NYC Opportunity launched the Service Design Studio to help spread valuable methodologies that are often underused inside government. As a discipline, service design is a vehicle for advancing positive change. Our approach begins by trying to understand the needs of people who use and oversee public services, and designing the service to meet those needs. With that knowledge, our team works with City agency partners to shape services that are effective, user-friendly, sustainable, and scalable.
We coined the term “Civic Service Design” to mean applying the tools and methods of service design to government-run or -funded programs. In our context, this usually means unraveling complex social service processes to identify areas for improved efficiency or results. We’ve tailored tried-and-true design methods to complement and support the expertise of the City employees who develop and deliver New York City’s programs.