In 2024, I learned that civic assemblies succeed not through technology, but through simple tools that give people consequential voice.
While tech companies pushed AI solutions, I watched real change happen through paper cards and human conversation.
What I did
• Developed new frameworks for civic assembly facilitation in UK and Germany
• Created deliberation cards and stickers for meaningful public participation
• Designed anti-scam card holders to protect elderly from financial abuse
• Facilitated codesign workshops for museums planning 10-year futures
• Enabled transit system consultations using accessible materials
Posts
Three posts that captured what matters. Here are some ideas from them.
“Card holder design for preventing elder scams”
Physical friction and visual cues protect vulnerable people from financial abuse
“It creates physical frictions and slows the process down. The words are there to try and break that battering rush.”
“Google is lost and needs to stop”
Sometimes stopping and going backward is better than constant forward movement
“The bias to movement as solution is very strong and very wrong.”
“Civic Assembly as consultation intervention”
Be explicit with clear questions, set time, and clear consequences
2025 in a word
At Stroud Solstice Spiral, I received “Synthesis” as my word for 2025.
It fits perfectly – the work ahead is about bringing together human experience and institutional capability, finding ways to make participation meaningful without relying on technological shortcuts.
Looking ahead
Focusing on making civic engagement more accessible through practical tools and human-centered design. Because real participation requires more than just technology – it needs thoughtful synthesis of voices, experiences, and consequences