Inspiring change and progress in any industry can be tough, but I think the toughest industry to change is the ‘sick’ system.

But that hasn’t stopped me from trying!

And now I get a huge reward for the effort and sacrifice.

My big idea, My Health Story (MHS), is a finalist for Melbourne Design Week 2026.

How the… You ask?

Melbourne Design Week (MDW) is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Since 2017, MDW has grown into Australia’s premier design event, supported by the National Gallery of Victoria and the design community, which deliver events as part of the festival.

This year, I noticed under the magnificent event theme, “Design the world you want,” there was a category: “Tech-support: Submissions that explore a new wave of technologies created to extend care, broaden access, and promote fairness.”

Hello!

That was enough of an invitation for me to recognise MHS fit that criteria.

That category has been my drive to spend thousands of dollars creating a system that could extend care, make it fair, and acknowledge people’s experiences.

I’ve had a satisfying chew on the design challenge and critical need to find a way for people to be listened to, respected and inspired to be more active in their healthcare.

I put my pelvic pain and my parents’ aged care experiences with my design experience and became a founder of a health tech company. And actually, we’ve achieved a lot on our own, like winning Best Startup at Runway, and we have users who love the platform.

So I’m thrilled.

Thrilled, one thousand times over, that MHS is a finalist for Melbourne Design Week, and health tech is an official category for an Australian premier design event.

Design thinkers need to be at the table if we are going to fix our healthcare system. And healthcare needs to realise it desperately needs designers, which it does not recognise.

I’ve seen and felt this so often navigating the industry. Pathetic excuses of conflicts of interest and waiting around for ‘real’ data have prevented experiences from being heard and used to validate them. And so few healthcare professionals even understand what creative communication is, let alone what it can do.

The industry sits around waiting for the system to, to.. well, make another system. It’s a huge let-down. Especially because during this long wait for change, people are expressing their lived experiences and not being taken seriously.

Blank stare. Haven’t we all received a few?!

We need only look at Australia’s My Health Record, which has cost us billions and still fails dismally to function even in a basic form.

So how the… will I, you ask… again?

By persevering. And by making our MDW event, My Health Story: Healthtech Powered by Lived Experience, a very informative Q&A and hosting it at Melbourne Connect (The Studio) on May 19, for up to 100 people.

I’ll have more news for you as I clarify the details and as I find some great partners.

But in the meantime, did you know that by signing up to MHS, you show your support and send a strong message that people really do want a better healthcare system?

And did you also know that it’s easy to sign up online and even download the MHS App via iOS/ Google?

MHS Lite costs $29 per year, and MHS Premium costs $49 per year – it’s a super affordable way to keep your health files together and in your hands forever – not to mention control your information on your terms.

Remember, May 19… woohooo!

#healthtech #myhealthstory #managemyhealth
#MelbourneDesignWeek #MelbourneDesignWeek2026

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