1

2

3

4

Engage those who know what makes a good service in designing new and innovative ways to meet their needs.

Gain first-hand knowledge of your service users’ experiences, to help improve how you offer your services.

Create new services that tackle your biggest challenges and offer world-class service provision.

Identify the opportunities for change in the way you do things, and develop ways to tackle your organisation’s key challenges.

Add a human dimension to the way you present your impact to funders, stakeholders, management and the public.

Present, share and celebrate your success and best practice, to help improve services elsewhere.

5

We’re all about conversation. Be it part of service improvement, innovation or design.

Send in the attached postcard and tell us what you need.

6

We believe that the people who use and deliver services have the experience and ideas to make them better.

7

8

9

10

Web Design and PrototypingCommunication Design

Training and Support Filmed Ethnographic Research

Participatory Video Blue Sky Thinking

Idea Generation and VisualisationBranding and Communication Design

Public Consultations

11

Service Innovation and ImprovementSocial InnovationUser Insights and Testing Social Marketing Workshop Design and Facilitation Market Research and Analysis Service Experience Audit User Engagement Service and Product PrototypingDigital and Online EngagementSocial DocumentaryCorporate and Promotional FilmKnowledge Tool Kit Design Training FilmsObservationStakeholder MappingDesign Process

12

children and young people’s emergencyhealthcare servicesservice user mapping and engagementThe NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement commissioned thinkpublic to find out how to better engage and signpost children and young people to their local emergency healthcare services.

We designed a practical workshop for year 10 pupils at Walton High in Milton Keynes. Students shared their knowledge and perceptions of local emergency health care services. They helped us to understand the best way for them and their peers to find out more about and navigate the services on offer.This feedback made a real difference. Using it, thinkpublic was able to design a toolkit and film to help health care professionals understand how to better communicate information about local emergency health services to young people.

In partnership with teachers and healthcare professionals, thinkpublic also developed an Emergency Services Lesson Plan for Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum.

13

Listening to people involved in services is invaluable for any organisation hoping to improve.

After all, who knows the strengths and weaknesses of a service better than its stakeholders?

Public sector providers are required to involve users in the design and improvement of services. User and beneficiary involvement ought to be at the heart of the work of every organisation.

We provide workshops where we use creative tools and techniques to allow stakeholders to share and develop their ideas.

We can get service users, providers, the general public and experts together to co-design suggestions for improvement.

We can help you to work with them to test and develop ideas into working and sustainable services and products.

The end result is better, more responsive, more effective services.w

hat w

e do

“We help you listen better and

get everyone involved in making

improvements”

14

clinic to goservice improvement, service innovationWith staff from Birmingham East and North NHS Primary Care Trust, thinkpublic co-developed “Clinic to Go”, a portable carry kit containing all the information and tools required to set up a community clinic.

The kit was so successful that, working closely with the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and PCT staff, “Clinic in a Box” was launched nationally across the NHS in early 2008.

15

thinkpublic works with organisations to bring ideas to life. And we help organisations to look at their toughest challenges from different angles.

Whether you’re clear about the direction you want to go in or need new ideas, we can help you to design innovative and creative solutions.

Ultimately, we’ll help you to succeed and achieve your goals. We map existing services and service user experiences and identify where improvement can happen.

We help organisations to explore and visualise future projects.

We find that looking at problems with fresh, creative eyes offers insight and answers. We design great services and products.

Then we test them with the people who will use them. Gain feedback. Tweak them. Improve them. Until we get it totally right, saving you time, mistakes and resources.

That’s good news for anyone interested in innovation.But we don’t stop there. We believe great ideas should be shared.

We’ll work with you to capture best practice, and help you to package your success into accessible and transferable processes, communications or “tool kits” that can be shared with others to replicate theservice elsewhere.

“We help you to identify your organisation’s

problems. And we help solve them too”

wha

t we

do

16

public perception of healthcare acquired infectionsresearch and insightThe Department of Health and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement asked thinkpublic to design and use a range of research tools, including an interactive CD and vox pops, to capture the perceptions of the public and frontline nursing staff around healthcare acquired infections.

Our research fed into the Department of Health’s Clean, Safe Care programme. Our research also helped us design a Clean, Safe Care toolkit, to spread best practice of how to prevent healthcare acquired infections. Like many of our initiatives, the toolkit was deemed so useful that it was launched nationally.

The programme and toolkit, alongside other measures, have led to a 57% drop in MRSA infections in hospitals in England.

17

To truly improve how your organisation works, you need to know what it really looks like.

thinkpublic provides detailed qualitative research that gives organisations a 360-degree view of their services. That offers a sound basis to improve.

We use innovative and interactive methods to show you what you need to know.

We use photography, film, illustration, story-telling, interactive online tools and text to carry out in-depth observations of the day-to-day running of organisations and services.

wha

t we

do

“Our research methodology is

based on an anthropoligical

approach”

18

thinkpublic design clinicdesignThe thinkpublic design clinic is a space where public sector organisations can work with designers to better understand how to involve their users and staff in designing services, products and communications.

In 2008 the thinkpublic design clinic made appearances at Channel 4’s 2gether08 Festival, Kable’s Government Computing Expo and NESTA/The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement’s Innovation Live events.

19

We don’t just design for people, we design with people.

Our collaborative, creative co-design processes, which let all stakeholders have their say, help our clients develop innovative services, products and communications to successfully address their needs.

We also help organisations brand and communicate their ideas via a range of design media, such as publications, campaigns, events, newspapers, digital marketing, and direct mail.

wha

t we

do

“We design solutions to address social challenges using

a variety of media”

20

John Kelly Girls’ Technology Collegefilm and observationthinkpublic ran a video workshop with year seven pupils at John Kelly Girls’ Technology College in Neasden, London to support the new Key Stage 3 curriculum, teaching independence and self-confidence, and to feed into the development of new school buildings.

We showed the girls how to use video cameras, split them up into groups and challenged them to storyboard, film and edit five films describing what they wanted for the future of their school. Ideas ranged from escalators and uniforms for teachers, to curriculum changes.

21

Film brings issues to life in a way no other medium can. It shows the human side of things and gives a real, in-depth understanding of an issue.

That’s why powerful, broadcast quality films are at the heart of much of the research work thinkpublic does.

We produce ethnographic films, where we follow service stakeholders to help understand their challenges and the inner workings of an organisation.

We create independent documentary films that explore social issues.

We film vox pops, interviews and focus groups.

We also create films to train and films to share good practice. The real personal experiences and emotions they bring to life inspire change.

We also produce promotional films to spread knowledge of exciting new services or organisations.

wha

t we

do

“We produce films that give you a stronger,

first-hand insight into the thoughts and feelings

of the people that matter”

22

National Endowment for Science,Technology and the Artsonline and interactiveThe National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA) asked thinkpublic to design an interactive platform to capture people’s views of innovation challenges and opportunities in mental health.

During a live event, participants typed their responses into a specially-designed computer programme. Their views were projected around the hall, allowing them to see one another’s opinions, respond and make connections.

The event provided useful qualitative data for NESTA, whose aim was to make sure they were offering meaningful support for projects focused on mental health.

23

We understand that services are delivered in a variety of ways, including online. The web is rapidly growing with new ideas and applications.

We can identify how public services can use these to address challenges.

We can design interactive ways to display and share findings.

We are able to integrate existing (often free) platforms or systems, or develop custom applications tailored to a project’s needs.

We can compliment our workshops with digital tools, and capture information to share with people who are unable to attend in person.

wha

t we

do

“We can explore ways of using the social web (sites such as facebook,

flickr, youtube and google maps) to engage

with people”

24

Mental HealthCommissioningLong-Term ConditionsCancerResidential CareInfection ControlPatient SafetyEmergency ServicesSexual Health ServiceService EfficiencyObesityDiabetesAgeing

StrokesNHS ValuesBefriendingConsumer RightsSocial TechnologyFoundation Trust MembershipPatient and Public InvolvementThe DiplomaSocial CareTown PlanningParkinsonsAssistive TechnologyGovernment IT

Some of the areas we have worked in...

25

EducationHealthSchool Food and NutritionWork ExperienceParental EngagementThird SectorVolunteeringSocial EntrepreneurshipMentoringLocal GovernmentCustomer ExperienceCitizen EngagementPatient Mapping

Healthcare EnvironmentsChildren and Young PeopleDementiaHousingCrimeDistrict NursingLearning and DevelopmentInnovationSocial Movements in HealthcareMentoringEmploymentMRSAPersonal Budgets

26

27

thinkpublic have worked with many leading organisations, helping them to think differently, connect with their users and design improvements.

Our clients include national, regional and local level organisations.

Ultimately, we’ve helped them to provide outstanding public and voluntary services.

Here are some of our clients:

clie

nts

& pa

rtner

s

28

Alzheimer100Alzheimer’s Societythinkpublic were invited to work with branches of Alzheimer’s Society in the north east of England to investigate new methods to improve the lives of people with dementia, their carers and service providers.

Alzheimer100, was part of Designs of the time (Dott07), a year-long project based in the region exploring how design can make a positive impact on our daily lives.

29

Case study: Alzheimer100

thinkpublic carried out a series of interviews with people affected by Alzheimer’s to gain first-hand insights into living with the disease. We then held a workshop to train people with dementia in film-making and interviewing skills, which they used to produce an emotional 18-minute documentary.

The project resulted in a number of recommendations for improvement, including a dementia signposting service, a mentoring programme for carers and a safe “wandering garden”.

The project findings were fed into the Government’s National Dementia Strategy, launched in November 2008.

thinkpublic continue to work with The Alzheimer’s Society on developing the dementia signposting service, which will be launched nationally.

“At the start we were nervous about creating and designing a service…but now we think we can actually do this. We have the ability, skills and the power to actually go out and change services,” said one person with dementia involved in the co-design.

In recognition of the project’s success and innovative use of design thinking, Alzheimer100 was highly commended in The Dott07 People’s Voice Awards and also exhibited at the Dott07 Festival, held in Gateshead, near Newcastle.

Alzh

eim

er10

0

30

Experience Based DesignThe NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvementthinkpublic worked with the Head and Neck Cancer Service at Luton & Dunstable Hospital to co-design improvements to their service.

31

Case study: Experience Based Design

We worked closely with staff and patients to understand and map their emotional experiences of the service. The information gathered identified key points for improvement.

This unique co-design process resulted in more than 43 improvements to the service, including an improved waiting room layout and redesigned outpatient clinic times.

“I’ve been very pleased with the amount of involvement we have had and how collaborative the whole experience has been,” said a patient involved in the co-design. One of the nurses who took part said: “Having the patients there definitely gives you that extra motivation and it’s a richer and deeper experience.”

thinkpublic tested the approach we used at Luton & Dunstable Hospital with five other NHS Trusts, in departments including stroke services and day case surgery.

We co-developed a training product called Experience Based Design that will ensure our innovative user improvement process can be transferred across the NHS.

Experience Based Design has been presented at UK and international conferences, including at The UK Cabinet Office in London, Reinventing Design ‘08 at the Hong Kong Design Centre and The European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care 2006 in Prague. It has also been published in the British Medical Journal and by public services thinktank DEMOS.

Expe

rienc

e Ba

sed

Des

ign

32

Journeys to HealthTimeBankJourneys to Health aims to design innovative volunteering opportunities in the UK health sector. It was co-founded by thinkpublic and the UK volunteering charity TimeBank.

33

The programme began with a number of workshops and extensive online and offline research to capture public opinion about health sector volunteering. In the workshops, volunteers shared their experiences, visually mapped their journeys and identified current and future issues surrounding health sector volunteering.

Through it we found out more about why people volunteer, and what stops them. thinkpublic collated these findings and made recommendations for the future through a documentary film and report, presented to The Department of Health and The Office of the Prime Minister.

The next step was a series of “Pitch Your Project” events, hosted in seven NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK. In the format of the TV programme “Dragons’ Den”, 27 shortlisted social and community projects were given the opportunity to pitch for financial support.

Each group received face-to-face advice from a panel of media, design, enterprise, health and volunteering experts. The best projects pitched at each event were awarded £2,000 to help put their ideas into practice.

“Today has been fantastic, it’s given us a taster of the sorts of community groups out there and how we can help them, as well as them help us.” Christine Allen, Director of Planning and Development, Northampton Foundation Trust.

Journeys to Health has been shortlisted by the NHS Centre for Involvement for the 2008 Involvement to Impact Awards in the Social Care category.

Jour

neys

to

Hea

lth

34

Fear of CrimeLondon Borough of BarnetFor Barnet Council, collecting information through the same old surveys and questionnaires wasn’t working, particularly when it came to tackling complex community issues.

35

Case study: Fear of Crime

Rather than doing a traditional survey for the Council’s 2008/2009 Annual Resident’s Survey, thinkpublic was commisioned to do some innovative qualitative research instead.

At the heart of the work was one of the Council’s most pressing issues: the fear of crime. One ward in the borough had a disproportionately high fear of crime compared to actual crime rates. In another, there was a low fear of crime compared to actual rates. To uncover the reasons behind the anomalies, thinkpublic worked with the Council to carry out ethnographic research and discovery workshops in the heart of these two communities.

Using filmed interviews and vox pops, we found out how people and communities really felt about crime, and where their fears came from.We ran an interactive text message and photo mapping workshop with children and young people in youth clubs across the ward.

They helped us understand their fears about the area and capture ideas for how they could be involved in helping reducing the fear of crime within their community.

Our research findings were developed into a comprehensive report and a series of short documentary films, providing an engaging piece of consultation.Using this background as evidence, we are now working with Barnet Council and their relevant service providers to explore new ways of reducing crime and the fear of crime.

Fear

of C

rime

36

“Deborah and her team are trustworthy, creative and reliable. Their goal is to deliver high quality outputs for their customer, rather than a high profit margin and a mediocre output. That is a rare endearing quality which commands a high level of respect.” Sarbjit Purewal, Associate NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement

“Deborah brings a refreshingly new perspective, that of design, to healthcare innovation and service delivery, coupled with a passion for user empowerment and engagement. Straight talking, no fuss and a real can-do approach make working with Deborah and thinkpublic a pleasure. I look forward to working with her again and encourage others to do likewise.” Jacques Mizan, Senior AssociateHealth Launchpad at The Young Foundation

“Deborah and the thinkpublic team brought energy and insights to the processes we used. They helped us ‘co-design’ solutions that were generated by staff and patients together. Their creativity and innovative use of film and other media impressed us and I know had an impact on colleagues at the Department of Health.”Julie Wells, Head of Service ImprovementLuton & Dunstable Hospital

37

“thinkpublic’s approach to engaging people who need services in the design process is an inspiration to everyone working in healthcare and an essential way forward. The thoroughness of thinkpublic’s approach meant that the engagement was meaningful and central to the design.”Julia Ashley, Information Project LeadAlzheimer’s Society

wha

t the

y sa

y

“thinkpublic have brought a fresh approach to health service improvement. We have used their design expertise and skills to great effect, especially in engaging staff and patients in working closely together.”Dr Lynne Maher, Head of Innovation PracticeNHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement

“thinkpublic have a wide range of excellent innovative qualitative research techniques. We have found these techniques powerful tools, in understanding the real issues for our residents and in reviewing service design and processes. In particular the use of film allows us to communicate these issues and real life experiences of our senior management bringing the experience of our residents/customers and the experiences of our frontline line staff to our senior management.”Rosie Evangelou, Corporate Consultation OfficerLondon Borough of Barnet

38

39

40

NESTAThe National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) awarded Deborah a grant to start up thinkpublic in 2004 through their Creative Pioneer Programme.

Who’s Who of Britain’s Business Leadersthinkpublic director Deborah Szebeko has been listed in the 2008-2009 publication.

ReD 2008thinkpublic were awarded this as part of their trip to Hong Kong in 2008, where they presented their Experience Based Co-design work.

Future AwardsDeborah Szebeko has been nominated in the Art and Culture category of the Women of the Future Awards 2008.

PressProfiles of thinkpublic have appeared in The Telegraph, Design Week, the RSA Journal, The Journal of Public Mental Health, the Health Service Journal, Hospital Development and The Financial Times.

41

The British Council Awarded their Young Design Entrepreneur Award 2008 to thinkpublic director, Deborah Szebeko.

Future 500thinkpublic were in the Top 10 of the 2007 Future 500 list of high achievers in UK Public life, compiled by Courvoisier, The Observer and New Statesman.

Downing StreetIn May 2008, thinkpublic knocked on the door of Number 10, to meet Greg Beales, Senior Advisor for Health and Social Care Issues to the Prime Minister.

Involvement to Impactthinkpublic’s ‘Journeys to Health’ project has been shortlisted by the NHS Centre for Involvement for the 2008 Involvement to Impact Awards in the Social Care category.

42

43

thinkpublic was founded in 2004 by Deborah Szebeko.

She got the idea for the company after volunteering as a project manager at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, where she experienced first-hand the impact design can have on improving patient experience.

The thinkpublic team has grown and now includes designers, film makers, positive psychologists, programmers, marketers and anthropologists.

44

The Social Lab is designed to enable people to develop concepts for social change. Every other month The Social Lab is given a social theme for discussion and brings people together to share, develop and support ideas.www.thesociallab.com

As well as our client work, we run a number of our own projects aimed at generating social change. We do this via our “social lab”.

45

ithinkpublic is our online shop that sells t-shirts and badges, all of which are emblazoned with positive messages about public services. www.ithinkpublic.com

The Real Work Experience aims to open design graduates’ eyes to the opportunities offered by working in the public sector. www.therealworkexperience.com

The Good Gym helps people who exercise or who want to get fit to channel their efforts towards social good.www.thegoodgym.org

Public Service Thank You is a movement to encourage appreciation and thanks to all the people doing fabulous things in public service roles.www.publicservicethankyou.com

46