CONTRIBUTIONS
My work has been recognised for driving meaningful, human-centred change and I am committed to building the body of knowledge on what it means to be human, how we navigate change, and how we design systems that truly serve people.
I’ve served as a juror for the Australian Good Design Awards and received multiple high-profile recognitions for my work including three Good Design Awards 2022, 2019 – Best in Class, Gold Winner, Inaugural Indigenous Design Award, Premier’s Achievement Awards 2019, Richard Samuel Prize 2018, University of Melbourne, Victorian Premier’s Design Awards 2016.
Beyond project work, I contribute to the broader field of innovation, strategy, and social impact through research, writing, and education. I have lectured in the Master of Design Innovation & Technology at RMIT and served as Founding Head of Research & Consulting at the Griffith Centre for Social Innovation, shaping future leaders in human-centred design, service transformation, and systems thinking.
Lena Belin On Improving Spaces & Enhancing Lives With Interdisciplinary Design & Research
Impact Boom invited me to talk about Interdisciplinary Design and Research for Social Change. Listen here!
How does it move you? Thoughts for a different kind of professionalism.
We live in emotional times and yet, it's not often that we hear personal stories as fuel for change in our professional lives. Why is that? I have a few ideas here, and would love to hear your thoughts! Read here!
Designing enlightenment — what 10 days of silence can teach you about design
Can you imagine not speaking for ten days? Living in complete silence, without technology, reading, writing or even looking at another person? Meditating for ten hours a day, while sitting cross-legged on the floor? What may sound like hell or heaven to you was my reality for 10 days as I attended a silent meditation retreat late last year.
Personal learnings aside, the experience was intriguing from an experience design perspective. As a design anthropologist and service designer, I couldn’t help but notice a few patterns. Read here!