practice by design delivers one framework every Wednesday that transforms school communication complexity into workable systems. No theory dumps. No 47-step processes. Just the specific move that solves the problem you're facing right now—whether it's an inbox explosion, a confused community, or information living in twelve different places.
Short read, measurable impact.
Edition 04: October 22, 2025
How to Make School Systems Stick (When Everything Drifts Back)
You've fixed your school's communication system before. Three weeks later, it stops working. Not because the system failed—because nobody owned keeping it working. This is organizational drift, and it happens to every improvement without clear ownership.
The Ownership Checklist solves this in four questions and ten minutes. One explicit owner. Bounded responsibilities. The difference between systems that last three weeks versus three years. Access below the free framework that keeps your fixes fixed—so you stop re-solving the same problems every semester.
You've fixed your school's communication system before. Three weeks later, it stops working. Not because the system failed—because nobody owned keeping it working. This is organizational drift, and it happens to every improvement without clear ownership.
The Ownership Checklist solves this in four questions and ten minutes. One explicit owner. Bounded responsibilities. The difference between systems that last three weeks versus three years. Access below the free framework that keeps your fixes fixed—so you stop re-solving the same problems every semester.
Edition 03: October 15, 2025
Why Teachers Can't Find What You Already Sent (And How to Fix It)
When you send information by email, you're creating a temporary delivery mechanism that disappears into digital archives.
The real problem isn't that people don't read your messages—it's that they can't find what they need when they need it again.
This week's post introduces a three-question framework that transforms how you communicate anything from policy updates to event details, reducing those "where did you send that?" emails by designing for findability instead of just delivery.
When you send information by email, you're creating a temporary delivery mechanism that disappears into digital archives.
The real problem isn't that people don't read your messages—it's that they can't find what they need when they need it again.
This week's post introduces a three-question framework that transforms how you communicate anything from policy updates to event details, reducing those "where did you send that?" emails by designing for findability instead of just delivery.
Edition 02: October 8, 2025
The Real Reason Your School Emails Don't Get Read
Most communication breakdowns aren't about whether people care. They're about cognitive diversity.
Your comprehensive weekly update serves some teachers perfectly while overwhelming others. Your brief reminders work for some parents and leave others feeling disconnected.
The 5Cs Framework helps you design for this reality.
Most communication breakdowns aren't about whether people care. They're about cognitive diversity.
Your comprehensive weekly update serves some teachers perfectly while overwhelming others. Your brief reminders work for some parents and leave others feeling disconnected.
The 5Cs Framework helps you design for this reality.
Process Mapping for Schools: Find Where Communication Breaks Down
Edition 01: October 1, 2025.
Most school communication problems aren't about effort, but invisible breakdowns in the system. This toolkit makes the invisible visible. Once you map the actual flow of information (not the ideal flow you think exists), solutions become obvious.
This is service design thinking, stripped down for busy school leaders.
Edition 01: October 1, 2025
Process Mapping for Schools: Find Where Communication Breaks Down
Most school communication problems aren't about effort, but invisible breakdowns in the system. This toolkit makes the invisible visible. Once you map the actual flow of information (not the ideal flow you think exists), solutions become obvious.
This is service design thinking, stripped down for busy school leaders.
Most school communication problems aren't about effort, but invisible breakdowns in the system. This toolkit makes the invisible visible. Once you map the actual flow of information (not the ideal flow you think exists), solutions become obvious.
This is service design thinking, stripped down for busy school leaders.
Questions about how to use any of the toolkits? (Or want to talk about bringing Practice by Design workshops to your school?)
Questions about how to use any of the toolkits? (Or want to talk about bringing practice by design workshops to your school?)