Type of Work
Writing | Speaking
Topic
Storytelling and Social Impact
Challenge
How do you communicate the impact of technology without losing sight of the people it exists to serve?
Shortly after joining The Haven, initially as Arcchitect of Stories (now Lived Experience Lead), one of my first major pieces of work was to complete and submit the application for the Digital Leaders Impact Awards. The You Matter platform, developed before I joined the organisation, had already begun helping women recognise abuse and access support through real-life stories. The challenge was to communicate not only what the platform did, but why it mattered and the human impact behind the technology.
Contribution
I developed the award submission, focusing on the human impact behind the technology and demonstrating how storytelling had created a bridge between recognition and support. Rather than centring the platform itself, I sought to centre the experiences and needs that had shaped it. The application highlighted how women could engage with stories at their own pace and seek support without pressure, helping to remove some of the barriers associated with stigma and disclosure. Following the shortlisting, I attended the awards ceremony and was invited to join the Tech for Good panel, where I contributed to conversations around storytelling, technology and social impact.
Outcome
You Matter went on to win the Social Transformation category at the Digital Leaders Impact Awards. More importantly, women who had engaged with the platform had already begun making contact with support services, demonstrating the difference that thoughtful, human-centred approaches can make. Attending the awards and contributing to the Tech for Good panel also exposed me to wider conversations around digital innovation and storytelling. Those conversations influenced how I approached the next major project I led: the rebrand and redevelopment of The Haven’s main website, where questions around accessibility, language, user journeys and human-centred design became central to my thinking.
Reflection
This experience taught me that impact and impact communication are not the same thing. Good work does not always speak for itself. Sometimes the challenge is helping others understand why something matters and ensuring that the human story behind the innovation is not lost.
Winning the award was affirming, but what stayed with me was something bigger. Technology is most powerful when it responds to people’s realities rather than expecting people to adapt to systems.
The conversations I encountered through the Tech for Good community challenged me to think differently about digital experiences and influenced how I approached future projects. They reinforced a belief that has shaped much of my work since: technology should never be designed around organisations. It should be designed around the people they exist to serve. Because before people engage with services, policies or platforms, they need to see themselves.