A Study on the Role of Human-Centered Design in the Realms of Policymaking and Public Service Implementation

Abstract

Background This research views policy as a matter of design and seeks to present a range of concrete examples of how design is practiced within public service organizations, thus providing an empirically-based overview of how design is being utilized and where opportunities for innovation can be made. Methods First we reviewed the theory of policy design and reframed it as designing. Second, case analysis was carried out to identify how design approaches are currently applied in public sector organizations in industrialized countries and South Korea, in order to identify the patterns in utilizing design in the public sector. Results First, according to the levels of involvement, the type of public service innovation was divided into “gov-led” and “agency-led”. The former requires stronger government support and participation. Second, the willingness of policymakers was important to operationalize “humancentered design” from the beginning of the policy design cycle. Third, there is a very heterogeneous picture of the types of design approaches sought for a public sector setting: from high-level “policy design” to the more tangible “service design” and “participation” or “co-design.” Finally, the existence of physical “creativity” spaces offers a catalyst to drive innovation while improving the accessibility of design skills and resources. Conclusions We need to shift beyond the problem-solving mode of policymaking toward policymaking as an integrative approach to designing. There is need for further discussions on how HCD value can be integrated into normal processes of policymaking, thereby creating a new way of working and innovating organizational culture.