What makes a healthcare intervention effective for individuals, communities and wider populations? We are joined by Dr Steve Allender, a Professor of Public Health and founding Director of the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition at Deakin University, a World Health Organization collaborating centre. He shares his perspective on the importance on understanding local contexts and co-design in his work implementing community-based approaches to preventing childhood obesity. We hope it gives you with something to think about in the context of the products, services or experiences you design for.