Lisette Baylor

Lisette Baylor – Senior Service Designer | Educator | Human-Centered Strategist I’m a Senior Service Designer with a strong foundation in visual design, arts administration, and human-centered strategy. Over the past decade, I’ve helped government agencies, nonprofits, and civic organizations design more equitable, accessible, and effective public services. My work lives at the intersection of systems thinking, user experience, and organizational transformation—making sure the people behind the systems, and the people impacted by them, are not just heard but meaningfully involved in shaping outcomes. At the core of my approach is a belief that design is not just a creative process—it’s a strategic one. I focus on aligning the needs of people with the goals of organizations, whether that’s through service blueprinting, journey mapping, collaborative facilitation, or low-fidelity prototyping. I help teams make sense of ambiguity, break down silos, and move from insight to action. Currently, I support the U.S. Department of State in improving the passport experience. Through qualitative research, co-creation, and service design methods, I help uncover pain points in both customer and internal staff journeys and work with cross-functional teams to prototype solutions that work across digital and physical touchpoints. The work is about much more than travel documents—it’s about trust in public systems, inclusive access, and operational clarity for frontline staff. In parallel, I serve as a Teaching Assistant at IDEO U, where I help global learners build creative confidence and practical skills in design thinking. I support cohorts in courses such as “Storytelling for Influence” and “Human Centered Service Design,” offering feedback, coaching, and community facilitation. I’ve worked with students across industries and time zones—from product managers in Singapore to educators in India to nonprofit leaders in Brazil—bridging design theory with real-world application. My ability to move between teaching, designing, and strategizing is grounded in my background. I hold a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University, where my thesis focused on how foreign embassies in Washington, D.C. use cultural diplomacy to engage diverse publics. This early exploration of audience development and cross-cultural communication laid the foundation for my work in design today—helping institutions better understand and serve their communities. Over the years, I’ve worked on a wide range of projects, including: Supporting federal agencies through the Lab at OPM to build internal design capacity and reimagine service delivery Co-developing playbooks and toolkits for customer experience practitioners within GSA and USAJOBS Leading participatory research with Veterans and care teams to improve access to telehealth services through the VA Co-creating design modules for USCIS RAIO team to support more inclusive and trauma-informed immigration services Designing accessible learning experiences, such as the “Designing Accessible Communications” course, to help public sector teams communicate clearly and inclusively In every engagement, I bring a collaborative mindset. I work shoulder-to-shoulder with subject matter experts, developers, data analysts, and frontline staff to bridge the gap between user insight and organizational goals. I believe in showing the work, iterating in the open, and building psychological safety within teams—especially in high-stakes or high-complexity environments. What I Offer Design Strategy: I translate research into strategic direction. I help organizations connect the dots between user needs, system constraints, and policy intent to design services that are not only desirable but viable and feasible. Human-Centered Research: From stakeholder interviews to contextual inquiry to usability testing, I use research to surface unmet needs and make informed design decisions. I excel at designing research that respects people’s time, perspectives, and lived experiences. Facilitation & Capacity Building: I’m an experienced facilitator, equally comfortable guiding a room of executives through a visioning session or coaching frontline staff through a mapping exercise. I build tools and processes that enable teams to continue the work after the workshop is over. Cross-Functional Collaboration: I work across disciplines—engineering, policy, operations, and communications—to build alignment and ensure design solutions are grounded in how services actually get delivered. Accessible & Inclusive Design: I integrate accessibility, trauma-informed practices, and equity-centered design into every phase of my work. I push for inclusive approaches not just in final products, but throughout the process. Global Perspective: Whether supporting international learners at IDEO U or co-developing human-centered design toolkits for diverse teams, I know how to adapt language, methods, and mindsets for different cultural contexts. I’m a connector and collaborator at heart. Creative Thinking & Visual Communication: My background as a visual designer means I communicate ideas clearly—whether through a quick sketch, a system map, or a polished deck. I bring design to life in ways that foster alignment, understanding, and shared ownership. What I Value Clarity over jargon. I believe design is a team sport—and no one should be left out of the conversation because of language. Process over perfection. I’m a believer in prototyping early, learning fast, and getting ideas in front of people—especially the people most affected by a service or product. Empathy with action. Research is only as valuable as the change it inspires. I help teams move from listening to doing in ways that are respectful and sustainable. Community over competition. I believe in generously sharing knowledge, methods, and lessons learned. We move the field forward when we lift each other up. Why I Do This Work Because I’ve seen what’s possible when diverse teams are given the tools, time, and trust to design for the common good. And because we need more collaboration—across sectors, disciplines, and borders—to build systems that reflect our shared humanity. If you're looking to connect with a service designer who blends creativity with strategy, listens deeply, and brings people together to make change—I'm always open to a conversation. Let’s build something better, together.