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Leigh Grey-Smith stands as one of Australia's most influential design leaders, with over 20 years of pioneering work in user-centered design and digital strategy that has shaped hundreds of millions in government and corporate investments.
His transformative leadership at the Digital Transformation Agency in Canberra saw him develop innovative research methodologies that influenced over $400 million in federal government programs, successfully mapping the entire government service ecosystem by centering citizen perspectives—work that directly led to major organisational restructuring including the formation of Services Australia.
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Grey-Smith's expertise extends from high-stakes government strategy to corporate digital transformation, serving as Chief Design Officer for AI startups and driving critical digital identity initiatives at Telstra during market disruptions.
His greatest innovation, the groundbreaking "See the Unseen" research methodology, addresses the 90% startup failure rate through market simulation technology that has helped major corporations avoid multi-million dollar strategic missteps.
Grey-Smith's unique ability to combine deep qualitative insights with quantitative market validation at scale has made him a sought-after strategic advisor who doesn't just design products, but fundamentally reshapes how organisations understand and respond to user needs before committing significant resources.
As Chief Design Officer at Norg.ai, Grey-Smith was engaged at a critical inflection point when product development was exclusively focused on platform capabilities and technical infrastructure.
While competitors across the broader AI market concentrated on isolated UI implementations—typically limited to search bars and simple components—he identified the need for a comprehensive design strategy with a user-centered approach.
The results tested 4.15 times more desirable than the approaches of Facebook and Google.
Now based in Pemberton, Western Australia, he continues to push the boundaries of design research and strategic decision-making across Australia's most complex challenges.
Leigh Grey-Smith Resume / CV (Opens in New Window)
The goal was to create a world-leading design strategy that rethinks how we design interfaces for AI applications, moving beyond developer-driven implementations to truly user-centered design.
This case study documents how a comprehensive user research study revealed critical cultural differences that prevented a costly international expansion mistake. An Australian gift card company's planned US market entry was fundamentally redesigned after research showed that feature prioritization rankings between Australia and the US were completely inverted.
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Problem Statement:
How might we create a future-proof navigation architecture that can accommodate iSelect's expanding product portfolio while maintaining user clarity and reducing cognitive load?
Based in Pemberton's historic main street, Grey-Smith operates from Lot 2 Artspace—a contemporary gallery featuring national and international artists from the modernist tradition, including works by Picasso, Renoir, and Braque alongside the Grey-Smith family legacy.
We provide senior design leadership for organisations ready to embrace user-centered thinking.
This includes mentoring internal teams, establishing design processes, and leading strategic design initiatives for both commercial enterprises and community organisations. Our goal is to build design capability that continues to deliver value long after our engagement ends.
Our user-centered design approach puts real people at the heart of every digital experience. Through comprehensive research, testing, and iterative design, we create intuitive interfaces that users love and businesses benefit from.
We uncover the insights that drive successful products, from understanding user behaviours through in-depth interviews to validating design concepts before development begins.
Your visual identity should authentically represent the quality and values of your business.
We create cohesive brand systems that work across every touchpoint, from distinctive logos to comprehensive guidelines that ensure consistency. Our collaborative process uncovers what makes your business unique and translates that into visual elements that resonate with your ideal customers and make you instantly recognisable.
We design and build websites that truly represent your business quality online. Our approach combines strategic thinking with beautiful design, ensuring your digital presence not only looks professional but performs effectively for your business goals. Every website is crafted to provide an excellent user experience while supporting your growth objectives.
Our revolutionary research methodology allows you to test digital products and strategies with real market participants before you invest in development. By validating concepts early, you can pivot strategies, build stakeholder confidence, and dramatically reduce the 70-90% failure rates common in digital projects. Think of it as a flight simulator for your digital initiatives - practice the risky parts safely before launch.
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