DesignGov
Design Thinking Compendium
December 2013
design@design.gov.au | (02) 6125 4974 | GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601
1
DesignGov was set up by
the Secretaries Board in
July 2012 as an 18-month
pilot to demonstrate the
value of design thinking
in the Australian context
through design-led
projects tackling “wicked
problems”, further
developing design
thinking capabilities in
the public sector and
fostering collaboration
and networks
What is Design Thinking?
Introduction to DesignGov
design@design.gov.au | (02) 6125 4974 | GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601
2
What is Design? (overall)
Design is a discipline, a
process and an output
Design goes beyond aesthetics and
styling:
CONTEXT
Design is a discipline that combines
multiple bodies of knowledge from the arts,
social sciences, business and engineering.
Usability
Human
Factors
Design is a process that seeks to achieve
organisational objectives through peopleoriented, iterative problem solving.
DESIGN
Finally, design is the output of the
aforementioned process. This includes
both physical products, processes and
intangible services.
Some examples of design outputs:
product packaging, software, corporate
architecture, organisational structures,
policies and processes, reports,
advertising, telephone calls, pitches,
strategic plans, internal processes and
systems and organisational values are all
designed.
Note: information in this compendium has
been drawn from a number of sources and
references which are on the DesignGov
website
Function
Technical
Factors
Form
Aesthetic
& Symbolic
Factors
Technological
Factors
Exhibit A: Design is the discipline, process and
products that bring together knowledge and
techniques from different professions and
perspectives. This way, design balances the need
for form, function and usability, taking into account
the cultural, economic and technological factors
stemming from the context.
3
What is Design Thinking? (in a nutshell)
Design Thinking is
an iterative and data
driven problem solving
method aimed at
achieving organisational
vision through the
understanding and
satisfaction of people’s
needs
Design thinking is a method that uses
design-led innovation at every stage of
product and service development
There is no one single recipe for doing
design thinking.
Generally, design thinking is a method
which uses design, bringing together the
creative and rational thinking of multidisciplinary teams to develop better
solutions to various problems, including
complex problems.
In the public sector design thinking aims to
develop better strategies, policies,
communications, products, services, and
engagement by placing citizens at the
centre of its development process.
In the private sector design thinking is
about better understanding the customer,
their needs and wants (unstated as well as
stated), and how products or services can
best address those needs and problems.
Design as
Innovation
Design
as Process
Design
as Styling
NonDesign
Exhibit B: The ladder of design. (Danish Design
Council 2003) Design thinking takes design from
not being used at all or only for style in an
organisation (the lower rungs), to design as
innovation (the highest rung) – with design
pervading each part of an organisation’s process of
problem solving and creating and delivering
products and services.
4
What is Design Thinking? (public sector)
Design methods vary, but
each has five credos at
their heart that support a
focus on people’s needs
and a bias for doing
Create and deliver solutions with people for people,
by looking at and defining the problem from the point
of view of the citizen (the user)
Be concrete in the
representations of the
problem and potential
better solutions, and
communicate clearly, by
telling a compelling story
through which the problem
and solutions can be
readily visualised and
understood
Understand and appreciate the context and
environment in which the problem operates, by
investigating a wide range of factors, such as:
national identity, social and economic drivers,
organisational and incentives structures.
Analyse the impact that these have on
the user, the problem and the
potential solution
Experiment, try and test possibilities and
options with users and stakeholders.
Prototype the ‘rough and ready’ concepts early
and rapidly without fear of failure. Break away
from desk bound perfectionism
Reframe the problem in
terms of positive and
measurable outcomes:
how might these be achieved in
a different way? That is,
question ‘what is’ and ask ‘what
if’ and ‘why’ (‘whydeology’) in
order to surface assumptions,
constraints and human
behavioural insights.
5
What is Design Thinking? (for example)
Design Thinking employs
tools that put people’s
needs and the bias for
doing at the forefront of
its problem solving
Methods such as contextual interviews,
journey mapping and personas allow
design thinkers to reframe problems
Rapid prototyping allows design
thinking to test and develop solutions,
be concrete and value the citizen
CONTEXTUAL INTERVIEWS
RAPID PROTOTYPING
Problem: Traditional research may be too
impersonal to yield enough insights about user
needs, resulting in products that users do not
value.
Process: Exploratory, immersive interviews and
observation of the user in the physical environment
where the user encounters the problem.
Outcome: Unique insights into users’ needs.
Problem: Traditional consultation and testing late
in the development process means that users
come into the process too late to make valuable
improvements. Without such participation,
products and services are less likely to reflect user
needs – or valuable insights from users will come
too late to improve the product.
Process: Testing of tangible models with the user
for the product or service, including through scene
visualisation, sketching, building mockups of the
product/service, while going through stages of
iterations.
Outcome: Final product or service better suits the
user’s needs and is more valued by the user.
JOURNEY MAPPING
Problem: The problem is considered devoid of
the whole contextual experience in which it occurs.
Process: Communicates the entire user
experience from beginning to end.
Outcome: Broader, sophisticated and holistic
knowledge of user experience helps challenge the
status quo.
PERSONAS
Problem: It takes too long to read and remember
information gained about users.
Process: Use that information to construct a
composite persona who is a typical user.
Outcome: Concrete, memorable and shared
understanding of the end user and their problem.
6
What is Design Thinking? (organisations)
The private sector, third
sector, academia and
public sector agencies
already use design
thinking with great
success
Many public, private and third sector
organisations use design thinking as
their chief problem solving method
MindLab is an initiative of the Danish
government that applies design to public
policy. Other similar examples are
Finland’s Sitra and the UK’s Design
Council
The Australian Centre for Social
Innovation (TACSI) is a third sector body
that uses design to find innovative
solutions to wicked social problems.
One of its designed programs is Family by
Family, a network where families help
other families, and which has generated
impressive results for people as well as
reducing state costs in the longer term
Academic institutions in Australia have
strong and growing design areas: for
example UTS, Swinburne and QUT
Stanford University’s Institute of Design
teaches design thinking. Other highranking universities have design schools –
e.g. the University of Pennsylvania, the
University of Sydney’s Business School
and the University of Virginia’s Darden
Business School
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What is Design Thinking? (organisations)
The private sector, third
sector, academia and
public sector agencies
already use design
thinking with great
success
Other organisations have dedicated Design
Thinking departments and teams
Public sector organisations such as the Australian
Tax Office, Customs, Border Protection and the
Department of Human Services already have
dedicated design teams and use design methods.
Other examples are the UK Cabinet Office and New
Zealand’s Better by Design Program.
Health organisations use design to understand
patient experiences to improve healthcare services
such as the UK’s National Health Services (NHS)
and not-for-profit Patient Opinion, a peer review
platform for health and social care.
Consulting firms such as IDEO, a design and
consulting firm with a design-led problem solving
method, serve public and private sector clients.
IDEO’s CEO Tim Brown is an influential design
thinker.
World leading businesses use design to improve
their brand and product and service offerings,
including BSkyB, LEGO, Microsoft, Sony, Starbucks,
Virgin Atlantic, Xerox, Whirlpool and Yahoo.1 In
Australia, financial organisations AMP and BT
Financial Group employ design to improve their
customer experience.
1. Source: UK Design Council (http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess)
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What is Design Thinking? (needs)
Design Thinking’s focus
on citizen/customer
needs results in better
outcomes than other
policy and program
development methods
In many policy and program
development methods, citizen and key
stakeholder needs are considered
through consultation and research but
they still often reject the final product
For example, needs are considered in
policy formulation through consultation
processes, submissions from users and
meetings with users, and analysis of
quantitative surveys and data. This
generates some insights that can help
ensure the product is fit for purpose.
People’s needs are also considered in
implementation to obtain their views on
how effectively the policy or program is
operating – although often too late to
inform development.
Some stages may include little, superficial
or no interaction at all with users.
Exhibit C – A possible policy and program
development cycle: More traditional policy and
program development takes user needs into
account through consultation and desk-based
research, particularly at the formulation phase.
This is a good start to deriving insights from the
user to help ensure the final product will reflect user
needs, however often the users still reject or do not
value the final product
9
What is Design Thinking? (core focus)
Design Thinking’s focus
on user/citizen’s needs
results in better
outcomes than other
policy and program
development methods
Design thinking’s user/citizen needs focus
goes much further than traditional
consultation methods – with more
sophisticated engagement that occurs at
every stage of policy and program
development, delivering products and
services that users will prefer
Design thinking includes the consulting and
quantitative research processes used in more
traditional policy and program development.
Citizen
focus
But it goes much further too: for example, in
problem identification, design thinking uses
ethnography and contextual interviews to
build a shared and genuine understanding of
the problem to address.
In implementation, a co-design process is
used: prototyping the solution with the
citizens/users – ensuring their experiences,
ideas and feedback on the product or service
can be used to inform development, not
arriving after the process is already complete
and it is too late to fix anything.
This ensures design thinking identifies
problems and develops solutions that
genuinely and intentionally reflect citizen
needs and are therefore more likely to be
effective and accepted by them once
implemented.
Exhibit C - Policy and program development
cycle:
Design thinking focus goes much further than many
public policy consultations – with citizen needs
taken into account at every stage of development.
This ensures the final product is far more likely to
be accepted and valued.
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What is Design Thinking? (innovation)
Design Thinking’s focus
on user/citizen’s needs
makes it ideal for
addressing
contemporary challenges
in public policy
and programs
Design delivers citizen centred public
policy and programs and helps meet
rising citizen expectations of
governments
Design’s tools and method give public
servants an innovative process to
manage the increasing complexity of
their work
Social media, the internet and new technology
is changing the way institutions, including
governments, interact with the public.
Australia faces short and medium-term policy
challenges that are making public sector work
more difficult – for example, climate change,
the ageing population and entrenched
disadvantage.
The demand for customised and personally
tailored services is placing pressure on both
private and public sectors.
As such, public servants must involve the
citizen in the design and development of
services and policies.
“solving a wicked problem
is fundamentally a social
process understanding
and involving the
controllers, the
influencers and the
impacted”
Jeff Conklin (www.cognexus.org)
And expectations are rising that governments
deliver services in an innovative way, in line
with private sector developments, particularly to
take advantage of new technologies and
advancements in ICT.
This creates opportunities for innovation and
new ways of delivering information and
services.
Design can help public servants seize those
opportunities. Design’s user focus,
experimentation and doing bias, and rigorous
innovative method can help public servants
deliver citizen centric public policy and
programs that meet rising expectations.
Some of these problems are wicked – featuring
stakeholders with different world views and
frames for understanding the problem.
Against this backdrop, we face tight fiscal
constraints on public service organisations
which threaten many core operations and
priorities.
Design’s tools and method can help public
servants find innovative solutions to
contemporary policy and program challenges.
By involving and focusing on the user/citizen,
understanding the problem in context and
experimenting to succeed quickly and
innovatively, design thinkers can find new ways
to address these complex challenges.
Design’s user focus also helps address wicked
problems by recognising, analysing and finding
innovative insights into the contributing
conditions: system fragmentation; and
involving the social network of controllers,
influencers and the impacted.
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What is DesignGov?
Introduction to DesignGov
design@design.gov.au | (02) 6125 4974 | GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601
12
What is DesignGov? (background)
The Australian Public
Service Secretaries
Board established
DesignGov to apply
design led innovation
to cross agency public
policy problems
Name: DesignGov, the Australian Centre for
Excellence in Public Sector Design.
Established by: Secretaries Board of the
Australian Public Service.
Start date: July 2012.
Organisation type: 18 month experimental
pilot (funding from July 2012 – December
2013).
Objective: Under its Charter document
DesignGov was set up to apply design-led
innovation to problems that are:
• Customer-facing and user-centric in nature
• Of strategic significance and not readily
undertaken within the normal operations and
existing processes of government
• Cross-cutting or multi-portfolio in scope and of
central interest to several departments, and
• Would benefit from new thinking, in particular
a design thinking approach.
• The intent was to address problems that are
in the ‘white space’ – the problems that fall in
the gaps between agencies.
Motto:
‘Reframing problems, Reshaping Experiences’.
Operational format: DesignGov was a lean
team supported by small seed funding from
four investing agencies (Department of
Industry; Department of Immigration and
Border Protection; Department of Education;
and the Australian Taxation Office) as well as
in-kind support from the Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Australian
National University.
Historical context: The establishment of
DesignGov was the result of a series of reports
from the public service examining its public
sector innovation capability. It was
recommended by the APS Innovation Action
Plan which was released in June 2011 and set
out the expectations of the leadership of the
public service in terms of innovation.
Original DesignGov Board
Mr Greg Smith (Chair)
Dr Don Russell (Industry)
Prof Jane Halton (DoHA)
Mr Andrew Metcalfe (DAFF)
Ms Lisa Paul (DEEWR)
Mr Chris Jordan (ATO)
Mr Steve Sedgwick (APS Commissioner)
Mr Chris Lonchampt (External Expert)
Ms Jane Treadwell (CEO)
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What is DesignGov? (approach)
DesignGov had four
major value propositions,
and aimed to deliver both
insights and impact for
its key stakeholders
1
Apply design to wicked problems
in the white space between agency
responsibilities to co-develop
practical solutions
2
Build Capability of decision
makers in Design Thinking
• Governance
• Co-Design Network
• Business Model
• International Advisory Group
• Working Name
• Public Sector Leaders Forum
• Wicked Problem Identification
and Selection
• Exposure and Engagement events
• Business and Government
• Professional Development – private
and public sector initiated
Interactions Project
• Prospectus X 3
• Procurement
• Ethnography
• Networks – collaboration
• Prototype nomination
• Leadership
14
What is DesignGov? (approach)
DesignGov has four
major value propositions,
aims to deliver both
insights and impact for
its key stakeholders
3
Co-develop a shared language
and approaches for design-led
innovation
4
Introduce new methods and
tools for problem identification,
solving and prototyping
• Shared understanding of current
penetration, value and examples of
design in the public sector.
• Conduct and contribute to the
public sector use of methods
and tools
• Building a registry of case studies
• Seminars
• Building common citizen personas
and citizen journey maps
• Agency planning workshops
• Alignment and learning – Global
Dialogue
• Use of Blogs and Social Media
• Insight Seminars
• Start-up experiences
• Whole of Government approach
vehicles
• Ideas for innovations
• Online Dialogue with businesses
and public servants
15
What is DesignGov? (method)
DesignGov’s adapted *
double diamond method
solves problems through
a five stage design
process, with different
techniques for each
stage
1- SEEKING
to understand the
present context,
the problem, the
outcome sought
and gain shared
ownership of the
shared intent
Techniques:
Ethnography, immersive
fieldwork, contextual
interviews
2- ANALYSING
knowledge and
identifying insights
from a ‘citizen
point of view’
3-SYNTHESISING
and generating
new ideas,
concepts and
possibilities
Techniques:
Memorable and
engaging tools;
including stories,
scenarios,
visualisations,
enactments and
descriptive frameworks
Techniques:
Brainstorming,
rehearsing potential new
futures and selecting
potential concepts
4- PROTOTYPING
and evaluating the
new ideas that are
likely to achieve
the desired user
experience and
outcome. Learn by
doing and fail early
so as to succeed
sooner
Techniques:
Developing proto-types
to trial the new ideas,
evaluating out-comes
and refining the
prototypes
* Note: Double diamond method adapted from the Double Diamond method used by the UK Design Council.
(http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/designprocess)
5- SCALING
the selected
design solution
in order to meet
the needs of the
broader user base
Techniques: Applying
best practice project and
change management
approaches to
implement the changes.
Understand and
influence the broader
context.
16
DesignGov’s Inaugural Project:
How might we dramatically
improve business and
government interactions?
Introduction to DesignGov
design@design.gov.au | (02) 6125 4974 | GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601
17
DesignGov’s Inaugural Project (seeking)
DesignGov’s first
project addressed the
problem of ‘How might
we dramatically improve
business and government
interactions?’
The project consisted of two parts, with part
one reaching completion in July, 2013
The DesignGov Board (consisting of a number
of Secretaries and Agency Heads as well as
the CEO and two external representatives)
chose this project as meeting the DesignGov
Charter’s priorities. The project followed a two
part process.
Part 1 focused on understanding the problem
and attempting to reframe it into specific areas
to be explored further and addressed through
experimentation. This involved:
• Development of a ‘Design Prospectus’ as a
vehicle for seeking investment from interested
agencies
• Twelve agencies contributing funds or staffing
(through secondments and MoUs)
PART 1
• Undertaking contextual interviews with
business people, representatives of business
intermediary groups (such as peak bodies),
and individual public servants
• An open ideas platform, accessed through the
internet, seeking ideas about how interactions
could be improved
• A survey of 300 public servants to better
understand their interactions
• Validation workshops with additional business
people and public servants to test the findings
• Development of a model for understanding
interactions and the key areas for intervention
Note: For further information on the experience with the project, see the website’s project page:
http://design.gov.au/doing/projects/business-and-government-interactions-project/
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DesignGov’s Inaugural Project (findings)
During the first part of the
project, DesignGov found
that mutual
misunderstandings and
systemic problems were
the key issues to be
addressed
Part 1 made 13 key findings, which
indicated that clashes of perceptions,
expectations and concerns matter most
in business-government interactions
Drawing on these findings,
DesignGov reframed the problem as
one of shared striving but mutual
misunderstandings
• When the project was agreed, it was thought
that the volume of “red tape” and transactional
payments and reporting were the main
problems for businesses
• At its heart the reframed problem was that
although businesses, business intermediaries
and public servants are working towards
common aims (shared striving) there are
different, and sometimes clashing,
perceptions, expectations, concerns and even
language (mutual misunderstanding) that
shape the interactions
• However, Part 1’s 13 key findings indicated
that these were not the primary issues; rather
a highly nuanced picture emerged
• Beyond the transactional relationship, it
appeared that it is often a clash of
perceptions, expectations and concerns that
shape the interactions and can lead to
frustration and waste of time, money, effort
and interest
• This underlying tension means that while
each side has significant common ground,
current dealings between business and
government can mean the common ground is
lost in translation
• It was also found that some deficiencies in
business and government interactions were
manifestations of seemingly unrelated
systemic problems within the public service
Note: For further information on the findings, see the website’s findings page: http://design.gov.au/2013/09/11/understanding-business-andgovernment-interactions-lost-in-translation-shared-striving-and-mutual-misunderstanding/
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DesignGov’s Inaugural Project (interactions)
DesignGov developed
an interactions framework
for action to set out the
five specific problems to
address
The framework to the right at Exhibit D
drew on the needs, insights and findings
of the project to identify where initiatives
are most likely to lead to better
experiences
The framework highlights:
• the concerns of businesses, intermediaries and
public servants when they are interacting
• matters that need to be addressed to ensure
that any one interaction is successful
• aspects of the overall system of interactions
which need to be addressed to achieve the
best outcomes
The project findings combined with the framework suggested five specific problem areas
within the broader business and government
inter-actions problem space, namely:
• The context for interactions between business
and government keeps changing
Exhibit D – Stage 1 Interactions Framework
• Finding answers from government, in
particular those that are meaningful, is hard
• Businesses perceive consultation as
“nonsultation” and engagement as limited
• There is a lack of clear problem solving
channels that span agencies and jurisdictions
and that affect businesses
• The preconditions for high standard service
provision in the APS, allowing for respect and
consideration, are not consistently available
throughout the public sector
20
DesignGov’s Inaugural Project (concepts)
DesignGov identified five
concepts for prototyping
to dramatically improve
the five sub-problems
Against the sub-problems identified in
Exhibit D (previous slide), Exhibit E sets
out the five concepts identified as
suitable for prototyping, to test their
suitability and feasibility in dramatically
improving business and government
interactions
1. Emerging Issues Detection – shared
intelligence for adaptive readiness: a systemic
approach for sharing emerging issues that might
have relevance for business and government
interactions, and giving agencies and industry
time to consider implications and make
connections
4. Fix-it Squads – tackling priority problems
through immersion: a form of tiger team made up
of seconded public servants from relevant
agencies who are charged with investigating
issues identified by business and agreed by
government
5. Service by Design – embedding a bias for
service within the public service: a common
framework of service design principles and
service infrastructure
2. BabelGov – navigating government with
crowd support: a peer-to-peer crowd-support
platform, where people can ask questions about
navigating government and government
processes, and other people (business people,
public servants, intermediaries or just interested
citizens) can provide answers. Such peer-topeer crowd-support platforms have been
successfully used in many different settings,
including commercial ones (e.g. Telstra’s
Crowdsupport)
3. OneConsultation.gov.au – increased
consultation options in one place: a single place
for conducting consultations, supplemented by a
suite of consultation and engagement tools and
options to suit a variety of stakeholder and
agency needs
Exhibit E – Interactions Framework with
associated prototypes
21
A – Design methods and tools
B – Examples of design
C – Examples of the work of
international design firms
D – Examples of design in public
policy
E – General sources on design
F – Examples of design tools
Appendices
Introduction to using design in government
design@design.gov.au | (02) 6125 4974 | GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601
22
Appendix A – Design methods and tools
Source
Description
Website
Tags
Mind Lab “Method
cards”
“Our work is based on a process model which consists of seven
phases: project focus, learning about the users, analysis, idea and
concept development, concept testing, the communication of results
and impact measurement”. Each part of the process has a method
card that explains that step in greater detail.
http://www.mindlab.dk/en/methods
holistic method
Service Design Toolkit
Includes a number of templates for Design techniques. Useful if you
need to do a workshop and need materials to promote discussion, or
need templates on design techniques for a paper.
http://www.servicedesign
toolkit.org/
templates, design
techniques
UK Design Council
“Transformational
Design”
Detailed, prose based description of the value of design and some
design techniques.
http://www.designcouncil
.info/mt/RED/transformati
ondesign/Transformation
DesignFinalDraft.pdf
design
techniques,
holistic method
IDEO “Design Toolkit”
Range of tools available if you join up on the website.
http://www.ideo.com/wor
k/human-centereddesign-toolkit/
developing world
Helsinki Design Lab
“Recipes for systemic
change”
Book describing the theory and importance of design and introducing its
aims and objectives.
http://www.helsinkidesign
lab.org/peoplepods/them
es/hdl/downloads/In_Stu
dioRecipes_for_Systemic_C
hange.pdf
guide to design
Service Design Tools
Collection of open source tools for service design.
http://www.servicedesign
tools.org
design tools
Appendix A – Design methods and tools
Source
Description
Website
Tags
Karl Ulrich “Design:
Creation of artifacts in
society”, University of
Pennsylvania, 2011
Detailed and holistic introduction to design as a problem solving
method. Topics include introduction to design, design as problem
solving, exploration, users experts and institutions in design, the
architecture of artifacts, aesthetics in design and variety.
http://opim.wharton.upen
n.edu/~ulrich/designbook
.html
artefacts, ulrich
D.School “Use our
methods”, Stanford
University, accessed 3
Sept 2013
A collection of individual design techniques, ranging from interview for
empathy, prototyping to storytelling.
http://dschool.stanford.e
du/use-our-methods/
prototyping,
empathy,
storytelling
UK Government
“Service Design
Manual” accessed 3
September 2013
Very large collection of design techniques. Major focus is on
developing digital products. Huge list of user research techniques.
https://www.gov.uk/servi
ce-manual
Design
techniques,
digital
Department of
Industry “The ‘how to’
of design”, accessed 3
September 2013
Collection of design methods from a number of APS agencies,
including DHS, ATO and Customs. Also has methods outlined for
IDEO, Thinkplace, Tough Problem, Blue Sky and Mind Lab.
http://innovation.govspac
e.gov.au/2012/10/17/thehow-to-of-design/
Design methods
Dan Hill “Dark matter
and trojan horses – a
strategic design
vocabulary” Strelka
Institute
Excellent argument for strategic design thinking. “We live in an age of
sticky problems, whether it’s climate change or the decline of the
welfare state. With conventional solutions failing, a new culture of
decision-making is called for.”
http://www.strelka.com/pr
ess_en/dark-matter-andtrojan-horses-danhill/?lang=en
Strategic design
Appendix A – Design methods and tools
Source
Description
Website
Tags
NESTA “Prototyping
in public services”
(guide and framework)
Includes both a guide and framework for prototyping.
Guide is a useful, detailed, prose based description. The framework is
more visual, more of a checklist than the guide with pictures that can
make the method more concrete.
http://www.nesta.org.uk/e
vents/assets/features/prot
otyping_in_public_service
s
prototyping
IDEO “Prototyping
workshop” [video]
Very useful video to demonstrate how a prototyping workshop could be
run. Also includes an introduction to prototyping presentation at the
beginning to set the scene.
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Rbjej4A6oRk
prototyping
American Institute for
Graphic Art’s
“Ethnography primer”
“AIGA, in collaboration with Cheskin, has produced a simple and
straight-forward primer introducing the crucial role that ethnography
plays in designing.” Good visual and step by step method for doing
ethnography in a design context.
http://www.aiga.org/ethno
graphy-primer/
ethnography
The Australian Centre
for Social Innovation
(TACSI) “Prototyping
curriculum”
Excellent guide to prototyping. Detailed step by step method,
supporting theory and context, good use of visuals.
http://www.tacsi.org.au/as
sets/Uploads/CodesigningThrivingSolution
s.pdf
prototyping
D.School “Crash
course in design
thinking”
A ninety minute introduction to D.School’s method.
http://dschool.stanford.ed
u/dgift/
holistic method
IDEO “Designer’s
Workbook”
Designed for teachers, but a holistic and practical method for going
about design with templates. Prototyping on pages 31-37.
http://www.ideo.com/work
/toolkit-for-educators
holistic method,
prototyping,
templates
Young Foundation
“Social Design
Methods Menu”
Menu of tools looking at new ways to tackle social policy issues.
http://youngfoundation.or
g/publications/the-socialdesign-methods-menu/
design tools
Appendix B – Examples of design
generally
Source
Description
Link
Tags
UK Design Council’s
‘Restarting Britain’
report
The Report calls to tackle the dual challenges of making public services
better and more cost-effective by putting design at the heart of service
delivery and development.
http://www.designcouncil.
org.uk/ourwork/Insight/Research/20
13-restarting-britain-2/
why design,
design and public
services
UK Design Council
introduction to their
Double Diamond
method
Design Council claims this method is a composite or reflection of the
myriad design methods that exist. It is intuitive and robust and was,
therefore, the one adapted for use by DesignGov.
http://www.designcouncil.org.
uk/designprocess
double diamond,
holistic method
IDEO’s general
approach
Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop
products, services, processes, and strategy. This approach, which IDEO
calls design thinking, brings together what is desirable from a human
point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically
viable. It also allows people who aren’t trained as designers to use
creative tools to address a vast range of challenges.
http://www.ideo.com/about/
feasibility,
desirability and
viability venn
diagram
Tough Problem
“Guide to question
framing”
Useful, quick introduction to framing questions.
http://www.toughproblem
.com.au/images/Framingt
heProblemasaQuestion.p
df
framing, problem
Appendix C – Examples of the work of
international design firms
Source
Description
Website
Tags
UK Design Council
“As an enterprising charity, our work places design at the heart of
creating value by stimulating innovation in business and public services,
improving our built environment and tackling complex social issues such
as ageing and obesity.”
http://www.designcouncil.
org.uk/
charity, industrial
design, enabling
design, project
work
“We inspire new design thinking, encourage public debate and inform
government policy to improve everyday life and help meet tomorrow’s
challenges today.”
MindLab
“MindLab is a cross-ministerial innovation unit which involves
citizens and businesses in creating new solutions for society. We
are also a physical space – a neutral zone for inspiring creativity,
innovation and collaboration...”
It works with the civil servants in three parent ministries: the
Ministry of Business and Growth, the Ministry of Education and
the Ministry of Employment and also forms a collaboration with the
Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Interior.
http://www.mind-lab.dk/en
Innovation, civil
servants
SITRA
The Finnish Innovation Fund, Sitra “builds a successful Finland for
tomorrow's world. We are forward-thinking and anticipate social
change and its effect on people. Our activities promote and
stimulate new business models that aim for sustainable wellbeing.” As a public fund, it reports directly to the Finnish
parliament.
http://www.sitra.fi/en
Innovation,
sustainability
Appendix C – Examples of the work of
international design firms
Source
Description
Website
Tags
IDEO
IDEO is an award-winning global design firm that takes a humancentered, design-based approach to helping organisations in the public
and private sectors innovate and grow.
http://www.ideo.com
charity, industrial
design, enabling
design, project
work
“We identify new ways to serve and support people by uncovering latent
needs, behaviours, and desires. We envision new companies and
brands, and we design the products, services, spaces, and interactive
experiences that bring them to life. We help organizations build creative
culture and the internal systems required to sustain innovation and
launch new ventures.”
Thinkpublic
A social design agency that works on creative solutions for big
social challenges. Worked extensively with the NHS on
experience based design, a method for involving patients and staff
in improving healthcare services.
http://thinkpublic.com
experience based
design, health
care, project work
Participle
Social business that works on the next generation of public
services. “Together we create new types of public services that
make a real difference in everyday lives”. Best case study is
Southwark Circle.
http://www.participle.net
public sector
design
FutureGov
Better public services through technology. “We use our expertise
in design, technology and change management to work closely
with service users and practitioners. We understand their needs
and make solutions that solve their biggest challenges”. Best
case study is Patchwork.
http://wearefuturegov.co
m
public sector
design
Appendix D – Examples of design in
public policy
Source
Description
Link
Tags
DesignGov case
studies – design
applied to public policy
All from the public sector, with examples from the UK, Australia and
New Zealand. Includes Customs’ ‘Mobile X-ray Unit’ example and
TACSI’s ‘Family by Family’.
http://design.gov.au/files/2013/04/
DesignGov_design_case_studies
_flier.pdf
public policy,
customs, family by
family, design
council UK
Helsinki Design Lab
Case studies from the Helsinki Design Lab. Focussed on education,
ageing population and environmental sustainability.
http://www.helsinkidesignlab.org/
peoplepods/themes/hdl/download
s/In_StudioRecipes_for_Systemic_Change.p
df
sustainability,
ageing, education
http://www.theguardian.com/socie
ty/2013/mar/12/local-governmentimprove-public-services-designer
local government,
workshops
The Guardian
newspaper ‘Local
government can
improve public
services by hiring
designers’
•What’s
done
Case
study ofbeen
local government
using design. This was a local council
that improved waste disposal by working with local people. This was
undertaken through workshops with people from the local community.
Includes a link to the ‘Restarting Britain’ report.
Appendix E – General sources
Source
Description
Website
Tags
DesignGov delicious
account
Links to useful sources on design
https://delicious.com/designgov
links, sources
UK Institute for
Government Mindspace
Focuses on “nudge”
http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ourwork/better-policy-making/mindspace-behaviouraleconomics
nudge
Christian Bason
“Leading Public Sector Innovation: Co-creating for a
better society”. Strong reputation
http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Public-SectorInnovation-Co-creating/dp/1847426336
co-design
The Economist
Showcases IDEO’s achievements and those of CEO
Tim Brown
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21580444design-companies-are-applying-their-skills-voluntaryand-public-sectorsback?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/back_to_the_drawing_board
IDEO, case studies
Universal principles of
Design
These universal principles are a list of useful ways to
guide how to do design. Covers the topics of : “How
can I influence how a design is perceived?”, “How can I
help people learn from a design?”, “How can I improve
the usability of a design?”, “How can I increase the
appeal of a design”, and “How can I make better design
decisions”. Seems to focus on design in the sense of
drawing, building products
http://sse.tongji.edu.cn/liangshuang/hci2013spring/rea
dings/universal-principles-of-design.pdf
design techniques
Sandford Borins
Academic / newspaper style article offering
perspectives on public sector innovation, listing a few
conditions needed for it to exist.
http://www.sandfordborins.com/2013/07/02/a-privatesector-perspective-on-public-management-innovation/
public sector innovation
Irma Wallace
Very quick introduction to design with infographics –
useful for a visual learner
http://infographicjournal.com/what-is-design-thinking/
description of design,
case studies
Appendix E – General sources
Source
Description
Website
Tags
DesignGov’s
“Designing” web page
An overview of design, with links to good sources
http://design.gov.au/designing/
designgov, public sector
design, overview
Christian Bason,
Stanford Social
Innovation review on
innovation and design in
government
Essay introducing design in the public sector, including
the challenges to establishing design in the public
sector
http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/design_led_inn
ovation_in_government
public sector design,
overview
Appendix F – Examples of design
tools
Tool
Description
Link
Tags
Journey mapping
Journey map developed by DesignGov.
http://design.gov.au/designing/
designgov, public sector
design, overview
Personas
DesignGov blog post explaining the process of
developing personas, particularly how to make them
rigorous through good use of data.
http://design.gov.au/2013/07/02/building-a-sharedlanguage-for-design-tools-in-the-aps/#more-3807
personas, designgov
Common language
DesignGov blog post, same as personas above. It also
explains whether the APS has a shared common
language for design, and talks about a number of
design tools e.g. journey mapping, personas, scenarios
and how to use these tools together.
http://design.gov.au/2013/07/02/building-a-sharedlanguage-for-design-tools-in-the-aps/#more-3807
design method,
personas, scenarios,
journey mapping, user
pathways
Service origami
Origami paper prototypes to communicate and
prototype services
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=18E5E9288
C2A4E3C8146E95C70350C37
prototyping, visual
expression
Brainstorming
Gathering and building on ideas to create something
new and innovative. This is not unique to design, but
design does include a number of interesting ways to go
about brainstorming (see for example the techniques at
the link to the right).
http://documents.openideo.net/BrainstorminaBox_Imp
act.pdf
brainstorming
User scenarios
Describes users in context and their interactions with a
system to ascertain requirements
http://infodesign.com.au/usabilityresources/scenarios/
reframing the problem
Context posters
Visual stimuli that communicates the context and
people we are designing for