ABSTRACT
Design tools were applied to support the implementation of UK public policy. Policy changes such as outcomes-based payments, investment in the third sector as alternative providers, tax breaks for start-ups, new commissioning responsibilities and new forms of social financing have opened up the space for new kinds of social innovation. There has been renewed interest in this area among policy thinkers since Richard Thaler and Cass Sustein published Nudge, their research into the potential of behavioural economics. The power of combining the increasing evidence base of behavioural economics with the design of physical experiences and tangible interfaces presents real potential when applied to areas of mutual benefit. In Denmark, a staffless library covers the full package of library services loans and delivery of printed and digital materials, including journals and newspapers, internet access and the availability of the library physical premises as meeting places for people.
