Designing digital media. Towards a user-centric approach for public communication strategies

This chapter examines the role of digital media in public sector communication, focusing on how user engagement can enhance communication design and raise social awareness through digital tools. Digital media is viewed as a dynamic force in creating social value, particularly through the design process and its outcomes. The shift to digital has made visual identity crucial for evoking emotions and building community connections. Users, who were once passive, now actively engage through social media platforms, enabling interaction and knowledge-sharing. The chapter highlights the move from one-way information delivery to interactive, experience-based engagement. Digital media adoption in public sector communication fosters more inclusive, participatory dialogue, enhancing civic engagement. This chapter moves beyond the traditional top-down communication model by advocating for user involvement in the design phase, ensuring content resonates with and engages the public. It triangulates scholarly discourse on digital media's role in public communication with a case study, offering strategies for designing effective, user-centered communication. The participatory design approach, supported by user engagement, is key to developing relevant and impactful public sector communication. Ultimately, the study argues that prioritizing people in communication strategies enhances visibility, accountability, and public value creation.