Design research
I bring a holistic, user-centred perspective to research design, and conduct field research to generate relevant insights.
Gunes Kocabag
Strategic design and facilitation
About
I am a researcher, designer and facilitator with an eclectic background combining engineering, service design and anthropology, which helps me bring a well-rounded perspective to my work. I've spent more than a decade working internationally as a consultant, where I guide teams and organisations in developing products, services, strategies that deliver value to their users and stakeholders as well as driving towards organisational goals.
In my work, I apply human-centred design (HCD) and behavioural research methodologies to identify actionable insights and inspiration from the field, and make these tangible for other project stakeholders. I excel in making sense of large amounts of data to define the hidden patterns and implications for the project. I design new value propositions, and structure the creative process in a collaborative and participative way to bring other stakeholders along the journey.
I have worked with private companies in diverse sectors as well as global development organisations, governments and I/NGOs in areas including healthcare, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, sustainability and climate adaptation.
I have a constant learning mindset and an immense curiosity towards understanding diverse perspectives to tackle complex problems. I am looking to partner with mission-driven organisations to build sustainable processes, products and services that align value for business with value for society and the planet.
Most of my work falls under the below categories
Strategic design
I bring in a systemic approach to strategic decision making, guiding organisations through the social, organisational and technical complexities they face.
Service design
I assists teams in carefully crafting both their user or beneficiary experiences and the necessary behind-the-scenes structures and processes.
Facilitation and Capacity building
I design and facilitate online or in-person experiences tailored to my clients' needs, guiding dialogue, co-creation, and alignment.
Example work
Improving vaccination coverage in WHO's Africa region through system and service innovation.
Reporting of abuse and attitudes towards identity verification on a global social media platform.
Developing a climate adaptation framework for humanitarian operational planning.
Developing a toolkit to serve the needs of micro-businesses.
Identifying opportunities for digital health solutions in the emergency response context.
Foundational research into motivations, needs and behaviours around 'sharing'.
Developing a community-led auditing mechanism for humanitarian aid delivery.
Developing a digitally enhanced customer experience for a large-scale manufacturer.
Discovery workshops to support the development of a ToC for a sustainable apparel ecosystem.
Skills
Design thinking & doing
Applying the design mindset and process to define the crux of the problem, catalyse out of the box thinking, ideation, prototyping and testing to ultimately pave the way to desirable, viable and feasible products and services.
Research design & execution
Defining the right research questions and the right methods to answer these questions. Planning research activities and logistics, including efficient ways to capture and make sense of the information.
Behavioural insight generation
Applying qualitative research methods to understand the social, cultural, political and environmental drivers and barriers for people's behaviour, and identifying key leverage points that can guide effective intervention design.
Co-creation
Facilitating creative engagement sessions with communities, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment to collectively define priorities and generate solutions that address on-the-ground needs effectively.
Workshop design & facilitation
Developing tailored activities, tools and templates, facilitating co-creation, conversation and hands-on participation during the workshop, and ensuring tangible outputs that lead to clear follow ups after the workshop.
Toolkit & framework design
Building on existing information or new research findings to develop reusable models and tools. These tools and frameworks provide a foundation for discussions, guide design decisions and help navigate strategic options.
Project & stakeholder management
Leading multidisciplinary teams to achieve top-notch quality and timely results. Collaborating with project stakeholders from diverse organisations to ensure their valuable insights and priorities are seamlessly integrated into the process.