Meet Nelly Kinsella, Organizational Change Manager at Anthro-Tech!
Nelly is a seasoned communications strategist known for her digital engagement expertise. She has overseen the creation and management of numerous digital products, such as websites, intranets, and intricate web/mobile applications. Her strength lies in simplifying complexities, adapting quickly, and dissecting intricate scenarios. As the OCM, Nelly thrives on coaching teams in HCD tools and processes.
Tell us about your background and what led you to work at Anthro-Tech (A-T)?
Prior to becoming a consultant at Anthro-Tech, I had the opportunity to experience their Human-Centered Design (HCD) services as a customer. Led by Suzanne, Anthro-Tech’s CEO & Founder, along with her team, they played a pivotal role in guiding my digital design team at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Through their expertise, we not only enhanced our HCD practices but also developed the capability to conduct thorough customer research, iteratively refine website designs, and establish top-tier accessibility standards. This partnership was instrumental in the ongoing advancement of the Washington Healthplanfinder.
Just shy of 10 years in state service, in 2020, I took the leap to help build the Anthro-Tech practice for Organizational Change Management (OCM). I carried my experience in strategic communications, digital design team management, and product development to Anthro-Tech’s social impact mission and portfolio of state and public agency clients.
My OCM work at Anthro-Tech is all about increasing the awareness and adoption of HCD as a process for a project and striving to leave behind advocates of HCD after we achieve our project end point.
What are some exciting projects you’ve worked on at Anthro-Tech?
The first project I worked on at Anthro-Tech was to redesign the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) employee intranet as well as their public website. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, it was crucial that their digital communications tools be easily accessible and usable. This was a major motivator for our teams, and we continually reinforced it in our project communications. We launched the redesigned websites in 2021, significantly improving the experience for WSDOT staff, travelers, business partners, and watch dogs, who were key customers of WSDOT.
Another project that has inspired the development of OCM services at Anthro-Tech was Human-Centered Design for Human Services (HCD4HS). In this project, we coached three teams from health and human service agencies to practice HCD. A qualitative assessment was published about this work establishing some of the very first literature about the effectiveness of HCD as a process to tackle wicked problems. I learned a lot about facilitating techniques, workshop design and roadmap planning while I supported our three HCD coaches.
What are three words to describe Anthro-Tech?
- Strategic – During the three years I have been part of A-T, we have more than doubled the members of our team and thoughtfully organized into specialty areas to support our clients in their HCD maturity journey. Our whole company comes together to check in every three months on the progress we have made on our long-term strategy to be partnering with changemakers improving lives worldwide.
- A learning organization – We honor learning in our individual consultants, in our specialty areas and in our clients. A-T invests in training and professional development. Our CEO also maintains a faculty position at the University of Washington, keeping us connected to the academic and industry evolution of HCD.
- Optimistic – Our passion to make a social impact fuels our determination and drive. We are optimistic but face and discuss the brutal facts which means that over time, we see change.
What are some interesting facts about you?
My first language is Polish. I love to travel, and I am continually learning languages. I know German and I’m currently learning Spanish. I also have a Shiba Inu named Arrow, inspired by Harry Nilsson’s musical, “The Point.”