c&binet comment: How can user centred design help public service managers?

Nick has written an article for c&binet, a DCMS sponsored forum for creating links between creativity and business exploring how user centred design research techniques can help public service managers design better services

The article looks at how design research techniques developed in non-service contexts can help public servants better understand service users needs, and then work together with providers and users to prototype and design better services.

Drawing on Engine’s public service design work, the article outlines five underlying principles that are remarkably simple and surprisingly disruptive when applied to the challenge of public service design:

1. Understanding of the user experience comes from ‘deep’ design research techniques
2. The user experience must be the primary source of insight, and the central organising principle of a programme of change
3. Users must be involved in co-designing the solution
4. Designers must be involved to create prototypes
5. The research must be tied to a wider product/service development programme

Head over to c&binet to read the full article.