Belfast-based strategy and design company Big Motive’s work in redesigning children’s services for Ireland’s Health and Service Executive (HSE) has won the Service & Strategic Design category at the IDI Awards, Ireland’s national design awards.
The award recognises Big Motive’s role in reshaping how children and families access support across the Midlands, Louth and Meath, where unclear referral pathways, long waits and siloed services were making it difficult for families and clinicians to get the right help at the right time.
Big Motive
The Belfast company’s work has seen referral waiting times in the region reduce from 23 weeks to 3 weeks. Big Motive’s campaign has also eliminated duplicate referrals to clinicians and helped the HSE in the region to achieve 60% less clinical time being spent on administration, freeing up more time for direct care.
Working with local care teams and HSE Spark Innovation, Big Motive co-designed a new Single Point of Access for children’s services. The solution brings together a multidisciplinary team from primary care, disability and mental health services to review referrals and coordinate support.
Big Motive’s approach is now being rolled out more widely and is helping to inform national policy on children’s services.
Damian Cranney, Managing Director of Big Motive, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see this work recognised on a national stage. This project shows what’s possible when clinicians, families and designers work together to redesign services around the needs of children.
“For us, this award is really about the impact: shorter waits, less friction for families and more time for clinicians to do what they do best. It underlines the role design can play in tackling some of the most complex challenges in health.”
The win reflects Big Motive’s growing body of work in health and public services across the island of Ireland. The consultancy has partnered with organisations including the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, the HSE and a range of health start-ups to improve digital experiences, service pathways and long-term strategies.
Rebecca Walsh, Design Partner at Big Motive, added: “Healthcare is under huge pressure – from waiting lists and workforce challenges to rising patient expectations. What this project demonstrates is that collaborative design can create real, measurable outcomes.
“Our team is motivated by solving hard problems that matter. Helping children and families access support more quickly – and seeing that model now influence national policy – is exactly the kind of impact we want our work to have.”
The IDI Awards is a national awards programme aimed at showcasing groundbreaking work that pushes the boundaries of imagination and leaves a lasting impact on businesses, people and the planet.
About Big Motive
Big Motive is a Belfast-based strategy and design company specialising in service design, UX and digital product innovation. The team partners with organisations in health, public services and the private sector to design better experiences, unlock new value and support long-term transformation.
Recent work includes projects with the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, and a range of emerging digital health start-ups.
