The challenges of systemic design in homeless social services innovation

The article discusses the findings from a multidisciplinary participatory action-research and co-design process that aimed to reorient and improve the public services system for people experiencing homelessness in Turin, Italy. Designers, sociologists, and anthropologists coordinated the research in agreement with the municipality of Turin and with funding from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies. The presented case study has been conducted since 2018 through collaborative action-research and co-design activities that have involved policymakers from the city administration, frontline workers from third-sector organisations, and the beneficiaries of public services for people without housing.