Gill’s specialism is in bringing new combinations of people, culture and technology into the development of new products, services and experiences. From subtle research into early insights and future needs, or longer-term patterns and behaviours, her work involves getting the right people in the research, and listening hard to what they share.
As a co-founder of the innovation agency Plot, Gill designs and develops research and design the interventions Plot undertakes across industry sectors for clients such as the BBC, Microsoft and many others. She is skilled in more open forms of participation that foster interdisciplinary collaboration and produce more humane system designs.
As Director of Upstarter she founded a design-led incubation service for creative and social microbusinesses. She has worked with a range of partners including BSWN, CLWSTWR, WECA, NESTA and the British Council, in Wales, UK, Jordan and Egypt. Recently she supported 24 new creative collaborations through the South West Creative Technology Network, based out of the Pervasive Media Studio and Watershed, Bristol. She works with people making new products and services for markets that do not yet exists, and creates spaces for a future visions to be .
Projects
- CAF Credit Card Proposition design for researchCAF charity credit card propositions A charity wanted to set up a new kind of credit card, so they asked for research to help them to understand what people might find appealing and what might put them off. Our work identified a range of new propositions and we prototyped these as real, prepared a set of materials for researchers at Firsthand to use further - featuring potential brands, proposition text, storyboards, wireframes and visuals.
- Proper Urban Neighbourhood study for VastintThis property developer wanted to understand how they can make a new place a place with soul in East London. We were asked to conduct user research to understand what kinds of neighbourhood would attract the types of urban pioneers and settlers that in turn tend to attract others. We found people with these qualities, and explored the sorts of places and resources they need as a great context for creative business and to make things happen. We took the findings back to the client as a report and
- GlimmersGlimmers for National Lottery Community Fund on the nature of Civil Society emergent tactics and technology needs for the in the time of Covid. This involved engaging groups of people in research from across the voluntary sector from large Charities to small organisations. https://glimmersreport.net/