Design Transforms Government: The Future of Policy Design from DRS 2024 / 2
Nayeong An, Korea Institute of Design Promotion
> Design Transforms Government: The Future of Policy Design from DRS 2024 / 1
Key Policy Design Sessions at DRS(Design Research Society) 2024
At this conference, “Policy Design” emerged as a significant theme, with numerous examples and studies being presented. Among the standout cases were the Lancaster2050 project, the Tomorrow Party, and organizations leveraging design expertise to drive government innovation.
Lancaster2050 Project: Imagining the Future of the Region
A research team from Lancaster University is leading the I-Connect project as part of the Lancashire2050 initiative, which envisions the future policies for the Lancashire government. The goal of this project is to propose a sustainable transportation future based on the experiences of local residents and visitors. The team created future scenarios from four perspectives: 1. Lanctopia (ideal future), 2. Slowcaster (sustainability-focused), 3. Nodecaster (overcoming obstacles), and 4. Lancastrophe (negative future). These scenarios were visualized in videos, encouraging the public to reflect on the future of the region and actively participate in policy discussions.
“By crafting policies based on the actual experiences and opinions of residents, we enhanced the realism and effectiveness of the policies.”
Images showing four perspectives of Lancaster’s future scenarios and early messages from the ideal future of Lanctopia (source: DRS 2024 materials) highlight the positive mood among people imagining a world where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.
“Life in Lanctopia is amazing. I live in a multi-generational housing complex. I can walk down the pedestrian-only King Street to Lancaster University’s Story Hub. I enjoyed my journey from London on the new H55 train, and tomorrow, I’m taking the Super Tram to Eden Morecambe.” (source: DRS 2024 presentation materials)
Tomorrow Party: Predicting the Future Through a Party
A research team from Monash University in Australia developed an innovative workshop methodology called the Tomorrow Party. The workshop is structured like a party, without any formal templates, allowing participants to freely exchange ideas and generate forward-looking concepts.
“Through this unstructured idea-sharing format, we gained new insights. The method has shown its potential in areas like multi-disciplinary education, post-wildfire recovery, climate change, and public health.”
Public Policy Lab
The Public Policy Lab (PPL) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that actively incorporates design expertise to improve public services. They apply user-centered design throughout the public policy development process, gaining a deep understanding of citizens’ real experiences and needs. They have worked on innovative policy and service projects, utilizing field research, interviews, prototyping, and pilot implementations to ensure the effectiveness of their ideas. PPL collaborates with government agencies across various sectors, including education, healthcare, and social welfare, to push for innovation and ensure design is fully integrated into public policy.
U.S. Digital Service (USDS)
The U.S. Digital Service (USDS) is responsible for digital innovation within the U.S. federal government. Under the Biden administration’s key focus areas, they have defined three critical life experiences to address: childbirth & parenting, financial shocks, and disaster recovery. USDS aims to improve these through digital and design expertise. They have tackled various projects, including enhancements to Healthcare.gov, disaster aid systems, and veterans’ services. By incorporating user feedback, improving systems, and adopting agile methodologies, USDS ensures they stay responsive to rapidly changing needs. A notable initiative is the “Alumni Peer Navigator” service, which helps users of government digital services understand how to apply for benefits through guidance from experienced service users. This approach builds a trust-based community support system, where beneficiaries contribute back by helping others navigate the system, reinforcing a collective support structure.
NuLawLab
NuLawLab, an innovation lab at Northeastern University School of Law, actively integrates design and creativity within the legal services field. Their goal is to enhance the accessibility of legal services through “legal design,” which visualizes and simplifies complex legal information. They develop legal education programs in collaboration with local communities, bringing together experts in law, design, and technology to research new models of legal services. Through projects like interactive legal maps and design thinking workshops, NuLawLab aims to lower barriers to legal services, helping citizens understand and utilize their legal rights. Professor Kim Miso and her colleagues at Northeastern University are also working on a legal design book.
Insights from the Conference
Team leader Nayeong An shared her insights from the conference.
“Many participants were surprised and impressed that the Korean government has established and operates a design promotion agency. It underscored the importance of greater participation and exchange among Korean designers and researchers at international conferences.”
The vibrant design atmosphere in Boston, home to world-class institutions like Harvard University and MIT, also provided great inspiration during the event.
“I met many Korean designers at the Boston DRS conference. It was impressive to see how many Koreans are studying design globally.”
Anna also discovered various approaches to integrating AI and design. While many studies in Asia focus on the practical use of AI, in Europe, the discussions are more focused on the ethical and policy implications of AI.
“The convergence of technology and design will become increasingly important, and ethical considerations will need to follow.”
Among the many government-led design organizations showcased at the conference, MONUM’s projects and citizen engagement strategies offered ideas that could be applicable to Korea.
“I was surprised by the high level of interest in policy design and by the fact that many governments have already established and operated design-focused organizations for policy innovation.”
The New Role of Design and the Future of Government
Design is emerging as a crucial tool for public service and policy innovation. Institutions like MONUM, Public Policy Lab, the U.S. Digital Service, and NuLawLab are driving change in the public sector by actively applying design expertise. They reflect real citizen experiences and needs in their policies and services, developing innovative solutions.
These organizations share a strong user-centered approach. They engage directly with citizens, design policies and services that address their needs, and use field research and interviews to deepen their understanding. They also prototype and experiment with ideas to refine them through real-world feedback. Cross-disciplinary collaboration to solve complex social problems is another hallmark of their approach.
The fusion of technology and design is enabling the delivery of more innovative public services. By utilizing digital technologies, these organizations visualize complex information and create services that citizens can easily understand and access. By fostering greater citizen participation and communication, they enhance transparency and trust in policymaking and provide platforms for citizens to directly participate in the policy-making process.
In the future, the role of design in the public sector is likely to become even more pronounced, building on these characteristics. User-centered design will play a bigger role in policy creation, and multidisciplinary collaboration will become more common. The spread of prototyping and experimentation culture will reduce the risk of policy failures, enabling more effective policy development. The integration of digital innovation and service design will elevate the quality of public services, while the diversification of citizen engagement platforms will enhance transparency and trust in the decision-making process.
The DRS 2024 conference demonstrated that design is now an indispensable element in government and the public sector. Design improves the effectiveness of policies through user-centered policy design, promotes collaboration across departments, and strengthens citizen participation. As social problems become more complex, design is expected to take an even more multidisciplinary approach in collaboration with other fields. Design researchers must sharpen their systems thinking and expertise to seek innovative solutions.
The development of new methodologies and tools, spurred by advancements in technologies like AI, will likely shape the future of design research. This will also prompt further discussions on ethics and policy, as the convergence of design and technology becomes a key driver of social problem-solving.
International exchanges and collaborations are essential for sharing diverse cases and insights. Korean design institutions and experts must actively participate and expand their influence in the global design community.
It is expected that the use of design in government policy development and service improvements will become even more active. To this end, our government must strengthen design leadership within government and increase investment in design research. Additionally, fostering citizen participation and activating cross-departmental collaboration will enhance the effectiveness of policies.
Service design is now emerging as a key element not only in improving products and services but also in driving innovation in government and public services. Design can play a significant role in solving complex societal problems and improving citizens’ quality of life. Nayeong An emphasized the need for continuous experimentation and refinement of theories in collaboration between the government and the design research community. This will allow design to play an even more critical role in the policymaking process and bring about positive social change.
For more detailed information, refer to the attached trip report by Team Leader Nayeong An and the links provided below.
Institutions Mentioned in the Article
Design Research Society (DRS) URL: https://www.designresearchsociety.org
Country: United Kingdom (International Organization)
Role: DRS promotes design research and supports knowledge exchange through international forums. Every two years, it organizes a large-scale conference, gathering design researchers and practitioners from around the world to share knowledge and network. The conference serves as a platform to discuss the latest trends and innovative ideas in design research.
The DRS Digital Library contains the proceedings of DRS 2024 Boston, with 1,184 abstracts and 869 full papers submitted — a 47% increase compared to DRS 2022. After a rigorous review process, 386 papers were selected (with a 44.4% acceptance rate). The complete 2024 proceedings can be found at the link below: https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/conference-volumes/61/
New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) URL: https://www.boston.gov/departments/new-urban-mechanics
Country: United States
Role: The city of Boston’s innovation lab, pushing forward experimental projects to address urban challenges.
Public Policy Lab (PPL) URL: https://www.publicpolicylab.org
Country: United States
Role: A nonprofit organization that seeks to improve public services and policy through user-centered design approaches.
U.S. Digital Service (USDS) URL: https://www.usds.gov
Country: United States
Role: A technology and design-focused organization improving federal digital services.
NuLawLab URL: https://www.nulawlab.org
Country: United States
Role: Northeastern University School of Law’s innovation lab, which enhances accessibility to legal services through design.
Nesta URL: https://www.nesta.org.uk
Country: United Kingdom
Role: Nesta supports social innovation through various projects across sectors.
Policy Lab (UK Government) URL: https://openpolicy.blog.gov.uk/category/policy-lab/
Country: United Kingdom
Role: The UK Government’s Policy Lab leverages design and data to innovate in policymaking.
Lancaster University URL: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk
Country: United Kingdom
Role: A higher education institution conducting design research and policy design projects.
Monash University URL: https://www.monash.edu
Country: Australia
Role: A higher education institution involved in design research and policy design projects.
Harvard University URL: https://www.harvard.edu
Country: United States
Role: A host of DRS 2024 and a participant in design research.
Northeastern University URL: https://www.northeastern.edu
Country: United States
Role: A higher education institution focused on design research and education.
Nesta Public and Social Innovation Labs URL: https://www.nesta.org.uk/feature/innovation-methods/public-and-social-labs/
Country: United Kingdom
Role: Nesta’s labs explore approaches using design, data, and behavioral economics to support public service and social innovation.
I-Connect Project URL: https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/i-connect/
Country: United Kingdom
Role: A research project by Lancaster University focusing on sustainable transport and regional development.
Tomorrow Party URL: https://www.monash.edu/emerging-tech-research-lab/research/projects/the-tomorrow-party
Country: Australia
Role: An innovative workshop methodology developed by Monash University that fosters future-oriented idea generation.
Legal Design Lab URL: https://law.stanford.edu/organizations/pages/legal-design-lab/
Country: United States
Role: A research lab at Stanford Law School dedicated to using design and technology to innovate in the legal system and improve legal service accessibility.
source : www.designdb.com
