New Design Commission report: Design and Public Services

In March 2013, the Design Commission launched its newest report, calling for design thinking to be put at the heart of public service renewal in the UK. The report, entitled 'Restarting Britain 2: Design and Public Services', makes more than a dozen recommendations for policy change within national and local government, as well as within the design industry itself, arguing that greater use of design principles at key stages in the policy process would help streamline public services, making them more relevant and useful for users while also costing the public purse less. The report follows an eight-month inquiry process chaired by Barry Quirk, Chief Executive of Lewisham Council, and Baroness Denise Kingsmill, and sponsored by the Design Council, Capita and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The Design Commission is a high level, cross-party group of parliamentarians and leading representatives from business, industry and the public sector, that explores through research how design can drive economic and social improvement. The report is the Design Commission's second publication, and follows 2011's Restarting Britain: Design Education, which called for greater emphasis to be placed on design education across the school and college curriculum. Visit the Design Commission website at www.policyconnect.org.uk/dc and follow the inquiry and report at #DesignInquiry.