The Design Detective experience is all about encouraging people to discover (and do) the thing they were put on the planet to do. To do that thing that truly brings them alive and gets them excited every morning when they jump out of bed. 

Unfortunately, many people are doing something that does not align with their design. 

Surprisingly few people love what they do :(

With this in mind, the following groups of people might find Design Detective helpful:

• Middle School Students (Y7/9) seeking identity, direction and curious about their future.

• Highschool Students (Y10/11) trying to work out which subjects to choose/direction to go.

• School Finishers/Leavers (Y12) who are unclear or uncertain about what they should do now/next.

• Anyone who is super-frustrated in their current job and looking for a fresh start.

• Highschool Students (Y7-12) who 'do not fit' the school system and need direction/ encouragement.

• Anyone feeling overwhelmed by all the study/job/career options.

• Anyone who started further study but quit without finishing because it bored them to death.

• Weary Souls who have spent most of their career doing something that just didn't fit.

• Anyone who has 'tried everything' and can't find that thing they truly love.

• Anyone who regularly daydreams about doing that thing they love rather than their job.

In short, anyone who is confused, overwhelmed, frustrated, lacking direction, lacking motivation etc. regarding what they are doing with their life, could benefit from the Design Detective experience. It is a journey of self-discovery/re-discovery that takes you back to basics. 'Who am I and what am I supposed to be doing with my life ?' are big questions that Design Detective helps you to answer.

At Design Detective, one of our favourite sayings is 'If you know who you are, you know what to do !'  

What we mean is, if you understand exactly who YOU are designed to be then making important life decisions becomes easier. 

Most people also find that doing something that lines up with their design puts a big smile :)  on their face because they feel fulfilled and happy in the work they do.

The short answer is 'YES' !

Alongside being a fully qualified Career Direct Consultant and the only fully qualified YES! Consultant in Australia, Matt also has the following additional qualifications/experience:

1. BA (Psychology) [followed by 4 years working with the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety.]

2. B.Ed (Primary Grad.)  [followed by 25 years as a Primary School Teacher, a specialist PE Teacher and an Acting Principal] 

3. Diploma of Health Science (Naturopathy)

4. Professional Certificate (Health and Wellness Coaching)

5. Cert III in Business (Digital Business Mastery) 

6. Fully Registered Teacher (QTRN: 789995)

7. Matt also holds a current 'Blue Card' (Queensland Working with Children Check)

The Design Detective Experience shines a big spotlight on your absolutely unique design (PERSONALITY, INTERESTS, SKILLS/ABILITIES and VALUES/PRIORITIES), and encourages you to make study/job/career/life choices that align beautifully with your design. 

Design Detective is focused on helping YOU find YOUR THING !

You remain in the driver's seat regarding your choices and future direction and we leave all the decisions regarding future study/job/career choices in your capable hands.

The Design Detective Experience is suitable for students/clients from 12 to 180 years of age :) 

More specifically:

•  Clients who are aged 12-17 qualify to attend a 'Design Detective Discover-Me Day' and/or a 'Design Detective Deep Dive Consultation'.

• Clients who are aged 18-180 qualify to attend a 'Design Detective Re-Treat Day' and/or a 'Design Detective Deep Dive Consultation'.

You may have noticed that on some of our Design Detective promotional material it says 'Powered by YES! + Career Direct'. YES! and Career Direct are the tools/systems/programs that we use for helping you discover, explore and understand your unique design. 

Career Direct (Ages 18-180), has helped hundreds of thousands of people (just like you :),  find their thing over the last 25 years. The Career Direct Assessment that we walk through together in the Design Detective Deep Dive Consultations has been developed, tested, refined, updated and polished by some seriously clever people over many years. :)

YES! (Ages 12-17), is the new kid on the block and despite being available in various paper-based forms since 1976, has been completely and comprehensively modernised, updated and was launched globally in 2024 in its current online form. YES! explores many of the same ideas as Career Direct but in a more 'Youth-Friendly' format/package.

(Currently, Matt is the only qualified YES! Consultant in Australia :)

Interestingly, NO ! 

While Matt prefers to meet with all clients face-to-face if possible, it is completely acceptable to engage in the Design Detective Deep Dive Consultation process from anywhere around Australia or around the world. (as long as the primary language is English :)

The only difference is that the Design Detective Deep Dive Consultation is conducted via Zoom rather than in a face-to-face meeting. All other components of the Design Detective process can be completed as normal and are not limited by geography.

Design Detective Discover-Me Days and Re-Treats however, are practical, hands-on self-discovery workshops that currently require attendance in-person at 'Connections on King' in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast.

Absolutely not ! 

Unfortunately most education systems only have one measuring stick for success (academic ability), and many students will feel like a failure because they don't fit the system. 

The beautiful thing is that 'success at school' is not a fair or accurate measure of 'success in life and our mission here at Design Detective is to help you find that thing you will love (and be awesome at), regardless of how things went for you at school.

Yes we can ! 

Matt has been on his own adventure over many years and understands exactly what it feels like to show up day after day after day, to a job that deep down, you know is not a good fit for your design. 

Sometimes money (aka. The Golden Handcuffs), habit, fear, familiarity, family expectations, pride etc. keep us trapped in a job (sometimes for years), even though it is intensely frustrating and unhelpful for our mental health. 

Our heart at Design Detective is to speak hope, truth and encouragement into the lives of people in exactly this situation. 

We do this by helping our clients discover, explore and understand their absolutely unique design and encouraging them to make future choices that align beautifully with their design. When we are doing work that fits our design, fulfillment follows.

The average cost of completing a year of a University Degree (or similar qualification), in Australia is around $20 000 (often significantly more :)

Unfortunately many people choose a course they think they will love and start studying but then quit after a year or two because it did not align with their design. 

It's probably a bit cheeky to advertise that 'Design Detective can save you $20 000 on your first year of study' but what we really mean is, if you are super-clear about your design and who you really are, you are unlikely to waste $20 000 on choosing, starting (but then quitting), a course that doesn't fit you and your unique design.

Absolutely ! 

Please send your gift voucher request to Matt via a 'Contact Form' on the 'Contact Us' page of this website and he will be in touch regarding the process for gifting a Design Detective Experience. 

Thanks for caring enough to consider gifting this life-changing experience to someone you love. 

Matt will be in touch within the next 24hrs. :)

Absolutely ! 

A table of NDIS Funded Items that may be addressed by Design Detective are listed below: 

1. NDIS Item Number

2. Support Name

3. Description

4. How It Relates to Design Detective Services    

  _____________________________________________________________________________________________

10_011_0128_5_3 

Employment Related Assessment, Counselling & Advice – Other Professional

Provides assessment and vocational exploration to help participants engage in employment. May include identifying strengths, interests, barriers and work options. 

Design Detective provides a tailored, deep-dive exploration into personality, skills/abilities, interests and values to inform employment goals and pathways. Design Detective provides structured assessment, discovery and counselling around employment readiness.

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

10_613_0128_5_3 

Employment Related Assessment, Counselling & Advice – Developmental Educator

 Assessment and vocational exploration delivered by a developmental educator. 

Design Detective allows for more in-depth exploration of learning style and developmental strengths that inform employment pathways. This item is highly aligned to the Design Detective personality/interests/skills/abilities profiling.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10_016_0102_5_3 

Employment Assistance (Individual Employment Support)                           

Helps participants explore work meaning, build foundation skills, manage barriers, and develop career plans that lead to employment engagement.                     

This is broader employment prep and support, including career planning and foundation skills development, which is core to Design Detective's service outcomes.                                                                                        

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10_017_0102_5_3 

Employment Preparation & Support                                   

Same as individual support but delivered in a small group format.                                                                                                  

Design Detective offers group workshops/profiling sessions as part of 'Discover-Me Days'. This item can be used when supporting participants in small cohorts. Please note that Design Detective Discover-Me Days are often attended by up to 20 participants and may not qualify as a 'small group'.                                                                                                                                   

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10_021_0102_5_3 

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)

Provides structured employment preparation and career planning supports for young people transitioning from school to work.

Design Detective services are provided to school leavers helping them explore options, clarify strengths and plan next steps. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

15_043_0128_1_3 

Individual Counselling

Counselling support to address barriers or goals in personal development.

Design Detective provides individual support to build self-awareness, confidence or address employment-related barriers that emerge during either YES! or Career Direct profiling.