Portfolio
Skyler Newton
The following are examples of digital service designs and publications created using innovation methodologies and human centred design practices. These have been produced as part of personal research projects or as an ongoing employee with the federal government department IP Australia.
Between 2017 and 2024 I worked as the Search system coordinator and Strategic designer for the intellectual property (IP) department IP Australia. Here I delivered concept designs for policy programs and digital products. Due to sensitivity of analysis and performance metrics for government services and tools, this information is unable to be shared here at present; however I have provided a high level overview of my contribution to the creation of these publications and tools, via cyclical HCD practices.
Generative AI and the IP System
In early 2023, as the strategic designer for the IPAVentures team, we used public sector Anticipatory Innovation methodologies to investigate issues that could arise from widespread use of new generative AI technology. The outcome was delivering an interactive resource and research findings. This was designed for both the general public and policy-makers to consider possible uses of generative AI and ramifications on the IP system as it currently exists.
Note: "Generative AI" involves large language models (LLMs) that interpret large data sets and creates new tailored responses to a wide variety of prompts.
For example - analysing the text of a technical research paper and creating a short summary of its contents in layman's terms.
This is not the same as "AI", which replicates the same task in order to automate it and remove human involvement, and can adapt to changing parameters. This typically involves a specific set of data and provides an answer or resolution based on set parameters.
For example - analysing sender email addresses in an inbox and assigning emails to a set of team members based on their availability.
Role responsibilities
Strategic Designer
Perform investigative fututes and horizon scanning research - analysis of industry white papers, trends, stakeholder activity, map regulatory driven use cases and stakeholder jobs to be done (JTBD).
Arrange and conduct interviews with industry stakeholders to gather insights and create stimulus for ideation and service design concepts.
Perform synthesis and ideation activities - to design and generate strategic research materials for the executive.
Facilitate stakeholder testing sessions - to determine likelihood for hypotheses to impact the IP system and the department's vision and objectives.
Undertake new use case exploration and idea generation - to investigate future uses of generative AI in respect of IP rights and registration administration.
Insights
AI is moving fast and presents a material, very possibly existential, risk to the IP rights system.
The foundation of the IP system is about providing protection to novelty, yet the barrier to meeting this criteria will likely reduce significantly.
Strategy
Conduct a 12 week investigatory sprint, designed to explore the breadth of issues that generative AI presents.
Intensive research and wargaming analysis of anticipatory insights, beyond the surface level enhancement opportunities presented by generative AI.
Outcomes
Responsive publication of research findings, presented in the form of an interactive online resource.
Achieving significant reach across the international IP landscape in both the initial stakeholder engagement process and the subsequent digital publication. This was notably recognised by IP experts and academics in both public and private sectors.
TM Checker
From 2021 - 2023, as strategic designer for the department's first anticipatory innovation lighthouse project, I worked with a team of internal venture analysts and external consultants to investigate advanced innovation opportunities beyond the existing capabilities of the department. We conducted research and exploratory innovation activities and pitched 6 concepts to the executive board - to vote and select one for incubation and delivery as a beta digital service.
The concept incubated was the AI driven TM Checker tool (pilot). I contributed to the original research, ideation and concept creation. I also facilitated ethnographic research and iterative testing sessions to align the user interface (UI) with users' needs. I led a new use case analysis sprint, and drafted copy as a subject matter expert, that was published by partner organisations.
Note: this tool does NOT use "generative AI" technology.
Article:
Role responsibilities
Strategic Designer
Perform investigative research - analysis of industry white papers, trends, stakeholder activity, map regulatory driven use cases and stakeholder jobs to be done (JTBD).
Arrange and conduct qualitative interviews to gather insights and create stimulus for ideation and service design concepts.
Generate quantitative research surveys to capture a reliable evidence base to draw out objective insights - by avoiding suggestiveness and biases.
Align use cases to relevant CX personas, JTBD and journey maps.
Perform synthesis and ideation activities - to design and create product concepts and pitch for prioritisation.
Facilitate user testing sessions - to determine how design elements meet expectations and deliver agency objectives.
Validate/disprove design hypotheses using research insights - to direct product build and service strategy.
Undertake new use case exploration and idea generation - to drive future service strategy and growth opportunities.
Create replicable resources and strategic artefacts for repeating innovation practices across the agency.
Develop sprint planning resources and training materials, facilitate workshops for upskilling staff.
Co-create MVP product definitions with UI design and product teams - to Present to the executive board for prioritisation and concept incubation.
Work with data scientists to develop extraction strategies - to provide innovation teams with benchmark evidence.
Substantiate design choices with evidence, data visualisation and trend analysis.
By design, this tool is intended to serve as an early phase business risk-reduction resource - by embedding it within must-use touch points for small businesses across the start-up and business administration landscape. The goal being to provide users with live insights on the ramifications of choosing a brand to go to market in Australia, before they would typically conduct an investigation into any existing trade mark registrations.
Aside from the trade mark data searching AI and ML (machine learning) system, what is arguably the most innovative aspect of this digital service is the cross-sector partnership framework and relationship management process used during the beta pilot. This is designed to strategically embed and maintain resources in public and private sector digital touch points.
Insights
<4% Australian SMEs hold trade mark rights.
78% are unaware about trade marks when choosing their brands.
48% needed to rebrand because a trade mark was unavailable.
Out of >1000 SMEs surveyed, 65+ interviewed
Strategy
Embed targeted content and tools in must-use business touch points.
Engineer an AI driven database searching tool, to provide live insights about brand availability.
Increase uptake of IP rights and unlock corresponding business growth.
Outcomes
Framework of 16+ new partnerships with private and public sector providers promoting IP.
Equivalent of thousands of years human effort saved so far - through groundbreaking TM data processing innovation.
New API platform strategy for reducing IP processing effort across the ecosystem.
Australian Trade Mark Search
From 2017 - 2019, my role as search system coordinator commenced at the vendor hand-over transition period. I worked to maintain iterative qualitative research processes, regularly consulting stakeholders for insights to update search system functionality. I also transitioned and collated a JIRA backlog of outstanding tickets and update requests. Categorising and tagging these to enable report extraction based on ticket issue type and their associated systems or processes.
Working in the customer intelligence team and in response to high call volumes regarding trade mark status updates, I improved transparency and user comprehension of trade mark application progress information. This was achieved by analysing feedback and designing a visualisation of the TM journey. By creating a contextual breakdown of definitions, this more clearly outlines to applicants when and why a specific status applies to their application. An interactive PDF version was also provided to customer service officers, to use along with their standard scripts, to help answer enquiries more efficiently.
Role responsibilities
Search system coordinator
Customer experience journey mapping and problem identification.
Ideation - co-creation of hypotheses; prioritisation for validation.
Strategic planning for implementation of iterative process and design improvements to meet user needs.
Established and maintained a backlog of system improvements for future releases (Kanban tools, & JIRA).
Subject matter expert for developing digital tools for IP rights, including automation and process improvement to meet customer needs.
Relationship management - first point of contact for stakeholders using Australian Trade Mark Search.
Conducted qualitative research interviews with private sector IP firms in Sydney and Melbourne.
Devised and undertook quantitative research, drafting survey content and distribution to user groups;
Created training and educational materials. Facilitation to internal and external users of our database systems.
Arranged data and composed analysis content for executive summary reports and presentations.
Developed and maintained educational and help content for users
Investigated database discrepancies and upheld high integrity of published data.
Contact
hello@mazepath.net