
User-centred design training for small and medium sized businesses
Supercharge your team with new skills in
user-centred design — enabling them to build and manage better products and services.
Applying Design’s training gives your team a rigorous understanding of user research and/or service design, equipping them with the tools and understanding to create new value or improve the part of the organisation they work in.
We do this through one-day workshops for the whole team or 1:1 mentoring sessions for individuals or small groups. Our clients have included:



“Sophie’s knowledgeable and skillful mentoring has been genuinely invaluable. Her support has enabled me to develop my own skills into something that can be embedded into our ongoing work. With her guidance we have begun to shape a realistic and sustainable approach to user-centred design, supported by tools that are flexible and appropriate to our organisation."
Head of Service and Operations, Reach Volunteering
Who runs the training?
Sophie Walker founded Applying Design and runs the training sessions, bringing in expert partners to co-run workshops for larger groups or specialist topic areas.
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With over 12 years of extensive professional experience in service design and user research, Sophie has had the privilege of working with a diverse range of clients such as the NHS, Barnardos, Astrazeneca, ING and ANZ banks.
In today's landscape, service design and user research have transitioned from being specialized skills that necessitate external hires. Instead, Sophie focus' on partnering with companies to assess the specific methods and tools within these disciplines that would best suit their unique organizational needs. She facilitates the transfer of this knowledge to their employees through tailored training programs, ensuring the seamless integration of these innovative practices within their everyday work.

What services do we offer?

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One day workshops for teams
Our workshops can focus on service design, user research, or both. We think they work best in person.

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1:1 mentoring sessions
These last an hour and provide personalised guidance and support on service design and user research. Online.
"Sophie provided effective and highly enjoyable 1-1 and small group mentoring sessions. These sessions improved my understanding of user research and service design techniques so that I now feel more confident in structuring and delivering design projects. Sophie shares practical insights and has a welcomed flexible approach to this type of work which makes the content much easier to adapt and use on my own."
Lead Service Designer, AstraZeneca