HelloBonjourسلام

I’m Samiha Essakhi.

Designer & researcher.
Systems thinker.
Hands-on maker.

I’m an award-winning designer working at the intersection of service design, UX, and research, with experience in healthcare and the public sector. I thrive on complex challenges, questioning assumptions, and turning ideas into concrete solutions.

My current chapter · Ontario Public Service

MLITSD

Ministry of Labour, Immigration,
Training and Skills Development

UX Designer & Researcher · Senior Analyst

February 2026–Present · Toronto

Get to know my work
Samiha Essakhi smiling.
A little more about me

Service Design Network · 2024

Service Design
Award winner.

Best Student ProjectService Design for NORCs

With Mia Mo and Robyn Carino, and guided by Chris Ferguson as our mentor, coach, and design lead, I helped design a service that supports the people delivering community care.

Explore the winning work
Watch our presentation on YouTube

How I work

I work at the intersection of research, UX design, and service design. I shape my approach around the business need, the people involved, and where the work is starting.

Sometimes that means following the Double Diamond; other times, a reverse Double Diamond. I adjust as new evidence, constraints, and priorities emerge.

A few things I’ve worked on

Healthcare, research, and service delivery.
01Community care · Service design

Good care starts
behind the scenes.

Research, co-design, and implementation to support frontline teams and older adults in their communities.

NORC Innovation CentreService design & UX design · 2023–2025Read the case study
Three older adults smiling together, pictured on the NORC Innovation Centre website.
02Digital health · Research concept

Helping people see
the bigger picture.

A concept for turning scattered eczema tracking into a clearer picture of everyday health, with space for support.

CURARunner-up · 2024 Student mHealth App CompetitionUX research & product design · 2024Read the case study
CURA symptom tracking prototype.CURA insights prototype.CURA community prototype.

From my notebook

Ideas I keep
coming back to.

Reflections on service design, behaviour, and the people who shape how we see the world.

All my writing on Medium

A little about me

A thinker who makes
things happen.

My path into design began with finance and field investigations in Morocco. I found myself drawn to asking questions, building trust, and understanding the people behind complex systems.

My motto
It’s never too late to turn the hourglass.

That curiosity brought me to the University of Toronto, where I completed a Master of Information in UX Design. Today, I’m a UX Designer & Researcher at the Ontario Public Service, building on my experience in healthcare and service delivery.

I’ve also contributed volunteer research to OACAO, exploring social prescribing practices around the world and potential uses of AI in a toolkit.

I have a passion for languages and the different ways people connect. I speak English, French, and Arabic, plus some Spanish and German. I’m also learning American Sign Language (ASL).

Outside of work, I love exploring new hobbies. My latest are loom beading and baking, which help me disconnect and use my creativity. I’m always on the lookout for something that challenges me and helps me discover a different side of myself.

View my résumé Read my writing

Things that drive my design philosophy

  • Stay adaptable.

    Let the business need, the context, and the evidence shape the approach.

  • Design is honest.

    Be clear about the problem, the evidence, and what a solution can do.

  • Design is relational.

    Build trust with the people who use, deliver, and shape a service.

  • Make ideas tangible.

    Use prototypes, stories, and working tools to turn conversations into progress.

Where I’ve been

University projects & explorations

Explore university projects and research