Summary
On day two of Civic Design 2021, organizers and speakers, including Bria, concentrated on tactical approaches to Civic Design that the community specifically requested. The day began by addressing how to advocate for design within government, highlighting the importance of shifting mindsets and building multidisciplinary trust with stakeholders. It then delved deeply into accessibility and equity through tactics aimed at understanding systems, points of intervention, and power dynamics. Speakers emphasized centering community and embedding inclusivity from the start by applying equitable research methods. Later sessions explored practical issues around hiring and contracting design services in government, focusing on designing procurement processes to yield the most inclusive and effective results. Additionally, career advice and inspiring journeys were shared for those seeking roles in or alongside government as Civic designers. The session fostered collaboration among presenters, providing attendees with rich resources, frameworks, and opportunities to engage via Slack and cohorts to deepen their practice.
Key Insights
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Making the case for design is the top community request for advancing Civic Design.
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Building trust with stakeholders requires multidisciplinary perspectives and mindset shifts.
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Centering community and redirecting power are essential for equitable Civic Design.
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Embedding inclusivity from project inception improves equitable research outcomes.
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Understanding systemic intervention points helps designers identify leverage areas.
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Governments often need to procure design services to augment internal capacities.
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Inclusive procurement processes increase the quality and responsiveness of design services.
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Career pathways in Civic Design are accessible to students, designers, and government workers alike.
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Collaborative iteration among speakers enriches the content and applicability of the talks.
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Community engagement through Slack and cohorts provides deeper learning beyond the sessions.
Notable Quotes
"Yesterday we saw themes emerge on striving for inclusion, applying equity and sustaining the work over time."
"Today we’re going to get tactical as we roll up our sleeves and consider the needed tools and mindsets for Civic Design."
"One overwhelming request has been how to make the case for design."
"We’ll hear multi-disciplinary views on how to build trust with stakeholders."
"We’ll explore tactics to help us understand systems and points of intervention."
"How to redirect power and shift our methodologies to center community."
"Embed inclusivity from the start through equitable research practices."
"Many governments need to buy design services to augment their internal capacities."
"We’ll learn how to design procurement itself to get the best responses through inclusive processes."
"We’ll hear inspiring career journeys and advice for getting started working inside and alongside government as a Civic designer."
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