Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Abstract

This study focuses on the shifting role of the designer as change agent in the 21st century. The investigation includes four case studies in which designers are addressing human needs linked to large-scale social, cultural and economic challenges. These cases underscore how designers contribute to and experience complex projects in which their expertise is deployed among multidisciplinary teams with a transdisciplinary focus across a variety of organizational structures. Key aims were to uncover 1) what the distinct methods to inquiry put forth by the various design groups are, and in turn, what critical implications arise for organizational practice as a result of its broader engagement with the public sector; 2) how these evolving design roles shape human dynamics and performance between project stakeholders and accelerate innovation processes; and 3) why the value of design as a strategic tool in the social innovation context remains an emergent phenomenon.

Keywords

public sector design, social design, co-creation, social innovation

Rights

© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Department/Center

Design & Innovation

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