Celebrating a Year of Growth, Partnerships, and Achievements
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A message from Pino Demaio, Local Peoples Founder and Chief Impact Designer
As 2023 comes to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the amazing journey we’ve taken together. Thank you all for helping grow our design-led impact this year.
And, more broadly, it’s been a year of complexity across many issues in Australia and abroad. None more important perhaps than the First Nations’ Voice to parliament – both for our First Nations brothers and sisters, but also for every Australian.
It was a wonderful opportunity to elevate The Voice and knowledge of First Nations people, who have had successful custodianship of the lands on which we live, work and play on for over 60,000 years.
Sadly, however, we learnt valuable lessons about taking our nation on a journey that includes Constitutional amendments. While The Voice to parliament wasn’t carried, we have been humbled by the spirit and resilience of our First Nations people.
And, when the next opportunity to make meaningful steps towards reconciliation comes along, we’d like to think that these learnings will carry our community and nation far.
Closer to home, it has been a wonderful year of learning and progress for Local Peoples, our community and the impact we looked to make.
A special shoutout and thank you to our amazing inclusive experiences community, our visionary client partners, the wisdom and generosity of our advisory board and of course the Local Peoples team – you are all incredible! Your hard work, passion, and collaborative spirit have been the driving force behind the many achievements we’ve celebrated together.
Starting as a one-person venture early in 2023, our Canberra studio has now grown into a fantastic team of five, with a new home at 15 London Circuit. It’s not just about numbers; it’s testament to the passion of our team and their commitment to helping Local Peoples grow in delivering citizen-centric co-design in the nation’s capital.
Our commitment to championing inclusive design continues to be a bedrock value for Local Peoples. Check out our recent webinar on inclusive public products and services that showcases our collective pursuit of innovation and dialogue.
The Inclusive Experience community has become a vibrant tapestry of expertise, exploring everything from neuro design to inclusive co-design for Capital Football All-Abilities team.
And a big shoutout to our partner clients, with whom we’ve collaborated on impactful projects throughout the year. From YourCareer.gov.au to Capital Football and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, our collaborations have yielded tangible outcomes.
We’ve also grown some amazing partnerships with technology gurus GoSource, delivery masters Aventious , the Centre for Inclusive Design, Ability Works and Capital Football.
Additionally, our exploration of cutting-edge topics on our website, from AI in Government to the digital divide and what can be done about it and our policy co-design report has fueled our intellectual curiosity and kept us at the forefront of our industry.
As we approach the end of the year, I want to express my gratitude for your unwavering commitment to solving big hairy problems together. We’ve become a community that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and a shared dedication to creating positive change.
Wishing each of you, your friends and family, a joyous holiday season filled with warmth and laughter. Here’s to embracing the challenges and opportunities that await us in 2024.
Warm regards,
Pino Demaio
Local Peoples Founder and Chief Impact Designer
