Pipeline to Civic Design
Charlotte Vorbeck
Senior Experience Designer, Digital Service 4 Germany
Shahzma Esmail
Public Interest Designer, Government of Ontario
Edward Alton
Senior UX Designer, Ad Hoc LLC
Sarah McArthur
Head of Innovation Practice, City of Melbourne
Ariel Kennan
Senior Fellow, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation
Summary
There is an outpouring of designers and researchers who are interested in building their practice in the civic space; and there’s a wealth of public service emerging. There are also many policy and program professionals who are starting to use design as part of their jobs. Through their global perspectives, panelists will share personal trajectories, what it is like working inside or alongside government and tips for succeeding as a civic designer, researcher or leader. We’ll also explore how government entities and contractors might rethink recruiting talent and building an inclusive pipeline to civic design.
Key Insights
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Many civic designers come from diverse backgrounds beyond formal design education, including biology, programming, and graphic design.
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Government workers are often highly dedicated and idealistic, contradicting common stereotypes of laziness.
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Outdated technology and tools in government create significant workflow challenges, yet employees often develop ingenious workarounds.
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Embedding anti-racist, trauma-informed, and decolonized practices into civic design is key to fostering equity in both processes and outcomes.
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Building inclusive, supportive team cultures is as important as recruiting diverse talent to retain civic designers.
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Transparent, accessible, and simplified hiring processes reduce barriers and anxiety for applicants with nontraditional backgrounds.
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Job descriptions in government often bundle too many roles, deterring potential candidates who may fit one or more aspects.
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Meaningful civic design impact arises from activities beyond interfaces, including improving policies, governance, and organizational cultures.
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Networking and peer support are crucial in civic design to share challenges, celebrate successes, and avoid isolation.
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The newly launched Civic Design Library crowdsources global civic design knowledge to foster peer-to-peer learning and accessible, reusable resources.
Notable Quotes
"People working in government are absolutely idealistic, hardworking, well educated, and open minded."
"You can make an impact by speaking the language of the people you’re talking to—using plain language instead of jargon."
"Without equity, you can only have design theater because it’s not really design if it’s not including everybody."
"Build a culture and environment where diverse people feel comfortable and want to come to work every day."
"Sometimes design roles aren’t called design roles at all, but that’s the type of work you actually do."
"Outdated tech is a reality, but the ingenuity people show to solve problems in government is incredible."
"If you find that place with a supportive team, then go and get it. Never go into civic design alone."
"Be honest with yourself: it won’t always be fun, it will be slow and full of blockers, but the impact is real."
"Design is about making things tangible early, so stakeholders can see and believe in the work."
"A confusing, difficult hiring process is itself an equity issue—transparency helps reduce gatekeeping."
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