Roundtable 5

 

Ayush Chauhan

Quicksand

Jagan Shah

National Institute for Urban Affairs

Paromita Roy

Unified Traffic and Transport Infrastructure Centre

Yamini Aiyer

Centre for Policy Research

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Design X Design Roundtable – 5 titled ‘DESIGNER SARKAR’ – the design of governance and the governance of design, intends to explore the linkages between design and governance. Backed by an unusually large mandate, the current dispensations’ apparent fervor for ‘systemic innovation in governance’ sets the stage for some fresh and creative thinking. In its multiple forms, good design concerns itself with ethics as well as aesthetics and is rooted in cultural sensitivity, resource efficiency and contextual empathy. From driving efficacious delivery to formulating  game-changing policy, the potential for design to play a role in forging innovation and bridging gaps in governance grows in significance.  Across multiple sectors, time may be ripe formore direct connections between design, in its many manifestations, and society through design-led ‘public innovation’. Clearly, it is critical to map these potentials onto appropriate decision-making and accountability procedures within the government.Opinions on the future of this ‘blue sky’ thinking on governance range from zealous optimism to cynical ambivalence to cautious circumspection. So where do the boundaries, contours and fault lines of designing governance and governing design lie?