UserCentriCities Launches Service Design Toolkit to Foster Adoption of User-Centricity in Digital Public Services

UserCentriCities has developed a web-based Service Design Toolkit to help cities and regions in the adoption of a user-centric approach at different stages of the design and delivery of digital public services. Including a set of methodologies, tools and tactics, the toolkit also offers cities and regions the possibility of sharing best practices fostering peer-to-peer support. Furthermore, it includes video commentaries by city developers offering practical examples of how these methods have already been implemented in their administrations.

In addition to the methods and tools utilised by the UserCentriCities' partners, the toolkit has been co-created in close collaboration with the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) Toolkit Navigator, a curated website developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) consisting of various tools and processes designed ad hoc for the public sector innovation. Furthermore, it has been co-created in an iterative process with the UserCentriCities partners leaning on the principles of design thinking and taking into account learnings from previous workshops and other activities which contribute horizontally to the project.

The toolkit is divided into three main categories:

  • Design thinking – building a user-centric development mindset. It includes handbooks for understanding the general idea behind design thinking and how to put user understanding at the heart of the development activities. This section is meant for people involved in public service development or anyone wanting to familiarise themselves with the basics of design thinking in the public sector. 
  • Service design methodsThis section includes practical tools and methods that can be utilised in the design and development of user-centric services. These items have been selected from the OECD's OPSI Toolkit Navigator filtering especially the practices referred to the development of digital public services. 
  • How cities do itIn this section handbooks and methods developed and utilised by the UserCentriCities' partner cities and regions in their design of user-centric services are presented. You can also find commentary videos and stories by the city developers on how they put citizens at the centre of development.

We encourage all cities and regions interested in boosting user-centricity to visit the Service Design Toolkit and start learning how cities do it.

For more information on UserCentriCities and how to join please contact: mayra.garcia-blasquez@eurocities.eu .

Mayra
García-Blásquez Lahud
30 August 2022