Beyond Civic Tech: Public Mechanics Starts at Home
Conference talk about the systems that keep public services running after launch day—the invisible maintenance work, workarounds, and repair practices that hold services together.
Overview
Civic tech often overpromises and underdelivers, focusing on apps or dashboards instead of the systems that quietly keep public life running. This talk introduced public mechanics as a framework for seeing the rules, workarounds, and repair practices that hold services together after the launch moment has passed.
What I covered
- Why civic tech fails when it treats government like a startup problem
- The invisible maintenance work that keeps public services operational
- How to design for repair, not just initial deployment
- Real examples of workarounds that became permanent infrastructure
- A framework for understanding “mechanical” vs. “aesthetic” work in public systems
Key themes
Launch culture vs. maintenance reality Most civic tech energy goes into new launches. Almost no attention goes to what happens in years 2-10 when the original team is gone and the system needs repair.
Workarounds as signals When people create elaborate workarounds, that’s data. It tells you where the official system has failed and where unofficial systems have taken over.
Public mechanics as practice Understanding public services as machines that need routine maintenance, repair documentation, and operational knowledge—not just better UX.
Impact
- Talk video reached 10K+ views on YouTube
- Framework adopted by several government design teams
- Invited to present similar content at 3 additional conferences
- Led to consulting engagements focused on service sustainability
What this demonstrates
I can translate complex systems thinking into accessible narratives that resonate with both practitioners and policymakers. This work bridges theory and practice, showing how to think differently about public service design.