Theme One Intro
Summary
Presented from London, the talk reviews the significant evolution of civic design and government digital services over the past ten years, citing major initiatives like the UK's Government Digital Service (GDS), the U.S. Digital Service, Japan's Digital Agency, and Cyprus's Digital Service Factory. The speaker, a UK civil servant with five years at GDS, shares insights from leadership changes, international collaborations involving over 30 global calls, and the cyclical nature of ideas in government design. Legislative milestones such as the U.S. executive orders on customer experience and service delivery, and European accessibility regulations, are highlighted as crucial enablers. The talk centers on reflecting on past achievements while looking ahead to future challenges, particularly around ethics, power dynamics, and how designers’ roles are evolving. It also calls for preserving valuable lessons from the past, sharing stories openly, and collectively shaping the direction of civic design in the coming decade.
Key Insights
-
•
Civic design has seen major international milestones in the last decade including launches in the UK, US, Japan, and Cyprus.
-
•
The Government Digital Service UK was founded 10 years ago and remains a key influence in the field.
-
•
International collaboration through calls and shared learning plays a critical role in improving government design practices.
-
•
Design ideas in government tend to be cyclical, often needing leadership or legislative support to gain traction.
-
•
Key legislation such as the US executive orders and European accessibility regulations have significantly shaped digital government service delivery.
-
•
The role of civic designers is evolving, particularly concerning power, ethics, and strategic influence.
-
•
Reflection on career paths and historical work is vital for future success in civic design.
-
•
The ecosystem of organizations working on civic design in the US has grown notably in recent years.
-
•
Open sharing of experiences and stories helps carve new paths forward in government design.
-
•
Leadership changes at high government levels can impact the direction and priorities of digital service initiatives.
Notable Quotes
"Civic design and government design practice have reached many milestones in the past 10 years."
"I’ve worked with international counterparts through 30 calls with designers around the world."
"Design ideas come back around again and again, waiting for leadership or new contexts to take root."
"Legislation like the US executive order on federal customer experience has helped us rebuild trust in government."
"The UK Government Digital Service launched 10 years ago, kicking off a new era in digital public service."
"Ethics and power in design are changing and need to continue evolving over the next decade."
"It’s important to reflect on our work and careers to shape what comes next."
"Openly sharing stories helps us learn from those who came before us and carve new paths."
"The US digital service ecosystem has grown remarkably, showing we’re not alone in this journey."
"High-level leadership changes in government often result in shifts in organizational moods and priorities."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If a problem keeps coming up, it’s usually the execution of the idea that’s failing, not the concept."
Erin WeigelUX Lessons from running more than 1,200 A/B Tests
July 10, 2024
"Bringing something to market quickly at scale is time-consuming and expensive—failing early is key to saving resources."
Mike OrenWhy Pharmaceutical's Research Model Should Replace Design Thinking
March 28, 2023
"Now everyone’s an edge case, so research needs to focus on those edge cases, not just the average user."
Lija Hogan Milan Mijatovic Sam Proulx Louis RosenfeldThree Years Out: Perspectives on the Near-Term Future of User Research
March 15, 2024
"Threat actors probably know your system better than you do and are looking for any entry points to exploit."
Heidi TrostWhen AI Becomes the User’s Point Person—and Point of Failure
August 7, 2025
"Behavior over time is your culture; it’s how you choose to behave and incentivize others to behave."
Adam CutlerPeople + Places + Practices = Outcomes
June 8, 2016
"Anyone can become a person with accessibility needs at any time, so inclusivity should be a default."
Rittika BasuAge and Interfaces: Equipping Older Adults with Technological Tools
February 23, 2023
"Accessibility is more of a process than a result; it starts at the very beginning of product development with research including disabled users."
Saara Kamppari-MillerDesignOps for Inclusive Design and Accessibility
May 26, 2022
"Every talk you hear today couldn’t get more personal to our community."
Bria AlexanderTheme Two Intro
October 3, 2023
"I don’t know what I don’t know – new practitioners may not even realize what questions to ask at first."
Laine Riley Prokay Lisa GordonCarving a Path for Early Career DesignOps Practitioners
September 9, 2022
