For designers working in or with federal agencies, the steps involved in getting a project from kick-off to launch may feel very different from working with private-sector clients. All the reviews, approvals and regulations can make day-to-day work frustrating. But these rules exist for a reason. When you understand what drives the decision-making of your government clients, you’ll start to see how your work fits in the larger context — and how it contributes to meaningful, substantive and positive change in people’s lives.

Our guest speakers are two senior leaders from The Lab at OPM (Office of Personnel Management) who know exactly what it’s like to navigate organizational complexity with impressive results. Dr. Sydney Heimbrock is The Lab’s founder and Executive Director, and Arianne Miller is the Managing Director. To date, The Lab has worked with over thirty departments and agencies to teach federal employees the value of human-centered design. Heimbrock and Miller will share their experience and give us advice on how to apply our design skills in the civil service effectively and with greater impact.