EP 110: Designing for Behavior Change | Sherine Guirguis and Michael Coleman

Design Lab with Bon Ku

Learn how behavioral designers are tackling the most complex health challenges on the planet.

As a founder and lead strategist at Common Thread, Sherine Guirguis turns data into powerful narratives. She brings over two decades of experience leading large-scale behaviour change strategies to tackle public health crises. She’s helped rid the world of polio, mitigate COVID-19, end West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, and respond to the Indian Ocean Tsunami. She spent 15 years working senior behaviour change positions at UNICEF and is widely published in public health and social and behaviour change. Sherine holds a MS in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a MA in International Development and Economics from Johns Hopkins University. She’s a guest lecturer at NYU’s School of Global Public Health and participates in numerous Technical Advisory Groups, including the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, PATH and the Taskforce for Global Health. Sherine lives in Barbados and loves riding horses, diving, and design in all its forms.

As a founder and lead storyteller at Common Thread, Michael Coleman ensures that people weigh in on decisions that impact and depict their lives. Through senior communications posts with UN agencies in Angola, Pakistan, and Viet Nam, and experience in social development, documentary production and international journalism, Mike has gained invaluable experience crafting people-centred narratives. Through his work in polio eradication and responding to violence against health workers in Pakistan, he learned the importance of human-centred design. Mike holds a MA in Political Communications from Goldsmiths at the University of London. He is part of a USAID and Gates initiated Community of Practice called Design for Health. He has lectured at NYU’s School of Global Public Health and served as a lead trainer for the US Center for Disease Control’s STOP Polio Programme. Mike is based in Ireland, where he spends his days biking, camping, and coaching his girls’ soccer team.

Episode mentions and links:

Poland: Not settling for less than home

Zambia and Kenya: Sprinting towards a stronger workforce

Global: Tracking vaccination the fun way

Restaurants Sherine and Mike would take you to:

Local and Co. Barbados

Birchalls Pub Dublin

Glas Restaurant Dublin

Follow Common Thread: Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Follow Sherine: Twitter | LinkedIn

Follow Mike: LinkedIn

Episode Website: https://www.designlabpod.com/episodes/110