Welcome to September! The summer’s over, and the government is back in session. Technology and government is changing at breakneck speed. That’s why we decided to run quarterly events this year, and switch to a perpetual Call for Papers. It’s allowed us to focus on specific topics like government-as-product and applied AI throughout the year.
But it may have you wondering: What’s happening with FWD50 this fall? Well, wonder no further: it’s time to dive deep into the second half of 2025.
First, in September, we tackle design and communication. The two are inextricably linked because they're both about language. Great design unearths deep truths about how something works, then conveys those truths so elegantly they become obvious in hindsight. It's more than the thing itself—it's how that thing is understood, shared, and adopted.
Digital government needs more than design language; it also needs great messaging. Many well-designed services languish in obscurity because the communications realm has changed completely, and the public sector is still living in the past. This event focuses on what it takes to conceive of a thing, make it flow intuitively, and effectively communicate its value.