Summary
In his opening keynote, Christian Bason, CEO, Danish Design Centre, will share insights from his nearly two decades of work with civic design as an approach to human-centred innovation and sustainable change. Based on his experience from running MindLab, the Danish government’s innovation team, as well as academic research and hands-on design projects with public organisations, Christian will assess the past and present of civic design. He will suggest that while it may seem there is a clash between the empathy, creativity and formgiving in design versus the objectivity, analytics and rationality of bureaucracy, they can be reconciled. The world needs both stability and change, and civic designers who can embrace both perspectives have the potential of transforming how we run government to the benefit of people, society and the planet. Christian will end his presentation by proposing some future directions for civic design that can unleash its full potential in the years to come.
Key Insights
-
•
Civic design emphasizes human-centered approaches and empathy to understand citizen needs.
-
•
Engaging communities in the design process can lead to innovative solutions for complex public issues.
-
•
Civic design helps transcend traditional bureaucratic constraints, fostering adaptability in public services.
-
•
Embedding design methodologies within government can enhance responsiveness and civic value.
-
•
Collaboration across sectors is vital for addressing systemic challenges and improving services.
-
•
Civic design can facilitate transparency and accountability within public institutions.
-
•
The integration of ethics and inclusion is crucial, especially when leveraging technology in governance.
-
•
A focus on sustainable and equitable growth can inform economic development initiatives through design.
-
•
Civic design can inform public policy by modeling potential outcomes through co-creation and prototyping.
-
•
Transforming organizations to prioritize human creativity can enhance engagement and innovation throughout the public sector.
Notable Quotes
"Civic design is about discovering what kind of changes are needed."
"Civic design is challenging because it’s about more than just managing change."
"We need to balance bureaucracy with the ability to change and transform."
"Civic design is about reimagining public problems and opportunities from the perspective of citizens."
"Designers have the incredible capacity to make the abstract tangible."
"We must engage marginalized voices in articulating both problems and creative solutions."
"Democratic accountability and transparency are critical in service delivery."
"Civic design can reduce homelessness by 50%."
"The design approach is the only way the public sector can be developed in ways that make sense for citizens."
"Empathy and citizen engagement need bureaucracy to thrive."
More Videos
"What if part of our job was to remove the friction in the environment?"
Jacqui FreyFlow and Superfluidity for Design Orgs
November 7, 2018
"To foster engagement, using emojis and gifs can add the tone and body language that are often missed in text."
Laura Gatewood Laine ProkayBeyond Buzzwords: Adding Heart to Effective Slack Communication
September 23, 2024
"The product leadership doesn't see the value in research and they're thinking about shutting the research team down."
Johanna KollmannInsights-Driven Product Strategy: Get your Research to Count
December 6, 2022
"We want to make sure you are feeling loved, supported, and excited about the outstanding content we have today."
Bria AlexanderDay 3 Welcome
September 25, 2024
"Throw away the rule book—just try to get as many ideas as you can out as fast as possible."
Billy CarlsonIdeation tips for Product Managers
December 6, 2022
"The most underutilized asset in a retail environment is the store employees themselves."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Practicing design thinking isn't just for design work; it applies to operations too."
Kim Holt Emma Wylds Pearl Koppenhaver Maisee XiongA Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps
September 8, 2022
"What's the last bad experience you had with another discipline?"
Adrian HowardSturgeon’s Biases
September 25, 2024
"Design is often the first gig up for elimination."
Asia HoePartnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
November 29, 2023
