Design for Service

Antagonistic interview/profile with Sir Michael Bichard, newly minted chairman of the UK Design Council.

Bichard’s arrival sees the Design Council moving into still more controversial areas—the reform of public services. Bichard has long been an advocate of “service design,” reshaping the structure of services. Is that really design, or just a fancy name for management consultancy?

He cites sustainability, crime and the ageing population as three areas where design must take a role. To some, this is pushing the definition of design beyond its limits.