Design-Led Innovation in Health: A Lesson from 10+ Years Ago That Still Guides Me

Over a decade ago, I was living in Kenya, immersed in a vibrant, complex landscape. During that time, an external team from the UK flew out to work on a new innovation project. They were bright, motivated, and deeply committed to making a difference.

But within weeks, the project started to falter. Despite their best intentions, the team struggled. They had no lived experience in that environment. No understanding of the cultural nuances that shape how the product was seen, felt, and accessed. No real grasp of how systems worked beyond the polished presentations they’d brought with them.

Ultimately, they couldn’t finish the project.

That experience left a mark on me. It was a reminder that’s shaped every step of my career since: Design - true, human-first design, always begins with understanding.

No matter how compelling the vision or how innovative the technology, if we don’t start by listening to people’s lived realities, to the environments that shape them, we’re building on shaky ground.

Design Beyond Aesthetics: Why It Matters in Health

When we talk about design in health, too often the conversation stops at aesthetics. We think of colours, logos, and slick interfaces. But design is so much more. It’s the bridge between what we imagine and what people actually experience.

In my 15 years scaling ventures across the UK, Africa, and the US, I’ve seen this gap play out again and again. Health systems that look perfect on slides but don’t translate in the real world. Digital platforms that claim to empower but feel alienating to those they’re meant to serve.

The difference? It’s not about resources or even pure innovation. It’s about how we design.

Design that starts with listening. Design that seeks to understand, not just to impress. Design that adapts to the needs and cultures of the people at its core.

Human-First Design: The Leadership Imperative

Today, as we face global health challenges, from chronic disease to digital exclusion, this lesson feels more relevant than ever. Health systems, healthtech platforms, and wellness ventures can’t afford to treat design as an afterthought.

Because design isn’t about perfection. It’s about empathy. It’s about building trust, dignity, and genuine human connection. 

For founders and boards, this means asking tough questions:

• Have we spent enough time with the communities we aim to serve?
• Do our design choices reflect their values and daily realities, not just our own assumptions?
• Are we co-creating solutions with people, or pushing them onto people?

This is why design-led thinking isn’t a trend. It’s a strategic advantage, one that can make or break the success of any health venture.

At Well Purposed: How We Build, Together

At Well Purposed, this belief is baked into everything we do. I don’t just see design as a creative process. I see it as a leadership mindset.

When I work with founders and scale-ups, we focus on: 

✅ Building systems that are grounded in lived experience, not theoretical ideals.

✅ Designing for inclusivity and cultural nuance, because context always matters. 

✅ Translating complexity into clarity.

Real health systems are messy. They’re human. They evolve. And when we centre people first, we build with them, not just for them.

Your Turn: Let’s Rethink Design in Health, Together

This week, I’m reflecting on that lesson from Kenya and how it still resonates today.

👉 How are you building with human-first design in mind? 

👉 What lessons have you learned about starting with listening, not just leading?

I’d love to hear your reflections, reply to this email, or DM me on LinkedIn. Let’s make this a conversation.

And if you’re leading a health venture and want to reimagine how design can shape your next chapter, let’s talk. I’m opening up a few slots for founders and boards to explore this together.

Because the future of health isn’t built in isolation. It’s built through deep understanding, shared purpose, and design that truly meets people where they are.

Let’s build it, together.

Sara