Lucy Dickie ((She/Her))

I am a service designer who is driven by positive change and collective action. My practice is centred around environmental sustainability and community action. I believe that the future is bright should we encourage curiosity, imagination, and channel authentic perspective. I see potential in creative thinking and am excited by the possibilities that design offers.

The Crichton Trust’s Nutritious Earth
Imagine a green community. What does that look like?
I have been collaborating with The Crichton Trust to explore this question as a means of tackling the climate crisis. The social enterprise based in Dumfries and Galloway want to illustrate what a green community might look like through the custodianship of their multipurpose estate. Together, we believe in less talk and more action. We see value in starting small to scale strategically. Putting users at the heart of The Trust’s green journey, and adopting an experimental attitude, we recognise opportunity in trialling potential ‘solutions’ to learn from, develop, and define best practice.
User-centred research was fundamental in uncovering the ‘crux’ of the problems on site. Such insights offered clarity and direction. Indeed, a design thinking-led approach empowered me to practice divergent and convergent thinking. This helped to weave insights together and form a multifaceted service. Meanwhile, co-creation with stakeholders devised a value-driven outcome that is inclusive and circular.
I propose extracting organic waste from the site that is destined for landfill. Repurposing it in an industrial composting unit will produce valuable organic matter. This compost can nourish and replenish the ground, capture carbon and nurture fair, organic produce in a community garden. The aim is to bring people together, reconnect stakeholders with nature, and find ways to birth life out of waste.
This is a solution designed with The Crichton, for The Crichton; however, it is intended to spark imagination beyond Dumfries and Galloway. Together, we strive to demonstrate possibility, ignite action, and restore hope.





