In Service: Notes from the Field
Tactical insights and thoughtful dispatches from inside the work.
Lived experience is expertise
Lived experience isn’t anecdotal, it’s essential. Learn how civic teams can honor it as a form of expertise and design more accountable public systems.
Administrative burden
Administrative burden is the hidden cost of interacting with public systems—paperwork, delays, confusion. This post explores how design can help reduce that burden and restore trust.
Participatory governance works
Participatory governance means people shaping the decisions that shape their lives. This post explores the roots and real-world impact of shared public power.
Public servants in government
Public servants do the quiet, essential work that keeps government moving. This post explores their roles, challenges, and why supporting them is key to public trust.
What is a public servant?
Public servants are more than job titles, they're the people who keep public systems working with care and commitment. In this post, we define the term and reclaim its meaning for today.
Policy implementation gap
When policies don’t match people’s lived realities, the implementation gap is often to blame. This post explores what causes it, and how we can bridge it.
What is service design, really?
Service design helps teams make sense of complexity—connecting the dots between people, policies, and processes to deliver thoughtful, effective public services. In this post, we unpack what service design is, why it matters, and how it supports real-world change.
What we mean by “public service”
Not all public service should be celebrated. In this post, we share what we mean by public service—acknowledging past harms while standing with those who show up to build care-centered, community-rooted systems for the future.
Boundary spanning
Discover why boundary spanning—connecting people, ideas, and systems—is essential for solving complex public service challenges and leading across silos.