Public Design MapLatin America
We are mapping, connecting, and convening public design practitioners across Latin America.
The Public Design Map in Latin America is a collaborative research project led by Public Design UNIT and Public Design Collective, a team of researchers who live and study public design in the region. The project is supported by Northeastern University and the Royal College of Art.
In Latin America, many public innovation initiatives are interrupted by institutional or administrative changes. As a result, valuable learning and knowledge are lost. This project seeks to document, make visible, and connect the work of those who practice public design in the region, so that their contributions endure, are recognized, and can inspire new transformations.
Between October and December 2025, we conducted a survey in 20 countries and three languages. A first analysis of that data is now reflected in this Map.
behind the map
How we built the first map of public design in Latin America
Between October and December 2025 we ran a survey in 20 countries. Participation was voluntary and self-reported: each participant described their own trajectory and could register up to three projects linked to their work, which is why the number of documented projects does not match the number of people surveyed.
This is not a representative sample. This exercise did not aim to build a statistically representative sample of public design professionals or projects in the region, but rather to document and make visible the practices, projects and actors in the field, based on those who decided to participate voluntarily. The results should be read as an initial and exploratory diagnosis, and not as a census: in countries with few records, the figures are descriptive and not statistically conclusive.
We thank the more than 127 practitioners who responded to the survey, and everyone who helped spread the word, especially Mariana Salgado and Caio Werneck.
Public Design in Latin Americamanifests itself in multiple ways: in projects driven by international organizations, innovation teams operating within the public or private sector, consolidated service units, and many other forms that continue to emerge in the region.
When we talk about public design we refer to the intentional use of design approaches and tools —such as human-centred research, co-creation, service design and systems thinking— to address problems and processes in the public sector.
In this project, public design:
Structures, policies, and public services from inclusive and collaborative perspectives.
Citizens, public officials and organizations in the definition of problems and solutions.
Systemic impact with decisions and services that respond to real contexts.
Design can transform power structures and ways of governing.
With limited resources and diverse regulatory frameworks.
A collaborative map of public design in Latin America
The Public Design Map is developed by Public Design UNIT and Public Design Collective, with the support of Northeastern University and the Royal College of Art.
Led by /
Public Design UNIT is a global services innovation and strategic design studio. We work with governments, multilateral organizations, regulated industries, and institutions committed to generating public value, designing and building programs, services, and experiences that people value, trust, and enjoy.
Public Design Collective is a research collective working at the intersection of design, the public sector, and academia in Latin America, generating evidence, documenting practices, and connecting those who work in the field.
With the support of /
The College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University and the Royal College of Art, through Design Futures.
A collaborative map of public design in Latin America
The Public Design Map is developed by Public Design UNIT and Public Design Collective, with the support of Northeastern University and the Royal College of Art.
Led by /
Public Design UNIT is a global services innovation and strategic design studio. We work with governments, multilateral organizations, regulated industries, and institutions committed to generating public value, designing and building programs, services, and experiences that people value, trust, and enjoy.
Public Design Collective is a research collective working at the intersection of design, the public sector, and academia in Latin America, generating evidence, documenting practices, and connecting those who work in the field.
With the support of /
The College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University and the Royal College of Art, through Design Futures.
The team behind the Map
The Public Design Map brings together researchers, designers, and practitioners working in public design, creative economies, service design, and institutional innovation in Latin America.
Dr. Nicolás Rebolledo
Lead researcher
Founder and Partner at UNIT. Senior Tutor in Service Design, Royal College of Art. Practice Fellow, Imperial Business School.
Dr. Sofía Bosch
Lead researcher
Principal Founder and Lead Collaborator of Public Design Collective. Teaching Researcher in Design, Northeastern University.
Valentina López
Researcher
Senior Consultant in Cultural Policy and Creative Economy, UNIT.
Tina Rosado
Researcher
Northeastern University. Collaborator at Public Design Collective.
Zabel Revuelta
Researcher
Senior Consultant in Service Design, UNIT.
Mariana Villamiza
Frontend Engineer
Northeastern University. Collaborator at Public Design Collective.
Vicente Puig
Art Director
Art Director, UNIT.
Vicente Acuña
Visual Designer
Visual Designer, UNIT.
Luca Gaspari
Research Assistant
Northeastern University.
The team behind the Map
The Public Design Map brings together researchers, designers, and practitioners working in public design, creative economies, service design, and institutional innovation in Latin America.
Dr. Nicolás Rebolledo
Lead researcher
Founder and Partner at UNIT. Senior Tutor in Service Design, Royal College of Art. Practice Fellow, Imperial Business School.
Dr. Sofía Bosch
Lead researcher
Principal Founder and Lead Collaborator of Public Design Collective. Teaching Researcher in Design, Northeastern University.
Valentina López
Researcher
Senior Consultant in Cultural Policy and Creative Economy, UNIT.
Tina Rosado
Researcher
Northeastern University. Collaborator at Public Design Collective.
Zabel Revuelta
Researcher
Senior Consultant in Service Design, UNIT.
Mariana Villamiza
Frontend Engineer
Northeastern University. Collaborator at Public Design Collective.
Vicente Puig
Art Director
Art Director, UNIT.
Vicente Acuña
Visual Designer
Visual Designer, UNIT.
Luca Gaspari
Research Assistant
Northeastern University.
Coming soon
We're working on a publication that brings together analysis and reflection on public design in Latin America.
SUBSCRIBE TO GET UPDATES