Design approaches to policymaking have gained increasing popularity among policymakers in recent years.

First published as a special issue of Policy & Politics, this book presents original critical reflections on the value of design approaches and how they relate to the classical idea of public administration as a design science. Contributors consider the potential, challenges and applications of design approaches and distinguish between three methods currently characterising the discipline: design as optimisation, design as exploration and design as co-creation.

Developing the dialogue around public administration as a design science, this collection explores how a more 'designerly' way of thinking can improve public administration and public policy.

The articles on which Chapters 4, 5 and 6 are based are available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence.