Key Insights

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  Civic design must integrate systemic thinking, ethics, inclusion, and life-centered approaches to meet future challenges.

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  Embedding designers within government institutions, as shown by speakers from the US and Mexico, is critical to advance equitable policy and practical design action.

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  Personal reflection and awareness are foundational for designers to shift power toward communities effectively.

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  Inclusive usability testing with compensated community members leads to more equitable and useful civic services.

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  Participatory design is deeply rooted in ancient communal traditions and requires a sustained shift in power among design teams.

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  Trauma-informed design must move beyond intent to a long-term commitment to not retraumatize vulnerable populations.

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  Regulatory frameworks need to be future-facing to anticipate social impacts of emerging technologies, preventing post-traumatic innovation.

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  There is a tension between democratizing design knowledge broadly and maintaining deep expertise necessary for effective civic design.

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  Localized approaches to civic design foster more authentic and sustained societal change.

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  Building resilient personal relationships within government teams enhances trust and enables honest conversations critical to civic design success.

Notable Quotes