- What is the Playbook?
- Who is it for?
- Why take part?
- How do I join or contribute?
- How does the Playbook handle sensitive information and approvals?
- How will the Playbook evolve over time?
- Get in touch
What is the Playbook?
The Design in Local Government Playbook is a growing collection of practical methods, approaches, and real project examples from councils across the UK for service designers and who interested in service design.
The aim is to make service design work in local government more visible, reusable, and easier to learn from — especially in environments where teams are often solving very similar challenges in isolation.
The project is supported by UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council, UAL London College of Communication, Camden Council and LGA in collaboration with the Local Government Service Design Network.
Who is it for?
The Playbook is by and for service designers in local governments across the UK. It is also useful for people who support, manage, commission, or work alongside service design, including:
- Other UCD peers
- digital and transformation teams
- policy and strategy teams
- operational and delivery teams
- People interested in design methods and believe in design
You do not need to formally identify as a “service designer” to contribute or take part. If you are working to improve services for residents, staff, or communities, this space is for you too.
Why take part?
Taking part helps ensure the Playbook reflects the real diversity of practice across local government, not just a narrow set of examples.
It is also a way to connect with peers across the UK, gain recognition for your work, and contribute to a growing community of practice.
- For individuals: a way to share learning, gain visibility, support peers, and shape the field
- For organisations: a way to contribute to sector-wide improvement and build shared capability across councils
How do I join or contribute?
The process is designed to be responsive and sensitive to public sector contexts. The aim is to make contributing simple, supported, and relevant to your role and capacity. There are lots of ways to get involved depending on your interests and capacity.
- Join the Local Government Service Design Network — a UK-wide, peer community for people working in service design in local government.
- Contribute to the Playbook:
- Contribute a project or case study
- Contribute a project or case study
- Contribute a project or case study
- Join discussions and peer learning sessions
- Connect us with other councils or practitioners
How does the Playbook handle sensitive information and approvals?
The Review and Publish Process is designed with sensitivity to public sector processes and constraints.
It provides a safe route for sharing practice without exposing confidential, politically sensitive, or operationally risky information.
In practice, this follows a two-step process:
- Sharing and shaping material within our trusted network of service designers in local government
- Publishing only once appropriate organisational approval is in place
Contributions can focus on approaches, methods, learning, challenges, and reflections without disclosing sensitive detail.
Information can be anonymised, reduced, or reframed so that the learning remains valuable. The aim is responsible knowledge sharing, not full disclosure.
How will the Playbook evolve over time?
The Playbook is a living resource that will grow through continued participation, contribution, review, and use.
Over time, new examples will be added and existing content refined. It becomes more useful as more people help shape it and apply it in practice.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE DESIGN NETWORK 