Empathy
Builds
Futures
Our brain deserves fiercely human-to-human design. We’re wired for connection, not clicks or 27-tab browsers.
Design is our interface for actual, human connection, in every system we have.
What you get? I design with neuroscience, radical empathy and story, to help teams shape systems that feel safe, clear and human. I also work globally.
1st rule? Start before you’re ready.
2nd rule. We design space to breathe.
I’ll show you. You can decide what you think.
The Problem
In the junk, the real stuff – humanness – gets lost.
The Promise
Design scaling from one human moment to the whole planet — reshaping how we live, decide, and belong.
Why now?
AI is fast. Science and empathy build things we can love.
Why me?
Neuroscience + guts. PhD-to-be.
25+ years of making things work.
Crazy Finnish SISU*.
All that matters, in 10 seconds.
The problem. The Promise. The Whys.
I do radical listening. And then we build glorious things.
Robots should do the vacuuming. We should keep designing and the other fun stuff.
You also can write me ingacassidy@outlook.com
I’ll read it and then we talk.
01. Neuroscience of radical innovation & creativity
Design happens in our nervous system. Literally. I’ll bring the ethic and the neuroscience of radical innovation & creativity, empathy, storytelling, spatial experience, team dynamics and how they can be nurtured.
You’ll get:
– Paths that support our wellbeing.
– Design that builds trust and clarity.
– Space to breathe and say: “Yes, this.”
→ Start like most people: from the middle of the chaos. I’ll be here for you.
02. Human-centered co-creation for better realities
Together, we make space for trust, clarity and new kinds of thinking. I bring the neuroscience, story and structure – you bring the reality. Trust me, you guys rock.
You’ll get:
– A co-creation with & for real humans.
– Design tools for holding the complexity.
– Space to think. Clearer decisions.
→ You can bring me your ideas, before they are ideas.
03. Storytelling & concept co-thinking for… magic
Once upon a time, there was a… neuroscience-informed storytelling. We have been telling stories in caves since… forever. Stories sync our brains together, literally.
You’ll get:
– Stories that invite us to belong together.
– Frameworks for messy ideas and magic
– A shared compass: where you’re going, and why.
→ Just say the first line. I’ll follow.
04. Wildly pre-formative stages of projects
No brief? Perfect. Not every signal has language, but you can feel it. We use story, structure, and sideways design to bring it into form.
What usually shows up:
– Thinking space. Language for the unlanguaged.
– Prototypes of culture, direction, drift.
– The shape of what was missing.
→ Connection starts with a conversation. We don’t need clarity — just curiosity. I’m here for you.
We skip the forms here. Just write.
I don’t use fancy AI calendars, funnels, or bots. (Besides, do they ever work?). The shortest distance between two brains is an email.
Start mid-sentence, like most of us.
I’ll get it.
→ ingacassidy@outlook.com
Designing can help solve the most profound societal, environmental, and systemic issues we have.
I’ll bring the science, story and design, you can bring the mess. Together we make it work.
I think with you
— not before or after.
We create space, fiercely human-to-human.
I do radical co-thinking.
I’ve worked in and with global and national organizations, film, advertising, publishing, concept designing, in and with startups, in culture, in tech – all over the place! I’ve taken the leap of faith as a independent artist, author and scriptwriter, but I also love working with teams who aim for better lives.
Q&A: So, How Does the Radical Empathy in Designing Work?
Whether we’re shaping a public service, a system, or a cultural signal — my aim is always the same: to design with empathy. Something that can make you shine.
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I work where systems, stories, and people meet.
That means public services, identities, infrastructures, strategies — anywhere complex things need to become clear, humane and alive. -
I’ve been lucky to find the work I’m meant to do.
There aren’t many of us who combine design, storytelling, neuroscience and ethics — and that’s what I bring. Plus academic research. And of course: radical empathy. My job is to make you shine, in a true way. My job is to design on a systemic level. -
I design systems, experiences and messages that feel right and make sense. I work across strategy, storytelling, neuroscience and ethics — depending on what’s needed. It always starts with listening.
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Absolutely. I love working with smart people — inside cities, public orgs, brands, research units, systems teams. I can co-think, support, lead — whatever helps the work move. I’m not precious about roles. I just love the work — and the impact we can create together. This kind of collaboration is actually my favorite part of the job.
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Yes! That’s actually one of my favourite things.
I often come in before the project exists — to make sense of the need. Often the project re-directs itself quite nicely. -
You get a four-in-one deal. Actually, more like six. You get human-centered design thinking, grounded in neuroscience – and driven by ethics and emotion. You get someone who gives a damn.You get a strategic designer, creative director, concept thinker, writer, visual designer, and a academic researcher. You get someone who reads systems and power, not just pixels.
(I want to be honest. I am quite picky about the gigs I take.)
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Not in the usual sense. I don’t do branding gyms or hacks — I don’t believe in shrinking people into polished pitch decks. But I do help shape clarity around what’s true for you — so it can come through and shine.
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Bring you. The human. After that, we’ll get along just fine. (Btw, for a human the “customer” is a human, the “user” is a human.)
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
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If it’s not a fit, I’ll say it. I want to respect both of our time. But worry not, I’ll try to guide you to someone else I know is good.
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We talk. You tell me what’s on your mind. I’ll listen, I’ll ask questions, and see if there’s something real to work on. Then we decide together what’s next.
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That’s totally fine. I’m happy to talk, even if things are still vague. You don’t need a perfect brief — just a sense that something matters. If it feels meaningful, I’m always open to a conversation.
Also, if something sparked your interest, I’d love to hear what it was.You can also take a look at the things I do— it might give you a better sense what I could bring for you.
it's the real stuff
our weird cracks and crumbs & stories that connect us.
→ Learn what is neurodesign
→ See curated work
→ See published novels & films
→ See my ethics & values