Workshop | Human-Centered Design in Action: Building Inclusive Public Services

How do we make public services work for everyone–especially for communities who’ve been historically left out? In this interactive workshop, Suzanne Boyd, Founder and CEO of Anthro-Tech, will demonstrate how human-centered design provides a powerful framework for building more inclusive, accessible, and effective government services.

Drawing on 25+ years of experience partnering with government agencies, Suzanne will share real-world stories, tools, and methods that public employees can use in their day-to-day work—whether designing digital tools, rethinking forms and applications, or improving in-person service delivery.

Participants will engage in hands-on group activities, analyzing real-life service scenarios to spot barriers, uncover pain points, and applying HCD techniques to improve them. You'll learn how to uncover unmet community needs, design with accessibility in mind, and bring more voices into decision-making—including people with disabilities, non-native English speakers, and underserved populations.

This session features examples from agencies that have used user research, co-design, and usability testing to reimagine services with inclusion and accessibility at the core. Attendees will leave with a ready-to-use framework, practical resources, and renewed energy for building services that work better for everyone.

Suzanne Boyd is Founder and CEO of Anthro-Tech, a human-centered design consultancy focused on government agencies, nonprofits, and social impact organizations. With over 25 years of experience, Suzanne teaches leaders how to design usable, accessible, and inclusive products and services that make a difference in people’s lives. She is a trusted advisor known for guiding organizations to embed human-centered design and customer-centric processes across systems and culture. 

Suzanne has partnered with dozens of state, local, and federal agencies, global foundations, and Fortune 500 clients to transform how they engage with their customers and communities. In addition to her strategic consulting, she actively leads workshops and training sessions on inclusive design, accessibility, and customer experience for organizations. Suzanne specializes in mentoring teams through organizational change, helping agencies adopt equitable practices, shift mindsets, and build practical skills for sustainable transformation. 

As an Assistant Affiliate Professor in the Human-Centered Design & Engineering Master’s Program at the University of Washington, Suzanne has taught and mentored emerging designers since 2001, fostering the next generation of inclusive innovators. 

Learn more about Anthro-Tech’s work at anthro-tech.com