Exploring service design, social design and design for policy, the Policy Futures Studio is convened by Lucy Kimbell (PhD), Professor of Contemporary Design Practices at Central Saint Martins, UAL.
Current projects
- Collaborative research for Future Island-Island, an AHRC Green Transition Ecosystems project
- Leading on research for the UK Civil Service Public Evidence Design Review
- Doctoral training delivered as part of the Marie Curie-funded Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design Doctoral Network.
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Public Design Evidence Review, University of the Arts London | Photography: University of the Arts London
UK Government review of public design launches at UAL
July 2025: Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould OBE MP, senior civil servants and academics gathered at UAL today to launch the Public Design Evidence Review. The first of its kind globally, the Review considers the role of design in creating more successful government policies and services.
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Doctoral students and supervisors in transition design workshop at UAL delivered by Carnegie Melon University
Co-leading the Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design doctoral network
Initiated and co-led by UAL, a 4-year doctoral network will develop new research and solutions at the intersection of design, climate transitions, and policy, co-led by Prof Lucy Kimbell (CSM) and Prof Marzia Mortati (Politecnico di Milano).
Latest activity
- Professor Lucy Kimbell spoke about leading the academic research for the UK’s Public Evidence Design Review on a panel at the International Service Design in Government (SDinGov) conference in Edinburgh, September 2025. SDinGov brings together 400+ professionals working in central and local government and public services.
- Lucy gave the opening keynote at Beyond the Map/Service Design Days, Barcelona, October 2025. Attended by 300 service design professionals, she shared perspectives from her forthcoming book on futures for professionalised design.
- Lucy was one of 3 keynotes, along with Christian Bason and Marco Steinberg, speaking about design and policy at Dutch Design Week 2025 in Eindhoven in October organised by PONT, the national Dutch programme on design and government. Her contribution drew on recent research including a recent paper published in Politics and Policy, resulting from the UAL-led AHRC Design|Policy Research Network (2022-23).
Related projects
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Stencils of numbers graffiti by Divya Sharma, BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting, Wimbledon College of Arts, Copyright: Alys Tomlinson.
Design and Policy Network
May 2022 - November 2023
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Sustainable Materials in the Library, 2019 by Alys Tomlinson
Social Design Institute
2019-2022
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Amber Nichol in the Studio © Alys Tomlinson
Practice research in social design
Design research published 2029-2022