In the tumultuous months following the 2016 election, I began to learn how I could best serve my country and society politically using the skills, talents, and experiences. This primarily meant exploring how the tools of design could change things for the better. Several books on public policy later (specific, e.g. tax reform, and theoretical, e.g. design thinking for public policy) I felt equipped to dip my toe into the public debate using my designer’s voice. I began with a series called "From Servants to Stewards" (part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4). I continued with the piece that brought it all together, "Human-Centered Government". The amount of learning was enormous, but even greater was the inspiration. Unless you’re in Denmark, which is doing some amazing stuff with design thinking in government, this topic remains almost completely untouched. The opportunity is huge.

This is my unapologetically wonky series on how design can impact our civic life and public policy (and how it’s made). It represents for me a way to not only learn about government, but participate in it in way that makes sense to me, and hopefully provides a much needed fresh perspective. I feature a mix of political theory, conversations with individuals much smarter than me, case studies, and the occasional attempt to rethink pressing political issues using design. We constantly hear about deadlock, the government spending too much money, and the inefficacy of public programs. Let’s change that with design, together.

Posts in this pillar:

Human-Centered Government

From Servants to Stewards: Design-led Innovation in the Public Sector (Part 1)

From Servants to Stewards: Design-led Innovation in the Public Sector (Part 3)

From Servants to Stewards: Design-led Innovation in the Public Sector (Part 2)

From Servants to Stewards: Design-led Innovation in the Public Sector (Part 4)