Meaningful innovation requires systems awareness, clear thinking, and effective collaboration.
I use design and systems thinking approaches to help individuals and organisations understand complex challenges and collaborate to develop innovative solutions. This work quickly produces impact and gives teams the skills needed to deliver long-term innovation.
My core areas of expertise are:
- Mapping
- Facilitation
- Coaching & Training
My work focuses on supporting innovation in the following sectors:
- Healthcare
- Universities & Innovation Organisations
- Public Bodies & Charities
- Start-ups
Mapping
Visualisation and mapping are essential beginnings for many of my projects. Working together with key stakeholders to create a shared view of an organisation’s activities or ecosystem helps clarify issues, align understanding, and promote collaboration by highlighting relationships, trends, challenges, and opportunities.
To find out more click on examples below:
Facilitation
In all projects I facilitate workshops to help teams and stakeholders work through challenges collaboratively. I use a bank of proven workshop methods, based on 25 years of facilitation experience that bring structure to discussions and ensure full participant engagement. I also regularly develop new methods focused on the specific innovation needs of the sectors that I work with. Every project involves a tailored programme of activities that culminates in full reporting, with outcomes formatted to help direct future organisational decision-making. (see Resources for a description of my approach to facilitation).
Some examples of the different formats that I commonly use are shown below:
Facilitation: Patient Ecosystem Mapping
Many of the emerging challenges in healthcare require us to see the bigger picture, to shift the emphasis to prevention and improve the interfaces between patients & service-users and professionals. I regularly deliver online and face-to-face workshop programmes using Patient Ecosystem Mapping to identify challenges and then develop opportunities for system-shifting change.
(see Resources for descriptions of how Patient Ecosystem Mapping approach works).
To find out more click on examples below:
Facilitation: Strategy Sprints
Many professional working environments develop silos of expertise; effectively designed workshops can bring all the right stakeholders together to develop a shared view of organisational developments and to plan change. I regularly run Strategy Sprint workshops with teams to encourage co-ownership of strategy development, achieving early buy-in to future plans
To find out more click on examples below:
Facilitation: Programme Development
As the world becomes more complex and competitive all organisations are looking for innovation in their products, services and policy development. Successful innovation demands collaboration between many different disciplines, those involved in research, development & delivery and end-users of the innovation. Programme Development Workshops provide an ideal way to develop collaboration by harnessing the knowledge and experience of different stakeholders.
To find out more click on examples below:
Facilitation: Systems Impact
Many organisations are developing initiatives and programmes of activity that seek to influence behaviours across a whole system. The workshop format provides an ideal way to bring key stakeholders together to unpack ambitions and motivations and plan activities that will deliver collective impact.
To find out more click on examples below:
Coaching & Training
To build innovation capacity I upskill individuals and teams in design thinking approaches through coaching and customised training. I have worked with professionals from a wide range of sectors and developed design thinking programmes for learners at all levels from school children to PhD students. (see Resources for a description of how design methods have been introduced inti healthcare improvement).
To find out more click on examples below:
Tom Inns
Over the last 25 years I have held a series of operational, senior executive and board positions in a wide range of cultural, education, business & research organisations, always using design and systems thinking to support collaboration to deliver innovation and change. Check out my LinkedIn profile for an overview of my experience:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tominns/
I now work through my consultancy, Cofink Ltd. I am also a Visiting Professor at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh & Dubai.
I studied engineering at the University of Bristol, design at the Royal College of Art & Imperial College, London and have a PhD from Brunel University, awarded for research exploring the impact of design thinking on drivers of innovation success in small businesses.
Contact
Please do arrange to meet for a chat if you would like to find out more about my work and discuss opportunities for new ways of thinking in your organisation.
Email: tom@cofink.co.uk
Resources
Click on links below for papers and guides describing Tom’s approach to facilitation, Patient Ecosystem Mapping and design’s role in healthcare improvement:
Organisations I have worked with:
HEALTHCARE
SH:24, Mental Health at Work, South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland), Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge (Norway), Angus Health & Social Care Partnership, Ninewells Cancer Campaign, NHS Tayside, NHS Borders, NHS Lothian, Centre for Sustainable Delivery, NHS Glasgow & Greater Clyde, Scottish Clinical Genetics and NHS Education for Scotland.
UNIVERSITIES & INNOVATION ORGANISATIONS
UKRI (UK & Beijing), AHRC, Innovate UK Business Connect, KTN Network, Vinnova (Sweden), Snook, Scope (Finland), Magnetic, Kent State University (Ohio), LaSalle College of the Arts (Singapore), University of Dundee, University of Exeter, University of East Anglia, Robert Gordon University, Heriot Watt University (Dubai & Borders), Glasgow Urban Lab @ Glasgow School of Art, College Development Network, Burness Paul, Entrepreneurial Scotland, Design Council, NESTA, Humanities in the European Research Area, European Research Council, tjeinsj by Three Point Zero and Saudi Digital Government Authority.
PUBLIC BODIES & 3rd SECTOR
Glasgow City Council, Leisure & Culture Dundee, Culture Perth & Kinross, Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre, LAR Housing Trust, Horsecross Arts, Save the Elephants (Kenya), Scottish Care and John Muir Trust.
START-UPS (Design for Growth)
Cognitant, Ultramed, NTSP, Mumbli, Amutri, Healthwave, Pocket Medic, Infix Solutions, SEEAI, Rosenfield, Tutti Toot, MIG, Gritty Talent, MSP Easy Tools, Mezze, SeaBot Maritime, MAIYA, Virology Research Services, Grief Chat, Egrist, Give Vision, Quantum, Booby Biome, S4IL, ECFIO, Greenleaf Surgical, Buddy Hub, National Tracheostomy Safety Project, Somnus Scientific Ltd., Angel Investor Simulator, CoED Biosciences, ApolloIQ, HERlab, STEPs Inclusive Design and Abergower Ltd.
Contact: tom@cofink.co.uk
© Cofink Ltd., 2025
Company Number: SC632987
VAT Registration Number: 464536573