Summary
The promise of good civic design may only be realized when it is equally good for everyone. In large and complex systems, we may never fully achieve this. But it is the work of civic designers to persist and lead change. The importance of this commitment is abundantly clear around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access. On his first day in office, President Biden issued Executive Order 13985 On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. Learn how service designers are embracing this catalyst for change at different levels of the federal ecosystem.
Key Insights
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Equity is often more discussed in theory than practiced in government.
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Citizen participation should not just be a concept but a meaningful practice.
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The Biden administration's equity executive order aims to transform federal services to advance racial equity.
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Civic design can enhance customer experience and trust in government.
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Understanding diverse perspectives is essential to creating equitable services.
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Systems thinking helps frame the complex issues surrounding equity in service design.
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Creating partnerships with communities is crucial for building trust and reaching underserved populations.
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Designers have a responsibility to redistribute power to those impacted by policies and services.
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Learning from stakeholders and engaging them in the design process leads to better outcomes.
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Human-centered design is key to improving customer experiences with government.
Notable Quotes
"The idea of citizen participation is a little like eating spinach. No one is against it in principle, because it's good for you."
"This lack of meaningful participation creates an imbalance of power where the public's perspectives are disempowered."
"We as civic designers are in a privileged position to help, and with that privilege comes power."
"Ultimately, this work will help shift the collective mindset to evenly bring in and use the voices of the people we serve."
"Customer experience cannot truly be good if some are left out or excluded, either intentionally or unintentionally."
"Human-centered design and government is about learning directly from people to improve their experience."
"Equity really cuts across all priority areas and remains a through line even to this day."
"We incorporate principles for using power for good during our work at HUD."
"We must build diverse internal teams with different perspectives to succeed."
"Designers have the responsibility to include others who have a stake in the work that needs to be done."
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