For over a decade, the team at the Lab at OPM has navigated the complexities of embedding design across the vast and varied landscape of the US federal government. Operating as a small, nimble consultancy serving large federal agencies, our team of 30+ designers faced challenges that resonate deeply with design teams operating in similarly complex environments:

– Real-time Accountability: Responding to the curiosities and scrutiny of senior leaders and managing internal communications often demands immediate access to accurate and impactful information about our work.
– Navigating Distributed Landscapes: We frequently collaborate with distributed teams, diverse stakeholders across federal agencies, and the public we serve, making consistent communication and shared understanding critical yet challenging.
– Tackling Increasingly Complex Challenges: The problems we address span legacy systems and processes to implementing emerging technologies, requiring our team to quickly onboard to novel domains and effectively engage with subject matter experts who may have established ways of working.
– Combating Knowledge Loss: With the inevitable ebb and flow of personnel, the risk of losing invaluable project history, contextual understanding, and tacit knowledge is a constant concern.
– The Pressure of Speed and Documentation: The urgency of design projects with federal agencies often clashes with the time required for thorough documentation, leading to a “”Groundhog Day”” scenario of repeated problem-solving and inefficient knowledge transfer.
– Breaking Down Silos: Despite our collaborative nature, the potential for siloing across project teams and functional areas within client agencies can hinder holistic solutions and shared learning.

These challenges are not unique to the public sector. Design teams within large organizations across industries grapple with distributed collaboration, complex domains, knowledge retention, time and resourcing pressures, and the need to demonstrate value to diverse stakeholders.