Summary
At the opening of the inaugural Civic Design Conference, the curators, including Ariel and Sarah, reflect on the extensive preparation and collaboration involved in shaping the event. They emphasize the shared journey among civic designers committed to human-centered design principles aimed at building accessible, equitable futures. The day features Christian from Denmark, a pioneer in defining civic design, alongside speakers whose stories span different government levels and countries. Highlights include a discussion on executing diversity and inclusion plans inspired by a newly elected president's mandate, two Belgian designers leveraging the COVID-19 crisis to advance digital service inclusion amid a policy of equality rather than equity, and a case from British Columbia showing responsive design during a migrant crisis. Mexican designers working with their Ministry of Culture demonstrate institutionalizing design thinking in government. The session concludes with a panel of women leaders from Philadelphia, New York City, and Montgomery County design labs discussing common challenges and unique approaches, followed by a talk on sustaining civic design impact beyond individual projects. Throughout, the conference presents civic design as an interdependent, non-linear journey fueled by collaboration, empathy, and resilience.
Key Insights
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Civic design work is a continuous journey without a fixed destination, emphasizing ongoing improvement over final success.
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Collaboration among civic designers brings out the best results even amid challenges and failures.
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Christian from Denmark offers a pioneering and clarifying definition of civic design, helping consolidate its emerging field.
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The conference gathered and curated over 150 proposals, reflecting a broad and diverse civic design community.
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Designers in Belgium used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to push for inclusion in digital service delivery in a country focused on equality rather than equity.
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Quick empathetic design responses were critical during British Columbia’s migrant food supply crisis.
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Mexico’s Ministry of Culture is institutionalizing design thinking to empower government-led problem solving through designers.
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Design labs in local governments like Philadelphia, NYC, and Montgomery County share common goals but adapt uniquely to their contexts.
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The conference stresses the importance of sustaining and building upon civic design work for long-term impact beyond individual efforts.
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Civic designers work at national, state, local, and enterprise levels but share a unified vision for inclusive, accessible public services.
Notable Quotes
"Today marks both an end and a beginning for civic design as a field and community."
"We are not doing this because it’s fun, though it can be joyful, but because we know failure and success both bring us closer."
"The metaphorical string of interdependence connects all our civic design efforts."
"Christian from Denmark helped us recognize but also clarify what we mean by civic design."
"Two designers in Belgium seized a COVID moment to advance inclusion in digital public services where equality, not equity, is the policy."
"Empathy and swift processes were necessary to support thousands of migrants securing food during the pandemic in British Columbia."
"The Ministry of Culture in Mexico is creating spaces and policies for designers to solve government challenges using design thinking."
"Design labs in Philadelphia, New York City, and Montgomery County reflect much of America’s local government design work."
"There is really no destination in our work, only a journey to improve the world one project at a time."
"Sustaining civic design work beyond ourselves ensures that change lasts and grows."
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