D.E.A.R.R. Diaries (Discipline, Experience, Architecture, Reflection + Revolution)
Summary
Four female leads at Coforma reflect on their first year in civic design: a Product Design Lead, a Design Research Lead, a Content Design Lead and a DesignOps Lead. Using diaries, they'll journal about their prior experiences (10 years back), their first year at Coforma, and postulate on the 10 years ahead. Framed in their respective areas of practice, our four panelists will discuss design as discipline, as experience, as architecture and as vehicle for revolutionary change. We hope to uncover multi-potentialities within the civic design and technology space that could influence endless improvements within the private sector.
Key Insights
-
•
Entering Civic design with fresh eyes allows designers to both see systemic issues and bring prior experience to inform change.
-
•
Self-reflection questions like who you design for and who you serve reveal hidden power dynamics and potential saviorism.
-
•
Power in design is situational and fluid; one can have power in some contexts and not others, requiring continuous reflection.
-
•
Gatekeeping in design happens at individual, organizational, and practice levels, often through credentials, jargon, and hierarchy.
-
•
Centricity of connection and relationships with users and colleagues is more impactful than pure technical skill or methods.
-
•
The heroic designer narrative is limiting; Civic design requires collaborative, communal approaches without a single hero.
-
•
Design researchers can shift from improving service delivery to influencing policy and early-stage government innovation.
-
•
Long-term, relational engagement with communities is essential to address power imbalances and rebuild trust in Civic design.
-
•
Climate impact is a critical emerging concern for designers, with digital consumption contributing to significant emissions.
-
•
Design operations in government can reduce team friction, enabling focus on human-centered design and community impact rather than processes alone.
Notable Quotes
"I was obnoxiously proud in my 20s, humbled and service-driven in my 30s."
"Designers have long thought of themselves as heroes, but we had to unpack that conception."
"There’s a fine line between a service mindset and saviorism — am I helping communities or using them to feel superior?"
"Power is liquid — you might have it in one space and not in another."
"Gatekeeping happens through language as much as through who’s in the room."
"Centering connection and relationships rather than transactions is the true happy path in design."
"We don’t need another hero — we’re on a journey together, sometimes converging, sometimes diverging."
"Government might expand its self-perception from service provider to facilitator who partners with constituents."
"Design research should be involved in setting early policy vision, not just in delivering on it later."
"Clear is kind — clarity and kindness in content design create meaningful experiences for all."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"I treat everything in life as if it’s a design problem."
Maria GiudiceRemaking the Making Company: Moving from Product to Experience
June 9, 2016
"SAFe often turns UX into just digital or visual designers, which is wasteful and marginalizes valuable skills."
Christian CrumlishAMA with Christian Crumlish, author of Product Management for UX People
March 24, 2022
"Most creative teams are always teetering on the edge of greatness."
Rima Campbell Amrit S BhachuIncrease Productivity and Drive Business Impact
September 24, 2024
"We still think of accessibility as a binary when it should be recognized as a continuum."
Sam ProulxTo Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
June 10, 2022
"Empowerment is problematic because when we empower others, we reinforce the hierarchy we seek to subvert."
Victor UdoewaRadical Participatory Design: Decolonizing Participatory Design Processes
December 10, 2021
"Getting people who don’t communicate well to at least work together on a single thing is the first step to innovating together."
Jon Fukuda Amy Evans Ignacio Martinez Joe MeersmanThe Big Question about Innovation: A Panel Discussion
September 25, 2024
"We need integrity designers who are proactive and minimize the damage that is certain to happen in services we design."
Rachael Dietkus, LCSWTrauma-Responsive Design: Reimagining the Future of Design Now
December 10, 2021
"Momentum is great, but without a disciplined system, things will go back to the way they were."
Kyria Stephens Marlon KernerPower to Heal: Civic Design in the Aftermath of Tragedy
November 17, 2022
"Autonomy means having confidence to make choices and affect ways of working."
Niko LaitinenAdaptable Org Design for Resilient Times
June 10, 2021