A proposed homepage for our growing practice. Like a virtual guild. Watch this space!
Alignment: when we say “Design”, or “Human-Centred”, what do we mean?
Check out this curated playlist of Nielsen Norman Group videos as a proto-course on the facets of Design, aiming to touch on the 4 primary job profiles available to us at BCPS:
Design Research, User Experience (UX) Design, Content Design, and Service Design
with Learning Design and Behavioural Insights as 2 additional practices to explore and consider integrating in future
Playlist contents: 21 short videos, ~60 minutes total
curation strategy: listening to common questions and pain points x-gov via my time at NRIDS/DDS (incl. A/Design Chapter Lead), Modernization Advisory Services (incl. community research to inform a ‘design primer’ for MoTI), and general community observations/engagements over the past ~3 years.
Primary audience: beginners and collaborators, e.g. Product Owners, Scrum Masters, agile teammates, SMEs.
Primary problem statement: Design is growing rapidly, but in a decentralized manner, where being human-centred is now a primary focus of the Digital Plan and Code of Practice. Today, there is a lack of alignment across BCPS when it comes to understanding Design practice, which can have unintended impacts on the practitioners hired to do the work, and on product and service outcomes. Many folks have questions about what the work is, and what all the jargon means.
Desired outcome: “just enough context” for Design toward general alignment across BCPS from a credible source and mitigating the riskiest or most harmful misconceptions, e.g. Design is “making something pretty”, or Design happens after a product is built “can you UX this product”.
Secondary outcome: a prototype to test as we explore future learning opportunities — how do beginners and collaborators respond to this playlist? (Katie Menke @ MAS is informally testing w/ partners)
Recommended next step: Nielsen Norman Group Study Guides
Audience: beginners, collaborators
disclaimer: these introductory resources may oversimplify topics, and in some cases may not be aligned with BCPS practice, but are generally a good starting point - when in doubt, please defer to your practitioners and experts 
Each study guide is a curated collection of links to free articles and videos, organized by theme and suggested reading order.
https://www.nngroup.com/topic/study-guide/
Advanced Perspectives: Strategic and Systemic Design
Dark Matter and Trojan Horses: A Strategic Design Vocabulary
This is a book that compliments the Full Stack Service Design model, and explores the role of design in shaping and influencing the world, particularly in the digital age. It delves into the idea that design is not limited to aesthetics but plays a significant role in shaping our social, political, and technological landscapes:
Design Beyond Aesthetics: Hill argues that design extends far beyond the realm of aesthetics. It is a strategic tool that can be harnessed to influence and change various aspects of our lives.
Dark Matter: The concept of "dark matter" in design refers to the often invisible and hidden elements that shape the user experience and behavior. These elements can be as crucial as the visible design aspects.
Trojan Horses: Hill discusses the idea of design as a "Trojan Horse" – a strategic tool that can be used to introduce new ideas, concepts, or technologies into society in a subtle and persuasive manner.
Strategic Design Vocabulary: The book introduces and explores a vocabulary for understanding and discussing design as a strategic discipline. It offers terms and concepts to help readers think critically about design's role in various contexts.
Design in the Digital Age: Hill reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age. Design, in this context, is not just about products but also about services, systems, and interactions.
Social and Political Implications: The book highlights how design decisions can have significant social and political implications. It encourages readers to consider the ethical and moral dimensions of design choices.
Interdisciplinary Approach: Hill emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to design, drawing on insights from various fields such as sociology, psychology, and technology.
Examples and Case Studies: The book includes case studies and examples from various domains to illustrate how design has been used strategically in different contexts.
Design for Change: Hill advocates for a more proactive and intentional approach to design, using it as a tool for positive change in society.
summary by ChatGPT
Public Systemic Design - Unbounded Affairs
Systemic design thinking and practices are gaining momentum by entering the field of government policies, services and program design. In the 10–part “Unbounded Affairs: Systemic Design (with)in Government’’ blog series a diverse collective of thinkers and practitioners explores the concept of “public systemic design” for a relational future.
"Unbounded Affairs" was written by Marlieke Kieboom, based on conversations with a like-minded and like-hearted collective — the “Ministry of Unbounded & Entangled Affairs” — whose people work and think at the intersections of design, public policy, complexity, social justice and deep ecology. The series was written over the course of 2022.