Human-Centered Design
May 2026
3 sessions
About the Series
Launching May 2026
This three-part series introduces public professionals to human-centered design as a practical approach for tackling complex public challenges. The series focuses on how design thinking can help teams better understand people’s needs, improve services, and develop solutions that are responsive, equitable, and grounded in real-world contexts.
Public sector teams are increasingly asked to redesign programs, policies, and services under conditions of uncertainty and constraint. This series helps participants apply core human-centered design methods, such as user research, problem framing, prototyping, and testing—to public sector work. It also explores how AI tools, when used thoughtfully, can support design processes by helping teams synthesize insights, generate options, and test ideas more efficiently—without replacing human judgment or lived experience.
Human-Centered DesignDesigning with People: Foundations of Human-Centered Design in the Public Sector
This introductory session introduces the core principles of human-centered design and how they apply to public challenges. Participants will explore techniques for understanding user needs, framing problems clearly, and designing with—not for—the people affect…
Human-Centered DesignFrom Insight to Action: Prototyping and Testing Public Solutions
This workshop focuses on turning insights into action through rapid prototyping and testing. Participants will learn how to develop low-risk prototypes, gather meaningful feedback, and iterate solutions in ways that improve services while working within public…
Human-Centered DesignDesigning with New Tools: Using AI to Support Human-Centered Service Design
This session explores how AI tools can support human-centered design work, from synthesizing research findings to generating design options and improving accessibility. Participants will examine practical examples of AI-assisted service design and discuss how…