Imagine a designer walking into a complex project with a well-used toolbox. Inside are the methods that are known, trusted, and have seen work: journey maps, workshops, interviews, personas, prototypes, and systems maps. The toolbox is a mark of experience. But there is a subtle risk.

The inspiration for this blog came from reflecting on the second study in my research. It reflects on what it means to design parenting support with care, emphasising that services are shaped not only by their evidence base, but by how safe, flexible, and supportive they feel to parents. Bringing together insights from trauma theory, developmental psychology, implementation science, and design psychology, it explores how fidelity, flexibility, and psychological safety work to