One of my aims this year is to do more good work — projects that feel meaningful, that contribute something positive, that aren’t just about making another digital thing but about making a difference.

So I’m excited to be working with TASO — Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education — on a project that sits right at the intersection of research, UX, and development — right in the sweet spot of where I want to work.

The Project

TASO is all about using evidence-based approaches to improve outcomes in higher education, particularly for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. One of their key frameworks is the Enhanced Theory of Change (EToC) — a structured way to map, refine, and evaluate interventions.

The project I’m working on is a bespoke web tool to help organisations create, refine, and store their Theories of Change, making the whole process more intuitive and user-friendly.

But this isn’t just a case of building an app to digitise something that exists on paper. It’s a challenge that requires getting to grips with how people actually use and think about Theories of Change. The tool needs to be structured enough to guide users but flexible enough to accommodate different needs. It needs to feel intuitive, not overwhelming. And it needs to integrate with TASO’s existing resources in a way that makes sense.

Why This Matters

Theories of Change are incredibly powerful when done well. They help organisations define not just what they’re doing, but why and how their interventions should work. But they can also be frustratingly abstract and complex, especially for people who aren’t already familiar with them.

TASO’s approach is about making Theories of Change clear, structured, and actually useful for organisations that are trying to make an impact. The web tool we’re developing will (hopefully!) make that process more accessible, less confusing, and ultimately more effective.

The Fun Part

What I love about projects like this is that they aren’t just technical — they involve research, UX, and actually understanding the people and the problem before jumping into solutions.

• Research: Who uses Theories of Change? How do they currently create them? What’s difficult? What’s missing?
• UX & Design: How can we guide people through the process without making them feel boxed in?
• Development: How do we build something that’s simple but powerful, that works within TASO’s existing ecosystem, and that’s accessible to a broad range of users?

These are the kinds of questions I’ll be exploring over the coming months, and I’ll be sharing more as things take shape.

If you’re working on similar challenges — especially at the intersection of research, UX, and development for social good — I’d love to chat!