A healthcare design workshop is held on September 27 which is a follow-up to the international healthcare design seminar which takes place the day before where design experts from England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and Estonia and forward-thinking public sector employees introduce the success stories from the healthcare and social care sector and bring specific examples which prove the importance of involving design in planning and managing new services.

The aim of the international workshop is to start a dialogue between the public sector and the design community in order to create understanding about possibilities for cooperation and specific methods for involving design for creating a better service and living environment.

The opening speech which introduces contemporary design thinking is held by Richard Eisermann (UK) and internationally renowned designers with healthcare design experience from Finland and the UK - Hanna-Riina Vuontisjärvi and Colum Lowe – participate in the work groups. 

Steinar Mowatt Valade-Amland from the Danish Design Centre introduces the European Commission’s project “Design Management for Public Sector” which Estonia (Estonian Association of Designers) joined in 2012. In cooperation with the designers and public institutions from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy, a collection of specific instructions is being composed to help public institutions (including the healthcare and social care sector) navigate between different fields of design and with the creation of new services and organisation models to increase the quality of services, communication, environment and service provision. 

The moderator of the workshop is the renowned design expert Michael Thomson. A work group led by Ain Aaviksoo has prepared a short overview of the present situation of the Estonian general practitioner service based on the results of questionnaires and research conducted in three leading family health centres in Tallinn. 

The workshop is part of the programme of VIII Design Night festival and the European Commision’s project “Design Management for Public Sector” the aim of which is to develop effective tried and tested design management methods for public sector services.