Design pratice in public innovation : evidences form brazilian innovation labs

Abstract

Design has increasingly been associated with the public sector as a promising means of fostering innovation. Through its application, principles such as collaboration, empathy and experimentation are introduced into efforts to address public problems, recognising that such problems, owing to their dynamic and complex nature, require systemic and multidisciplinary approaches: capabilities that are not always available within bureaucratic structures. innovation labs have become known as key spaces for the introduction of emerging methods and technologies in the public sector, including Design. This chapter aims to analyse the ways in which Design is incorporated into innovation labs within the Brazilian public sector, by identifying the modes through which it is accessed as an organisational capability and the patterns according to which it is mobilised in the innovation practices and processes conducted by these spaces. Methodologically, the chapter is structured as a multiple-case study involving 15 laboratories operating in the Brazilian public sector, using in-depth interviews as its primary data collection method. The findings reveal a widespread presence of Design in the practices of the laboratories analysed. Although the discipline is understood and employed through different interpretations, the data indicate the prominence of Design Thinking (DT) as the principal gateway for the introduction of Design into the public sector. Design capabilities are incorporated into innovation environments through a variety of mechanisms, most notably through the engagement of external actors. The discipline is operationalised through training activities, facilitation processes and project development. Finally, the evidence suggests a limited institutionalisation of professional designers within the context under study.