Dayna Booth

Graduate project title - Just, Pause.
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A British designer, researcher, storyteller, and creative strategist committed to creating a better future through collaboration.

With a background in product design from Sheffield Hallam University, I have always taken a holistic, people-first approach with my creative thinking. Prior to pursuing my MA, I gained experience working as a product designer and a UI/UX designer at Jaguar Land Rover where I was involved in designing multichannel digital experiences. Throughout lockdown, I began to question where I could apply my passion for human-centric design in a deeper way. I came to realise that the majority of products that we encounter, specifically in sectors that interest me, are actually part of a larger service network. My awareness of design expanded to recognise its intricate and subtle nature. With a desire to develop a more innovative and empathetic approach to problem-solving and design, I found myself redirecting towards Service Design and the RCA. I have since developed a deeper desire and curiosity to understand users’ needs and complex systems, considering everyone involved to tackle the most complex challenges and influence positive change.

Now blending my diverse set of skills from product creation to service thinking, my passion is focused towards social and sustainable impact, health systems, education, and the formulation of social cohesion. Playing a part in the development of a world in which all people belong and contribute to thriving societies is what inspires me.

Education

MA Service Design | Royal College of Art
BA Product Design | Sheffield Hallam University

Core Curriculum

Service Design Foundations
Advanced Methods & Materials
Designing Businesses
Managing Design & Operational Strategy
Social Innovation & Future Services
Implementing & Deploying Services at Scale
Dissertation: Critical Historial Studies

Extra Curricular

RCA Service Design Executive Education Facilitator
Mind UK Hackathon
IBM + Philips Service Design Challenge 2022 Finalist

We often get questioned on what it means to be a service designer. Throughout my studies I have become increasingly aware of the invisible mechanisms and systems that shape our opportunities, create challenges, and contribute to other issues in society. Design encompasses everything we do and is permanently inscribed with hidden meanings and values - it is not a surface level solution. What I enjoy most about service design is the ability to see the complexity of the world through a new lens - to see people who are often overlooked by society, to hear people who are often unheard, and to then foster creativity and collaboration in order to resolve real-world problems that lead to innovative, human-centred solutions. I believe that good design is created when people come together, it isn’t just about styling, it’s about delivering significant impact and strategic advantage; every industry in the world can benefit from good, inquisitive design.

We are constantly experiencing shifts in society - we’re interacting with new technologies, engaging in much deeper conversations, asking fundamental questions about what it means to be human and what we value as we seek to engage and exist in more meaningful and intentional ways. As we navigate through these changes and strive to enable more communities to thrive, our role as service designers is becoming more crucial in creating balance and connections in an increasingly complex world. And it is something that I am so excited to be a part of.

Through my practice, I am committed to staying curious, chasing those “aha!” moments, and continually exploring the intersections of and expanding the boundaries of service design, strategic thinking, and human-centred design.

Main insights highlighted from shared menopause experiences.

The central product of Just, Pause is an educational toolkit containing the preliminary resources, care, and know-how information to deal with perimenopausal changes with reduced ambiguity.

As every individual requires different forms of treatment and management, it is important to include guides encompassing tips for a range of different methods of alleviation. These guides offer reassurance by informing, preparing, and encouraging women towards healthier lifestyles. It provides power of choice through improved access.

In the first instance, we provide non-invasive, but necessary interventions in the lives of pre-perimenopausal women to emphasise the importance of early menopause awareness. These interventions direct women to our central product line - the Peri Pack and a portfolio of communication aids.

Peri packs can be obtained in 3 ways, creating multiple revenue streams.

Just, Pause has 3 unique selling points in creating value.

Project Summary

The Problem

Menopause is a natural phenomena that happens to every woman. However, society is not prepared for when it emerges as there is significant lack of early exposure; it's invisible. Focus groups and interviewees confirmed invisibility is due to poor universal understanding, limited and divided access to care, and the stigma set by society. We need to emphasise menopause earlier to make individual journey’s more streamlined for all who experience it.

To do this, I identified 3 essential pillars that are required to build this early preparation:

• Identification through improved education

• Awareness through increased access and agency

• Expression through improved communication

Approach

I added my own stage to the menopause journey as it should be recognised with the same level of importance, pre-perimenopause, and I targeted this for initial points of intervention. Through earlier interventions, my aim is to leverage existing services earlier with a hope of reducing perplexity for when symptoms arise.
With menopause needing a rebrand to reduce stigma, incorporating humour can be a powerful tool in creating more positive environments for open discussions, and even alleviating some symptoms.

Service Proposition

Just, Pause is a wellness brand providing accessible, educational and preparatory resources for pre-peri and perimenopausal individuals. We provide a portfolio of mini interventions that champion the social movement of positively repositioning menopause in society by ensuring that this generation of women feel better supported and understood at this pivotal time in their lives through enriched awareness, access, and expression.

Just, Pause symbolises a moment for mindfulness, to gain clarity on the journey ahead, and to prioritise wellbeing. It exists to create real change by empowering women to form stronger connections with themselves and the people around them – to recognise what is happening and moving forward with a positive mindset

The components of Just, Pause all fit under the umbrella of positive perception & preparation, and all strive to spotlight the brand vision: To create equitable opportunity for every individual to manage their menopause journey.

Small acts of kindness

A story from 3 perspectives - The Big Impact

Fostering community engagement and financial support for vendors through new digital means

A 5-month collaborative project with The Big Issue UK; developing a new digital proposition that would better articulate the street sales value exchange in order to improve engagement and connect with audiences.

The Big Impact is a community-driven platform to create real change by re-establishing valuable connections between stakeholders. Achieved through transparent, meaningful actions such as collaborative community funding for a vendor’s individual needs and goals, and a flexible resource pool from which organisations can support and recruit willing vendors for work opportunities.

Value

The big issue has 1500 individuals, each with a unique story. It is impossible to create a standardised system of hierarchy for vendors as their journeys are incomparable, hence why it was necessary to create a flexible system adaptable to every person.

Vendors need encouragement and support to boost their confidence and build bigger aspirations, and customers who want to help, but don’t necessarily want to read the magazine, need valuable alternative methods to support these individuals with no ambiguity.

Therefore, there is value in visibility, connectivity, and access to opportunities. Consumers have misconceptions about vendors' needs and situations, which is where we step in. By creating vendor individuality visible through their measurable goals, customers have clarity on how their small acts of kindness translate into vendor progress and impactful action. The service creates visibility for vendors, connectivity for customers, and competencies for organisations.

We see The Big Impact being successful where all stakeholders seek digital cohesion. Collectively, we can make a big impact.