International Design in Government Conference
Rotterdam - 18-20 November 2019

Mithula Naik

Profile picture Mithula Naik

Innovation strategist, researcher and designer - Canada

Mithula Naik is an innovation strategist, researcher and designer. Her career spans India and Canada, guiding teams in evidence-based research and human-centred design strategy from the public and private sectors. Mithula currently is a Lead Design Researcher and founding member of the Canadian Digital Service (CDS), the central digital services team in the Government of Canada.

At CDS, Mithula supports the design research community, product development teams and government partners to understand the needs of people using government services. By leading the research of services in direct contact with the public she helps CDS product development teams and government partners better understand of the experiences of the people who use government services.

Prior to CDS, Mithula was a Design Researcher at the Privy Council Office’s Impact and Innovation Unit. Here she ran design-led interventions to improve the Canadian Government policy and service delivery. She has worked on diverse systemic issues including healthcare, transportation and immigration services. Mithula holds a M.Des in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University.

Going the distance for people

The promise and power of design research is beginning to take hold in the Government of Canada. Extending far beyond sticky notes and fun design-jams, the value is in creating nuanced and inclusive government services that work for people. This talk focuses on going the distance for the people we serve by keeping in mind that our ability to create change depends on how well we craft our processes and how far we push existing conditions.