About GDS

Our Purpose

The Government School of Design (GDS) is an internal Civil Service entity dedicated to building design literacy across all departments, grades, and professions in the UK Civil Service. We operate under the premise that the same design-led principles that make excellent services—iterative development, deep user research, and cross-functional team collaboration—are the exact elements that make successful public policies and governance.

By connecting policy intent directly to operational reality, we de-risk implementation and ensure the government delivers measurable public value for citizens.

How the School Works

GDS works as a collaborative hub in partnership with government professions, departments, and external design bodies. Our curriculum is certified and mapped to established civil service capability frameworks, ensuring all taught skills are directly relevant to staff career development:

• Accreditation: Programs are verified and accredited by the Chartered Society of Designers, leading to chartered status for expert pathways.
• Active Learning: All modules combine 50% classroom/theory simulation and 50% work-based, applied projects on live briefs.
• Faculty of Practitioners: Our courses are co-designed and taught by currently active senior civil servants, leaders, and design experts.
• Departmental Integration: We deliver custom workshops and hackathons directly inside departments to address localized organizational briefs.