{"id":12043,"date":"2024-11-13T11:48:52","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T10:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/?p=12043"},"modified":"2024-11-20T10:53:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:53:33","slug":"design-democracy-and-public-policy-opportunities-for-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/design-democracy-and-public-policy-opportunities-for-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Design, democracy and public policy: Opportunities for transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prof <strong>Lucy Kimbell<\/strong> &#8211; Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For over two decades, citizens, researchers, policy makers and social innovators have turned to design to help innovate in the face of democratic challenges. There are now many examples of projects, teams and resources in governments, civil society and universities around the world drawing on approaches, methods and tools associated with design to bring new thinking and new practices to democracy and public policy. Examples include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Workshops, e.g., the <a href=\"http:\/\/globaljams.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GovJam<\/a> network of self-organised workshops bringing people together in collaborative design;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tools and toolkits, e.g., the OECD <a href=\"https:\/\/oecd-opsi.org\/toolkit-navigator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Office for Public Sector Innovation<\/a>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New teams and organisations in government<sup>i<\/sup>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public challenges, e.g. the <a href=\"https:\/\/challengeworks.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Challenge Works<\/a> programme working with partners to set up challenge prizes to encourage input from across society;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Citizen-led place-making, e.g. projects by <a href=\"https:\/\/darkmatterlabs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dark Matter Labs<\/a>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2018Mission\u2019 oriented innovation, e.g. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vinnova.se\/en\/publikationer\/mission-oriented-innovation---a-handbook-from-vinnova\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vinnova\u2019s handbook<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Terms such as \u2018design\u2019 and \u2018co-design\u2019 now appear regularly in discussions on democracy. On the one hand, some people advocate more attention being paid to design. For example, in democratic theory, Michael Saward proposed design as having potential to solve problems associated with democracy, saying \u201cDemocracy\u2019 is not exhausted by describing or advocating this or that model or set of institutions; rather, it is a <em>design challenge<\/em>.\u201d<sup>ii<\/sup> But on the other hand, design is sometimes just seen as a tool, with specific, but limited utility<sup>iii<\/sup>. For example, a report by the UK think tank Demos argued that co-design does not have the potential for strategic, upstream issues<sup>iv<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914105_e7cec2244d_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12122\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914105_e7cec2244d_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914105_e7cec2244d_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914105_e7cec2244d_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914105_e7cec2244d_k-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914105_e7cec2244d_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is therefore worth clarifying what approaches associated with design bring to engaging citizens, imagining futures, co-creating options and social learning in contexts of uncertainty, turbulence and complexity. Looking across the research base, there is evidence of contributions in at least three areas where democratic procedures, institutions and processes need new ideas and better ways of doing things. Synthesising across studies of design and political science<sup>v<\/sup>, we can identify six practices central to design being mobilised to address social, public and democratic issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A focus on people\u2019s experiences of and relations to systems and institutions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visualisation and materialisation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Co-design with citizens<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collaboration across departments\/expertise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Synthesising, reframing and integrating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An iterative process of open ended inquiry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first contribution of using these practices is the emphasis in design on making things visible and tangible and paying attention to aesthetics and forms. Deliberative democracy emphasises \u2018reasoned debate\u2019 and \u2018rational speech\u2019; citizens are invited in to talk, but their fears, hopes, dreams and passions are kept out, or at least boxed in. As is now clear, from the results of many electoral processes around the world, and from popular protests and activism, citizens\u2019 voices <em>will<\/em> be heard, in ways that may disrupt or exceed existing societal formats. The design of deliberative formats such as mini-publics can exclude or marginalise some communities and miss opportunities for re-imagination. Here, practices from design provide a powerful way to bring in and mobilise lived experience in relation to issues and dilemmas \u2013 not simply through hearing stories, but through an ongoing purposeful orientation to people\u2019s experiences and relations to the <em>forms<\/em> of objects, organisations and systems. For example, visualisations of \u2018user jouneys\u2019 articulate how people experience current services and institutions, revealing gaps and issues<sup>vi<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A second contribution addresses the need for anticipation in designing new democratic processes and institutions. While the future is unknowable, approaches from design can make future uncertainties graspable, accessible and explorable. Here, practices such as visualising aspects of futures, made specific and tangible in objects, graphics, animations and films, bring possibilities to life. They elaborate aspects of these possible futures, from the point of view of <em>what it would be like for people<\/em> \u2013 turning abstractions into specifics. Choices about aesthetics add nuance and open up opportunities for interpretation and discussion about meaning. For example, films and installations by design group Superflux give form to future possibilities and their implications<sup>vii<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914070_3120c3fe17_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12125\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914070_3120c3fe17_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914070_3120c3fe17_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914070_3120c3fe17_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914070_3120c3fe17_k-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/54058914070_3120c3fe17_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A third contribution from design to ways of doing democracy differently is iterative learning. A mini-public such as a citizen jury or citizen assembly can allow a \u2018deep dive\u2019 or collective exploration of a topic. It can convene and hear from different perspectives and synthesise information into opinions, assessments, proposals and recommendations. But learning about potential solutions in context, is not usually enabled by such formats. Here, practices such as prototyping associated with design have strong roots in learning in context and exploring problems by creating potential \u2018solutions\u2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To conclude, the power of design lies in its capacities to mediate between <em>what is <\/em>and<em> what could be. <\/em>Between current ways of being and doing things, and future ways of being and doing things, in which there is uncertainty, ambiguity and contestation. This is well-understood for the realisation of objects, spaces or digital interfaces. But thinking about \u2018what could be\u2019 is also part of making strategies, developing policies or creating new institutions, all of which are central to the work of public administrations and leaders. Thinking purposefully and creatively about \u2018what could be\u2019 is also relevant to citizens themselves \u2013 as we collectively look around at \u2018what is\u2019 and imagine and demand alternatives.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It would be na\u00efve to think that design practices work well for every democratic challenge. But this brief discussion suggests the potential of design to use this expertise in enabling democratic innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can download the text of Lucy Kimbell\u2019s keynote presentation <a href=\"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Lucy-1.pdf\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prof Lucy Kimbell &#8211; Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. For over two decades, citizens, researchers, policy makers and social innovators have turned to design to help innovate in the face of democratic challenges. There are now many examples of projects, teams and resources in governments, civil society and universities around the world&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arantzazulab.eus\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}