Introducing Design Thinking into Public Administration — Tokyo's Kita Ward Publishes a Year-Long Record of 'Administration × Design' Practice

Koukyou to Design (Shibuya City, Tokyo; Co-Representatives: Rika Ishizuka, Shinji Kaji, Shuji Tomioka), in collaboration with Kita Ward, Tokyo, has published a practice report titled 'Administration × Design Practice by Kita Ward, Tokyo,' summarizing the 2025 activities of the 'Kita-ku Design Lab,' an initiative to implement design thinking in public administration.

This report documents a year-long effort by Kita Ward to apply design thinking methodologies to local challenges. It comprehensively covers the entire process from problem identification to validation and evaluation, including dialogic research with residents, a 3-day hypothesis-testing event, design thinking training for municipal staff, and public outreach via podcast.

Kita Ward × Design: 2025 Practice Report https://www.city.kita.lg.jp/city-information/policy/1018355/1011917/1020085/1019670.html

※ PDF links are available under the 'Announcements' and 'Fiscal Year 2025 Implementation Details' sections Publication Date: March 31, 2026 | 21 pages

Pioneering 'Administration × Design' for Public Service and Organizational Cultural Transformation

Kita Ward, Tokyo, has been advancing initiatives focused on 'design thinking' as part of organizational reforms and executive system development, including the 'Kita Ward Management Reform Plan 2024.' Amid increasing complexity in local challenges due to technological advancement and lifestyle diversification, the ward aims to enable staff to accurately understand citizens' daily lives and evolving community issues to deliver better public services.

Since the 2000s, design thinking has been widely adopted by organizations worldwide. However, its practical application within Japanese public administration remains rare. In the inaugural 2025 fiscal year, the project began by establishing foundational support for unprecedented challenges. Led by the ward's 'Shigoto Renkei Division' and Koukyou to Design, the 'Kita-ku Design Lab' was launched as a space for dialogue and experimentation to promote design thinking both within and outside the administration. This initiative created an environment where staff could safely experiment and collaboratively explore optimal solutions with residents.

The report also introduces the rationale behind team composition in implementing design thinking and the branding strategy of the 'Kita-ku Design Lab.'

2025 Implementation Process — From Research to Training and Practical Events

In the 2025 fiscal year, four initiatives were conducted in parallel. By organically integrating these efforts, the project aimed to provide diverse entry points for each staff member to experience design thinking and apply their insights and learnings to daily operations.

① Advancing Pilot Projects in Collaboration with Specific Departments

Pilot projects were conducted to explore solutions following the design thinking process, focusing on concrete challenges faced by Kita Ward. Three departments — the Long-Term Care Insurance Division, Longevity Support Division, and Elderly Welfare Division — formed a cross-departmental team centered on the theme of 'aging.' They conducted literature reviews, dialogues with residents, and practical research events to explore challenges. Through research, they identified individuals aged 50–70, whose careers or child-rearing had recently concluded — the period just before entering full 'old age' — and named them the 'Sorosoko Korekara Generation' (The 'Now-Coming' Generation). The team explored this generation's unique life challenges and new ways for the administration to engage with them.

② Staff Training

Training sessions combining foundational lectures on design thinking with practical exercises based on the pilot projects were conducted. Two sessions were held: one for managerial staff (December 2025, 14 participants) and one for frontline staff (January 2026, 15 participants), creating opportunities for staff to gain insights and consider how to apply design thinking in their own workplaces.

③ Building a Network of Designers and Creators with Ties to Kita Ward

The podcast series 'Tokyo Kita Ward Design Conference (Provisional),' featuring designers, creators, and practitioners from other municipalities with connections to Kita Ward, was released biweekly starting July 2025 (15 episodes total). Public recording events were also held to lay the foundation for a platform connecting residents, staff, and creators.

④ Addressing Cross-Organizational Challenges

When departments within the ward requested support, ad hoc consultation opportunities were provided with designers to discuss their respective challenges.

The Comprehensive Report

The report compiles all these activities across 21 pages, from social context analysis to practical processes, verification results, and outlook for the following year.

<Main Contents of the Report>

- Overall framework for introducing design thinking into administrative practice

- Annual project management approach

- Pilot Project: Rationale for selecting the theme of 'aging,' process overview using the Double Diamond model, design and implementation of dialogic research with residents and key findings, hypothesis formation process, questions and impacts of the practical research event

- Staff Training: Detailed design of the design thinking training program

- Network Building: Podcast structure and outreach effectiveness

- Staff feedback from the initiatives and outlook for the next fiscal year

<Suitable for the Following Audiences>

- Municipal staff and local government officers: As a concrete reference case for incorporating citizen perspectives into business and policy processes using design thinking

- Designers and creators: As a model for co-creation projects with public administration and approaches to engaging with on-site operations

- Researchers and practitioners in welfare and aging fields: As a pioneering case study on approaches to the pre-elderly generation

- Individuals involved in community development and civic participation: To understand the significance and methods of public administration creating spaces around 'ambiguous themes'

View and download the report here:

※ PDF links are available under 'Announcements' and 'Fiscal Year 2025 Implementation Details'

Online Seminar for Municipal Staff: Sharing Practical Insights (July 7, 2026)

In conjunction with the report's release, an online seminar will be held to introduce Kita Ward's initiatives. Staff from the Shigoto Renkei Division and members of Koukyou to Design, who led the project, will present and share their year-long practical knowledge. The session is designed for those who wonder, 'I want to introduce design thinking, but don't know where to start,' or 'I've conducted training, but struggle with practical implementation.'

Event Overview

Title: How to Introduce Design Thinking into Municipal Practice? Insights from One Year at Kita Ward's 'Kita-ku Design Lab'

Date and Time: Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 12:00–13:00 ※ Archive available (lecture portion only, 2-week viewing period)

※ Q&A participation is only available live

Format: Online (Zoom) ※ The participation URL will be displayed on the registration confirmation screen (a reminder will also be sent the day before the event)

Registration Form URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemqZzirVKdkdc0uxFNtDkuPjEDnHqDekFnvhTAgQIhXEgQiA/viewform

Participation Fee: Free

Planned Content:

Introduction to Kita Ward's Initiatives (Staff, Shigoto Renkei Division, Office of the Mayor, Kita Ward, Tokyo)

Explanation of the Practical Process: How It Was Designed and Implemented (Rika Ishizuka, Co-Representative, Koukyou to Design)