For public sector

The role and value of design, designer thinking and design-led innovation in public sector organisations is becoming more and more important. Considering the challenges we are facing as a society – such as integration, development into peripheries, the aging of the population, the limited resources available for service provision, the fast development of technology – as well as their complicated and complex nature, it is very important to ensure that the services provided are innovative, satisfy the multi-layered and fast-changing needs and growing demands of the target groups, and are cost-effective at the same time.  

Using design methods and tools in the development of public sector services creates a strong base for ensuring that the services are user-friendly and innovative even when the resources are limited. The design process can be used to analyse the unique needs of the target groups, and then develop, test at reasonable costs (prototype) and market in as short amount of time as possible the services that satisfy those needs. Design tools also make cooperation more efficient – as the methods of analysis are multidimensional and comprehensive, they allow for a more efficient mapping of all the parties to the service and involving them in the development process inside one organisation, across organisations, and even from the target group of the service.  

The impact of design on the organisation depends on the level at which designer thinking is used the organisation. The 2013 report Design for Public Good describes the impact of design in the public sector as a three-step ladder.