Rosenverse

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Civic Design at Scale: Introducing the Public Policy Layer Cake
Gold
Thursday, December 9, 2021 • Civic Design 2021
Share the love for this talk
Civic Design at Scale: Introducing the Public Policy Layer Cake
Speakers: Shanti Mathew , Natalie Sims and Natalia Radywyl
Link:

Summary

When designing into inherently complex government services, civic designers must take a systemic approach. Too often service design focuses on public-facing and sometimes frontline staff-facing interventions, thereby placing the burden of successful service delivery on unempowered shoulders. As service delivery is the byproduct of many entities, interventions must systemically target all policy "layers", such as operations and policy, to be successful. In this presentation, the Public Policy Lab team will share their public policy 'layer cake'. Besides reflecting their affinity for baked goods, it’s a systems design framework for creating interventions at all levels of a public service, while also creating opportunities for equity.

Key Insights

  • Public service design must be systematic and holistic to address complex government structures.

  • The 'layer cake' framework helps identify sources of power and authority in public service delivery.

  • Effective service delivery requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders across various government levels.

  • Frontline staff often hold the least power within the service delivery hierarchy, influencing project design strategies.

  • Family Pathways to Care exemplifies how design can improve mental health services for families in NYC.

  • Civic designers should focus on creating feedback loops to involve the public in service evaluation.

  • Tools supporting staff operations are essential for effective public service delivery.

  • Design interventions should aim at redistributing power and fostering equity in public services.

  • Public engagement mechanisms are crucial for driving systemic change in policy implementation.

  • Understanding the interdependencies of various agencies helps in developing inclusive service delivery models.

Notable Quotes

"The civic designers need to take a systematic approach when designing complex government systems."

"Service design tends to focus on public-facing interventions, often neglecting the underlying policies and protocols."

"Service delivery is driven by service operations, systems, and rules, all supported by human elements."

"The layer cake helps us notice where power resides in systems, allowing us to design interventions that redistribute it."

"We need to get informed about the operational context in which staff work if we want to alter elements of service delivery."

"Families deserve to have their voices heard in service delivery, and feedback channels are essential."

"We aim to support the public in exercising agency vis-à-vis the powers that traditionally govern public services."

"Even well-designed public-facing tools require operational and policy support for effectiveness."

"At the core of society are structures made up of people, tools, rules, and resources that determine how we experience public services."

"Systems change happens at the human scale, making visibility of structures critical for transformation."

More Videos

Julie Gitlin

"Design thinking is a set of behaviors, not just a toolbox of methods."

Julie Gitlin Esther Raice

Design as an Agent of Digital Transformation at JPMC

June 9, 2021

Rachael Dietkus, LCSW

"Burnout and trauma can be seen as related cousins; sharing symptoms and responses but distinct in their implications."

Rachael Dietkus, LCSW Uday Gajendar Dr. Dawn Emerick Dawn E. Shedrick, LCSW

Leading through the long tail of trauma

July 13, 2022

Louis Rosenfeld

"A book needs to be a cohesive journey, rather than a compilation of disparate voices."

Louis Rosenfeld

Coffee with Lou: Should You Write a (UX) Book?

March 7, 2024

Sarah Gallimore

"We're aiming to get to a yes more quickly in the near term."

Sarah Gallimore

Inspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future

November 18, 2022

John Donmoyer

"Throwing away old methods for new ones can unlock skills you didn't know you had."

John Donmoyer

Shipping your code generation experiments to production

June 11, 2025

Bria Alexander

"We're gonna start off strong with Corey's story of resilience through his job search."

Bria Alexander

Theme 1 Intro

September 23, 2024

JJ Kercher

"It's really important to identify what your primary challenge is."

JJ Kercher

A Roadmap for Maturing Design in the Enterprise

June 15, 2018

Bria Alexander

"What I hope you gain from our theme is some optimism that not all is lost"

Bria Alexander

Theme Two Intro

September 8, 2022

Lukas Moro

"The virtual and physical content should be experienced on one common layer."

Lukas Moro

“Feels Like Paper!”: Interfacing AI through Paper

June 11, 2025