Design better, together.

Hi, I’m Jason Crane. I help big organisations and government fix the services their customers and staff rely on. The real problem is usually hiding somewhere pretty boring (a handoff between two teams that nobody owns is a common one). I find it and work out the fix with the people who’ll build it. Then I make sure it survives the trip into delivery.

Book a 30-min call See the workor email hello@tincrane.com

Most redesigns stop at the dashed line. I work the whole height of the service, down to the teams and systems customers never see.

Example · Applying for financial support

Why tincrane

Strategic, human-centred and technical.

01
Service design
I’ve been doing research, blueprints and prototypes for twenty-odd years. I start with the people using the service and the people running it, then follow the thread right down to the systems underneath.
02
Complex organisations
I’ve worked in retail, telco and banking, and more recently spent four years inside state government and two with a big metro council. So I’m used to lots of stakeholders and layers of sign-off (and to translating the jargon so everyone’s talking about the same thing).
03
A technology background
I studied computing science and worked as a developer and engineer (building DNS, web, and streaming servers) before I moved into design. I’m happy drilling into APIs and data with your engineers, then zooming back out with your executives. That way what we design is something your team can actually build. I can also help you work out where AI really helps your customers and staff, and where a person needs to stay in the loop.

Having all three means I can usually tell you plainly what’s really going on (even when it’s not what you were hoping to hear).

Work

What the work changed.

NSW Department of Education · 2020–2024

Fixing how schools get funding for students with disability

Schools were applying for disability and additional-needs funding through an old system that ate hours of staff time. I started the program’s design practice, then spent four years working with policy, school and tech teams to rebuild the whole process. That took us right through to a new platform.

An end-of-life system swapped for one process across the state
Funding decisions made more consistently
150+ research and testing sessions

NSW Department of Education · 2022–23

One place to find 600 classroom adjustments

Advice on adjusting teaching for students with disability was buried across lots of different places and resources. I designed and prototyped a search tool - testing it with school staff. Later I owned the relationship with the team building it, and worked with them to get it live statewide in about four months.

~600 adjustments and resources in one spot
Live for staff in 2,200+ schools
Tested twice with staff before anyone built it

Local government · 2024–2026

Working out where a council’s digital transformation should start

A big, fast-growing metro council had its transformation priorities scattered across a lot of business units. I led discovery and definition (talking to residents and staff, and mapping journeys and future scenarios). The aim was to give the executive team something solid to plan against.

A clear picture of how work and information move between teams
Ideas tested with residents and staff before any money went into delivery
Built design skills along the way: mentoring 14 emerging leaders and a forum for 200+ more

The Safer Homes web app on a laptop, showing a map of Sydney with risk information for a suburb.

NRMA Insurance · 2016

Making home insurance worth paying attention to

Most people pay for home insurance once a year and rarely claim, so they either auto-renew or switch on price. Working alongside a strategist, I led the research and prototyping for Safer Homes. It’s a tool that shows people the real risks to their own home.

200,000+ visitors
14.1% more home and contents enquiries, and 7.1% more sales
Beat NRMA’s homepage on conversion

AMI National Award for Innovation 2016 · APG Awards, Best Use of Data 2016

The Teleporter cardboard VR headset next to the book Sammy the Space Koala.

Commonwealth Bank · 2016

Teaching five-year-olds about money with a book and VR

CBA had already bought 10,000 VR headsets to teach five to seven year olds about money. I led the research and testing that turned “a VR app” into a story book and VR experience that kids actually got.

Launched in 24 schools with 20,000 headsets
93% of kids understood needs versus wants
5-star rating on Google Play and the App Store

Cannes Lions 2017, Bronze · D&AD 2017, Wood Pencil

Pages from the accelerator toolkit, including a landscape review activity, facilitator guide and canvas.

Transport for NSW · 2017–2018

Rebuilding the Future Transport Accelerator

Transport for NSW wanted its innovation accelerator to produce real strategies and leave teams with design skills they’d keep using. I led the design team that rebuilt the program and toolkit, then ran the first 13-week cohort.

They asked for a second cohort before handover
A public version of the toolkit got published
Other parts of the business wanted one too

Organisations I’ve worked with

I’ve also worked on problems in health insurance and energy.

Services

Three ways to work together. Each has a clear scope and a clear finish line.

Discovery sprint

2–4 weeks

What happens: I talk to your customers and staff and map how things work today (right down to the systems and data). Then we pick the few problems worth fixing first.
You get: A findings pack and a ranked list of opportunities your team can start on straight away.

For teams who know something’s off but not where

Service blueprint & roadmap

4–8 weeksJust me, or me plus a small crew, depending on size.

What happens: We design the future version with the people who run it and test it with prototypes. Then we agree what has to change (in process, people and technology).
You get: A future-state blueprint, tested prototypes and a staged roadmap, plus the evidence to back the business case. It also covers where automation and AI fit (and where they don’t).

For teams about to commit money to delivery

Fractional design lead

1–3 days a week

What happens: I join your team as a senior designer to set the direction, and coach your people as we go.
You get: Design leadership without a full-time hire, and a stronger team when I head off.

For programs and product teams that need a senior designer in the room

Not sure which fits? Take the 5-minute Service Health Check and I’ll suggest a starting point.

How I work

I get the people who build and run it into the room from day one.

01
Understand
Talk to customers and frontline staff, then follow each step back to the policy and systems behind it.
02
Map
Blueprint how it works today, end to end, and agree where it breaks.
03
Prototype
Test the new version cheaply with real people (including any AI bits), and check it against your systems before anyone commits to build.
04
Embed
Hand the roadmap to your delivery team, or stay on and build it with them.

About me

Jason Crane

Principal service designer

I started out in technology as a developer and engineer (building servers and IoT prototypes), then moved into service design, UX and facilitation. That’s 20-plus years across both. Clients usually say I’m the bridge between design and technology. I can sit with frontline staff in the morning, then work through system constraints with engineers in the afternoon.

Before going independent I led experience design at Tricky Jigsaw (named Australia’s Most Innovative Company in 2017). Our work there picked up a Silver Clio, a Good Design Award and the AFR’s Best Product Innovation award. Since then I’ve led service design across state and local government, including four years with the NSW Department of Education.

On bigger projects I bring in a small crew of researchers, designers and engineers I’ve worked with for years. That way you get the team the job needs (without paying for agency overhead).

I also teach UX and service design (I’ve taught for General Assembly, Academy Xi and Harness Projects).

Experience20+ years
BackgroundDeveloper and engineer; computing science (UTS)
Based onWallumedegal Country, Sydney
Available forProjects & fractional roles

Book a call

Pick a time that suits you.

It’s 30 minutes on Zoom and it’s free. If you tell me a little about what’s not working when you book, I’ll come prepared.

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Contact

Let’s talk.

Tell me what’s not working. I’ll get back to you within two working days, and the first call’s 30 minutes and free.

Emailhello@tincrane.com

LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/jasoncrane

BookA free 30-min call