When the pandemic pushed British Red Cross services to breaking point, teams needed a way to respond faster, together. This work combined strategy, uncertainty, and real human need during a fragile time, and I helped turn that ambiguity into clear direction.
By designing a new operational model in just two weeks, we gave staff shared clarity, simple tools, and a way to deliver joined-up support when it mattered most.
Organisations were turning to British Red Cross for help as they were overwhelmed and severely understaffed to help their communities. British Red Cross staff were facing immense pressure to respond quickly, but:
Services were siloed across departments
There was no shared way to manage and triage requests
The data infrastructure couldn’t be changed mid-crisis
Staff needed clarity on roles, decisions, and responsibilities
I led the end-to-end service design for this crisis-response model, reframing the problem, mapping fragmented journeys, and co-creating the decision structures that stitched teams together. I designed the tactical-cell operating model with frontline staff, built an open service manual that enabled scale, and shaped simple, repeatable service patterns teams could use under stress. My work turned scattered processes into a coherent, usable framework that staff across the UK could act on immediately.
The breakthrough came when we shifted the question from “How do we fix the system?” to “What do staff need to act with confidence right now?”
That reframing unlocked a radically different solution: collaboration didn’t depend on new systems. It needed shared understanding, visible roles, and clear steps. By turning complexity into simple, open guidance, scepticism gave way to trust. Teams who had never worked together began delivering as one, proving that clarity and usability can reshape culture even in the most high-pressure environments.
Cross-service tactical team rolled out across the UK
Improved onboarding and operations through Open service manual
700,000+ people, who were initially isolated, supported during the pandemic
Improved collaboration and reduced duplication
Long-term culture shift toward open, cross-functional delivery