Summary
Delivered from London, the talk reviews the growth and milestones in Civic design and government digital services over the last ten years, referencing key efforts such as the UK Government Digital Service (GDS), the US Digital Service, Japan’s Digital Agency, and Cyprus’s Digital Service Factory. Drawing on the speaker’s five years in UK public service and extensive international collaboration, including 30 cross-country conversations with designers, it underscores how ideas often reemerge cyclically but require leadership or policy to gain traction. The talk highlights critical legislative milestones like the US Executive Order on transforming federal customer experience, the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, European accessibility regulations, and Australia’s Royal Commissions, all shaping how government tackles digital transformation. Looking ahead, it stresses the importance of reflecting on past work, sharing lessons openly, addressing power and ethics in design roles, and balancing innovation with preservation. The session seeks to spark discussion on these themes and encourage attendees to explore thoughtful questions about the future of Civic design.
Key Insights
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Civic design has reached significant international milestones over the past decade, including formations of digital service teams in UK, US, Japan, and Cyprus.
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Leadership changes and strategic priorities are critical for cyclical design ideas to materialize into impactful government services.
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Legislation like the US Executive Order on federal customer experience and European accessibility regulations strongly influence government design practices.
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The speaker’s five years at UK GDS involved navigating evolving organizational moods and changes at the highest government levels.
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International collaboration, such as 30 calls with designers worldwide, is key to sharing learning and improving Civic design.
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Reflecting on past work and careers helps inform future directions and avoid repeating mistakes in Civic design.
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Power and ethics are central themes in the evolving roles of Civic designers in government.
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Capturing and sharing stories openly contributes to carving forward paths in government digital services.
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Balancing innovation with preservation of proven practices is necessary when applying lessons from history.
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The ecosystem of organizations in Civic design, especially in the US, has grown substantially, indicating a maturing field.
Notable Quotes
"Today’s theme is all about reflecting on the state of Civic design and government design practice and our careers."
"The UK launched their digital service 10 years ago, the US started eight years ago, and Japan formed their digital agency this year."
"I’ve worked with international counterparts, sharing and learning through 30 international calls with designers around the world."
"Ideas can come back around again and again. It’s not until they find a leader or strategic priority that they turn into more."
"In the US, important legislation like the executive order on transforming federal customer experience has helped our work."
"Reflecting on work and careers is important so we can look towards the future armed with lessons from the past."
"Power and ethics in our roles as designers is changing and it needs to change for the better."
"Capturing and sharing stories in the open helps us learn from those who came before us."
"We must consider what to transform but also what to preserve from history in Civic design."
"An ecosystem of organizations working towards similar aims has really grown, especially in the US."
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