Public Policy for Jalisco's Designers to Make Design Matter
Summary
The Head of Design at the Ministry of Culture of Jalisco is the only public entity in Mexico working toward establishing public policy for design. The department has introduced design concepts such as prototyping and iteration in the Government through the design of open calls, funds, and exhibition. They have pioneered platforms such as Plataforma Activa de Diseño, or Pad Jalisco, (trad. Active Platform for Design) a space for design projects involving subjects that are connected to Government goals, including climate change, social equality and gender perspective. Through Plataforma Activa de Diseño, designers can receive funds and mentorship from other parts of the Government in order to improve their projects and introduce design in other public sectors. In addition to briefly discussing their most important projects, Kassim Vera, the Head of Design, and Sofía Delsordo, the department's Programme Leader, will talk about the main challenges in developing public policy for designers from a highly complex environment and share their experience navigating bureaucracy, legislation, and social vision of the role of the Government in the development of arts and creative economies.
Key Insights
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Prediseño was the first public fund in Mexico dedicated to prototype-based design, introducing iteration into government funding.
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Treating children and teenagers as users familiar with UX/UI made design programs more natural and engaging for younger audiences than traditional audiences.
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Introducing design vocabulary like 'prototype' to bureaucrats was critical to gain funding and acceptance within government.
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Oris Santos was a COVID-inspired fund shifting arts from physical to digital, combining mentorship with monetary support, making government processes more user-friendly.
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Creating a design department within government with no prior structure or budget required rapid learning, adaptation, and a studio-like mindset.
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Pat Helisco is Mexico's first public design residency exclusive to designers, focusing on social impact projects and providing a physical and digital platform.
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Don Hill's concepts of 'dark matter' and 'trojan horses' helped them strategically navigate organizational culture and embed design quietly but effectively.
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Collaborating between government and private collections enabled the first-ever design exhibition in a local government context, extending inclusion to overlooked stakeholders.
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Branding a government design department to feel consumer-facing and approachable helped break stereotypes of government as square and institutional.
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Embedding design within government infrastructure physically—occupying 30% of a heritage building and opening it to the public—symbolizes transparency and accessibility.
Notable Quotes
"Imagine a world where the government prototypes and iterates the whole time."
"We started to see children and teenagers as users, not just audiences."
"The design mindset was way more important than the bureaucratic mindset."
"We wanted them to see the government not as an old machine, but as people who see themselves as users."
"Working at a government institution isn’t linear. Some projects might work out. Some simply won’t."
"Pat Helisco funds projects that have social impact and provides designers space to exhibit and connect with stakeholders."
"Every project and initiative we launched has been a Trojan horse navigating through dark matter."
"The Ministry of Culture will be the only government office totally open for public use."
"Good design needs better PR and the government has to be actively involved in the process."
"Children are advanced in design topics like UX because they see them in their everyday apps and games."
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