Designing Democracy Inquiry, March 2015

How designers are changing democratic spaces and processes

This collection of essays is about various ways in which design might improve democracy. It is being published by the Design Commission as a novel form of inquiry into the subject. The inquiry was co-chaired by Dr Richard Simmons, and John Howell MP

Contents
Foreword, John Howell OBE MP FSA and inquiry co-chair
Introduction, Dr Richard Simmons and inquiry co-chair
Designing Direct Democracy, William Baker and Nick Hurley, thevotingproject.com

SECTION 1: PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
The Welsh Assembly, Lord Rogers of Riverside, Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners (RSHP)
The People’s Palace, Carole-Anne Davies, Design Commission Wales
The Scottish Parliament, Karen Anderson, Architecture and Design Scotland
The Future of the Palace of Westminster, by Design, Kate Jones, Design Council
Competition to host a Northern Parliament, Julian Smith MP and the Rt Hon Frank Field MP

SECTION 2: DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES
Reflections on Design and the Digital Democracy Commission, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons
Designing Democracy, Julian Huppert MP interviewed by Ben Terrett, Government Digital Service and Naomi Turner, Policy Connect
Democracy and the role of social media, Laura Haynes, Appetite

SECTION 3: OTHER VOICES, OTHER WAYS
New Spaces of Democracy, Kieran Long, V&A
Internet-era citizen movements and political parties, Francesca Bria, Nesta Innovation Lab
Designing Democratic Innovations, Geoff Killy
Learning from Constitución, Dan Hill, Future Cities Catapult

SECTION 4: THE STUFF OF DEMOCRACY
Political Design: Simplification is Key, Dr Chris Burgess, People’s History Museum
Good Law: how can the design of Bills and Acts help? Hayley Rogers, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, Good Law Initiative
The Ballot: A Brief History of Information Design, Naomi Turner, Policy Connect
Census, Cassie Robinson, Civic Bureau and Louise Armstrong, Forum for the Future
The Open Manifesto, James Smith, somethingnew.org.uk

SECTION 5: DEMOCRACY, LOCAL AND HYPER-LOCAL
Design and Neighbourhood Planning, John Howell OBE MP FSA
Let’s Play a Game: Using civic board games for local democratisation, Dr Richard Simmons
Understanding Community in the Social Age, Rowan Conway, RSA
Designing democracy and democratising design, Michael Kohn, Stickyworld
Designing processes for designing places, David Janner-Klausner, Commonplace Digital Ltd

SECTION 6: THE PUBLIC REALM
Public Space and Democracy – Voting with our Feet, Jason Prior, AECOM
The real design project of democracy, Sam Jacob, Sam Jacob Architects

About the Design Commission and Credits