Improving innovation in public services

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We're testing new ways to design better public services with the people who use them

How can design help deliver better health services?

Stage: The Design Council is demonstrating how design can help hospitals stay clean and individual people manage their own healthy active lifestyles
Addressing: Driving competitiveness in industry, Improving innovation in public services

What can design do to help improve our nation's health?

Bad health is putting pressure on us and on our health system. We think that design can help find ways to motivate people to lead more active lifestyles and to manage their health more effectively.

Perspectives

Richard Seymour

Director, SeymourPowell

'There’s a good way of looking at this project. It’s probably the most important thing you can do this year, or maybe in your entire career, is to tackle as a designer this issue or issues of this type. This is people’s lives we’re talking about here. It’s not about how pretty the cruet is or what shape the damn car is, it’s about life and it’s about savings lives. So, I think that’s the right agenda. In my book, design is making life better for people. So lets do it'

Alan Johnson MP

Secretary of State for Health

'Although the chances of acquiring a healthcare associated infection are relatively low, when a patient does it is extremely distressing for them, their family and the NHS staff treating them. Infection is also costly. On average, it adds three to ten days onto a patient’s length of stay in hospital, and for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) that stay will be even longer. Financially it can cost between £4,000 and £10,000 more to treat a patient with an infection' ... 'What we need to do is equip the NHS with the tools it needs to take on the problem of healthcare associated infections and win.'

Nick Morton

former Design Council project leader

The normal model for public services is that they are provided, managed and maintained by public bodies. Activmobs turns this model on its head, with activities being instigated by individuals and supported by the council - this requires a completely different way of thinking.

More perspectives and the chance to contribute

Hot products like these are likely to be the targets of criminals

Can design help in the fight against crime?

Stage: We are part of the new Design and Technology Alliance, a group of experts in design, consumer affairs and crime. With them we will establish new ways for good design to tackle crime.
Addressing: Improving innovation in public services

Why is crime an issue for design?

Crime has fallen over the last decade but new crime challenges have emerged as society, and technology, have evolved.

How can school users help design better schools?

How can design make schools more sustainable?

Stage: The Design Council and Dott 07 are demonstrating how design can help make schools fit for purpose
Addressing: Improving innovation in public services

What should be the design priorities for schools?

The government is investing £2.2bn in the first wave of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, but how can design make sure the programme gets the results it intends and is sustainable?

What makes the UK an innovation nation?

Stage: The Government has set out its plans for making the UK the best place to run an innovative business or public service
Addressing: Driving competitiveness in industry, Improving innovation in public services

Can the Government help make the UK more innovative?

The Government department in charge of making us all more innovative has made its first plan. DIUS wants to help the public and private sectors take advantage of new opportunities and prosperity created by the demand for innovaiton.

Chris Downs from service design consultancy LiveWork shares his ideas with a group of government officials

Can we use design to improve how people live?

Stage: People in the North East have worked for a year to develop practical examples of how they could design their own lives better
Addressing: Improving innovation in public services, Design skills development

What is Dott?

Designs of the time (Dott) asks 'Can we use design to help people live how they want to live?'

Are our food production systems ripe for a redesign?

Stage: Dott 07 has looked at ways to bring food production back into communities and reduce food miles
Addressing: Improving innovation in public services

Why is food an issue for design?

By redesigning the systems we use to produce, transport and consume our food, we can reduce their environmental impact and help people to lead healthier lives.