Foreword to the new digital edition
Welcome to the new online version of our handbook “Public Service Design”!
Roughly three years after our first publication, we finally found the time and resources to create a stand-alone online version of our guide for innovating in the public service sector. Alongside the print and PDF versions (which remain available), our new digital version allows you to work more intuitively with the content by searching for keywords or generating links for sharing individual sections and methods online.
Our first handbook was published in 2020 with the goal of offering public sector employees insight into our toolbox of methods we use at CityLAB Berlin to design public innovation processes. Three editions later, there are now several thousand printed copies circulating as well as countless PDF downloads generated. Even today we continue to receive “fan mail” from public sector employees who are taking valuable inspiration from our handbook for their daily work.
We could not be more thrilled by the immense success our handbook has had! It shows that the use of co-creative methods in the public sector is no longer just a niche topic but has instead become a key competence for employees working in this field. The culture in the public service sector is changing, and there is a growing understanding that we need new and bold strategies to solve the complex challenges of today. If this book can contribute to that, it will have served its purpose while continuing to evolve with this digital edition.
Head of CityLAB Berlin
Director at Politics for Tomorrow