Mapping the Intersections of Design and Policy: Towards an Analytical Taxonomy of Design for Climate Policy

In response to the climate crisis, governments are under increasing pressure to drive transformation across all sectors, from services to policies. This study examines the increasing influence of “design for policy” as a novel approach to policymaking. The aim is to explore how design can meaningfully contribute to climate policy innovation by proposing a structured analytical framework that positions design thinking within this critical policy domain. An integrative literature review is conducted to analyse climate policy through three key dimensions: goals, challenges and processes, adopting the heuristic developed by Kimbell et al. (2023). Three main insights emerge. First, as climate policy goals are often complex and contested, design should be able to negotiate trade-offs, integrate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and support the mainstreaming of climate action in other policy domains. Second, climate policy faces multi-level challenges in terms of spatial, temporal, and institutional differences among the actors involved. Design should facilitate coordination, stakeholder engagement, and the redefinition of roles and responsibilities. Third, the climate policy process requires balancing scientific legitimacy with political feasibility, navigating a shifting political agenda and expanding current measurement indicators. Design should support the rethinking of climate policymaking towards long-term, institutionalised processes of knowledge co-creation; adopt a systems-oriented perspective; and introduce alternative, human-centred indicators. While limited by its theoretical scope, this study offers a practical framework for collaboration between researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of design and climate policy.