SynqUp

A specialist division within DrawHistory, Counterbrace was a social research practice that provided advice and support to communities who wished to “go where others won’t” to investigate and evolve the unjust systems holding them back.

Counterbrace (formerly SynqUp) was the evolution of a practice Kosta Lucas has led since 2016. We combined social research with grounded community engagement practices to investigate and address complex and polarising challenges — from extremism to climate anxiety and everything in between — in order to evolve the unjust systems holding society back.

 

To learn more about Counterbrace’s inception and evolution, you can read more in our blog below.

Our Approach

While we believed in “refusing to play it safe”, all of our work was grounded in three core values to ensure that everyone that participated was respected, protected and empowered as much as possible: everything we did was humanity-centred, conflict-sensitive, and trauma-informed.

Humanity-centred

We had a collective approach to problem-solving that started with the diverse people we were designing for and ended with new solutions that solved real problems. Each inquiry started with understanding that solutions lie in the communities where the problem is experienced.

Trauma-informed

We not only realised the prevalence of trauma in community settings, we understood the myriad ways that trauma affected all individuals involved in a community, and responded by putting that knowledge into practice.

Conflict-sensitive

We believed that social research should inform the context in which our conversations took place. Our team held space to account for power imbalances in order to allow multiple nuanced perspectives to manifest through our work.

Research & Insights

  • Future Foresight
  • Trends Forecasting
  • Generational Research
  • Semiotics & Cultural Insights
  • Segment Discovery & Illumination
  • Consumer Behavior Insights

Community Engagement

  • Consultation Design and Delivery
  • Community Program Development
  • Non-traditional Stakeholder Engagement
  • Dialogue Facilitation and Moderation
  • Community Education Resources
  • Activation Planning

Organizational Strategy

  • Organization Vision & Purpose
  • Process & Program Design
  • Change Management & Socialization
  • Capacity-Building Training and Tools
Contact us today

Tell us where you want to go

Counterbrace was all about having the conversations you want to have, but can’t. While we have integrated with national agency Today, we would be happy to have a conversation with you to see how they might be able to support you in your work.

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