Articles
Search previous Design Council news and articles.
Design Council calls for a step-change in housing development and design
8 May 2017
In response to the government’s Housing White Paper, Design Council Chief Executive Sarah Weir calls for a step-change in how we design, plan and build the homes the country needs. The Housing White Paper is an essential policy...
What is a healthy new town?
4 May 2017
As part of our Creating healthy Places programme, NHS England's Strategy Programme Manager, Danny McDonnell, updates us on the progress being made in providing modern health services and a healthy physical environment on sites...
Ding: How one idea opened the door to a whole new business
2 May 2017
Avril O’Neil and John Nussey were finalists in the first ever Design Council Spark programme in 2015 with ‘Ding’, the smart doorbell that rings through to your mobile phone. They were one of three Spark finalists awarded a share...
Hackney Council: Using design principles to improve public services
1 May 2017
Matt Clack is a Public Health Strategist at Hackney Council. His team are taking part in Design Council’s Design in the Public Sector programme, which is run in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA). In this...
Design Council calls for a design blueprint to deliver the Industrial Strategy
19 April 2017
Design Council has today published its response to the government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper, setting out a design blueprint to drive and deliver resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth. Consulting a wide range of...
Designing good mental health into cities: the next frontier for urban design
11 April 2017
If city-makers are to address mental health through urban design, where should they start? Layla McCay, the Director of Centre for Urban Design and Mental health, explains the reasons that city-dwellers are at greater risk of...
A design-led approach to transforming adult services
11 April 2017
The UK’s ageing population is a growing concern for local authorities. Currently, services are not coping with demand, and this set to be exacerbated by further cuts to health and social care funding. Between 2015-16, four...
New research aims to uncover the barriers to creating healthy places
31 March 2017
Today Design Council launched a new research project in partnership with Social Change UK to explore the barriers that stop built environment professionals from creating healthier places through their work. This collaborative...
London councils to work with design experts to tackle social issues
22 March 2017
Homelessness, homecare and help for looked after children are just a few of the challenges London councils will be addressing over the coming months when the Design in the Public Sector programme launches in the capital. The...
Our response to the 2017 Spring Budget
9 March 2017
The Chancellor’s 2017 Spring budget sets the direction for the UK post the EU referendum. In this article our Director of Policy and research, Sally Benton, discusses how the Spring Budget, which provides an upgraded forecast on...
How design can help inclusive growth
9 March 2017
This week the Inclusive Growth Commission published their final findings and recommendation after an independent enquiry into how the UK can achieve inclusive growth. Design Council welcomes the findings, after having previously...
Our response to the Digital Strategy
2 March 2017
The government’s new Digital Strategy provides an important focus on innovation and supporting new digital start-ups and business growth. Design Council welcomes the emphasis on the design principle of putting users first when...