The Public design evidence review explores the role and value of design in the United Kingdom public sector. It offers a set of insights from sources including peer-reviewed evidence, practical case studies, personal reflections and emergent hypotheses. The review brings together insights from across the public sector, design community and academia to explore how policies and services can be designed that are not only more effective, but more human. 

Design is central to this transformation. It provides the tools to listen deeply, test ideas quickly and build with – not for – communities. The review offers practical insights into how design can help navigate complexity by involving users, testing ideas early and working collaboratively across disciplines.

The review is comprised of the following:

• Public design evidence review: a brief guide – an executive summary and primer to the package of reports.
• Public design for transformational change: international perspectives from design thought leaders – a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 design thought leaders.
• Public design evidence review case study bank – 13 examples of public design drawn from across the UK public sector.
• Public design in the UK government: a review of the landscape and its future development – a commentary drawing on the documents above, a related Design Council report and the academics’ broader experience.
• Reflections from the Human-Centred Design Science team, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – a thought piece produced by the publication team as the last stage of the review.
• Public design evidence review: literature review paper 1 – public design – explores definitions, outcomes, capabilities, and conditions.
• Public design evidence review: literature review paper 2 - public value – considers frameworks for measuring outcomes.
• Public evidence design review: literature review paper 3 – public design and public value – examines evidence linking the two.