Design for Government; the Human Perspective

This spring I started a new project-based course titled ‘Design for Government’.  The course aims teach to us how to apply design thinking to complex challenges in the government and public sector. At the beginning of term we were divided into multidisciplinary teams and given a brief by the Finnish Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture.  We will spend the next three months working on a solution to the brief which we will present on the 22nd of May. For the first phase we have been focusing on the ‘Human Perspective’ by building a picture of the current situation and learning about the needs of different stakeholders.

At first design and government might seem like an unlikely pair. What does design have to do with making legislation? However, the movement towards design for government acknowledges the ability for designers to drive innovation and create more participatory and citizen-centric governance. Designers in Government can transform policy, civil servant work and citizen services. The role of design in the public sector is rapidly expanding in Europe and Finland in particular. In 2016, Anne Stenros was appointed by the Government as the ‘Chief Design Officer’ (or ‘Chief Disruption Officer’ as she prefers to think of herself) for the City of Helsinki. We met Anne in our first class and learnt that ‘disruption’ is a mandatory requirement for any designer wishing to pursue a career in the narrow confines of Government silos.

The Brief : The Future of Finland’s Hiking Areas: New Uses, Users and Identity

This year’s brief was written by the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture in collaboration with Metsähallitus, a state owned company in charge of managing Hiking Areas. In a nutshell the brief asks us to first, create a distinct brand image for Hiking Areas, and second to find new and innovative ways of increasing tourism there. It raises wider questions about the trend for eco-tourism and the impact of man on nature. In an increasingly urbanised world, the need for accessible nature experiences in rising and must be examined from both an environmental and social perspective.

The Human Perspective

The first stage of the project is about ‘taking the human perspective as a starting point of design’. So far we have met with stakeholders from the Ministry and Metsähallitus and have begun researching our test site, which is Evo National Park. We took a trip there and have begun collaborating with local users and visitors in the area. We are also in the process of interviewing potential new users and experts within the field.