
- BBC Radio 4 The FixA radio series, co-presented by Matthew Taylor and Cat Drew which brings together bright young minds from different professional backgrounds to design fresh ideas to touch policy problems, from childhood obesity to junior doctor morale. Teams are taken through a design process, involving user-insight, ideation and prototyping, before pitching to judges who decide on a winner. See episodes here.
Projects credited in
- This International Women’s Day 2019, meet 100 trailblazers redefining the creative industryDiscover our 2020 list here This International Women’s Day, we’ve launched our latest ‘10x10’ – asking 10 influential industry icons to each nominate 10 trailblazing women and non-binary people who they believe are redefining the creator landscape. The result? An incredible list of 100 trailblazers inspiring change. Our list will be accompanied by a takeover on The Dots – look out for brilliant profiles and projects on the platform as we aim to inspire, as important as ever when considering ‘88165
Skills
- Creative Direction
- Print Communications
- Service Design
- Client Services
- Digital Design
- Strategy
- Communicating Ideas
- Presentations