The concept of design has expanded during the 21st century – design management and service and strategic management design have joined the fields of fashion, graphics, environment and form aesthetics. Experience of different countries proves that every euro spent on design services earns back 30 euros for the client. Design itself is not a magic wand but the effectiveness of contemporary design methods have been tested and measured and it has become clear that these can be successfully used in different fields, including the public sector.

Design experts from United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland and Estonia and forward-thinking public sector employees gather on September 26 to attend a seminar where the success stories from the healthcare and social care sector are introduced by Susie Andersen Ruff, Michael Thomson, Colum Lowe, Hanna-Riina Vuontisjärvi, Ain Aaviksoo etc..

Healthcare is a topic which concerns every one of us. Thanks to the internet and improved access to information, the demand for quality services is rapidly increasing. In order to satisfy all the concerned parties in this system - both patients and healthcare service providers - the most effective methods for introducing the changes which position the patient with his personal values and needs in the centre of the system have to be found. The seminar focuses on service design and design management methods and examples are provided which prove the importance of involving design in the planning and managing of processes.

The seminar is related to the European Commission’s project “Design Management for Public Sector” the aim of which is to introduce effective and tested design management methods for improving the public sector services.