Designing Sustainable Policy: Research Launch

The Associate Parliamentary Group for Design & Innovation has launched a landmark piece of research that for the first time shows the extent of the communications gap between parliament, Government and the design sector in the UK.
 
'Designing Sustainable Policy' has been independently authored by Joanna Shaw in association with the APGDI and sponsored by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

The report draws on questionnaires and in-depth interviews with over sixty parliamentarians and an equal number of design businesses and makes a raft of reccomendations aimed at bridging the gap between design and decision makers.

Recommendations to the design industry:

  • Recognise the benefits of engagement with Government and Parliament, and educate their sector in relation to these benefits
  • Invest in public affairs expertise, so that an effective communications strategy is targeted at Parliament and Government – ensuring the industries ability to influence policy relating to the industry
  • Get design industry bodies to clarify and co-ordinate their communications and increase their profile in Parliament
  • Establish evidence in support of the design sector and target it to a governmental audience
  • Develop effective media relations to increase the profile of the sector

Recommendations to Parliament:
  • Support and champion design businesses in their community
  • Engage with regional design programmes in their constituencies
  • Champion design in the policy making process
  • Demand design-led solutions in their constituencies
  • Support the work of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Design and Innovation

Recommendations to Government:

  • Increase all departments’ awareness of the benefits of good design
  • Extend the remit of the Ministerial Design Champions and appoint backbench Regional Design Champions
  • Set up expert design panels across all departments

To read the report in full or download a summary, please use the download box on the right-hand side of this page.
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