In this paper I intend to survey state-sponsored design in Britain today. Instead of more overt forms of ‘British-ness’ in design, I am interested in the designs that are often taken for granted and not always considered to be designed by anyone, let alone the state. Tax returns, currency, official typography, city sightlines and official uniforms can all be described as state-sponsored design. Each one of these examples represents an interface between the state and its citizens, accommodating the complexities of government, political decision-making but also a shifting understanding of how one relates to the history and culture of the nation to which one belongs. This paper will investigate how the contemporary British state expresses its agenda through policy documents and by looking closely at two particular design examples: the forthcoming changes to the British passport, and the Baby Box scheme. My broad objective is to show that, in any public design process, the agency of the designer is limited and in fact a wide variety of agents tend to be responsible for design. Far from being neutral, the state is one of the most powerful and privileged of these agents.