The article provides critical review of approaches to the concept of policy design. Five core streams of literature are distinguished: 1) classical scholar articles; 2) design thinking and practical use of policy design; 3) policy instruments; 4) new policy design literature; 5) post-positivist critique of policy design. The core ideas and assumptions of each stream are critically examined. It is argued that these streams not only differ in terms of epistemology and normative assumptions, but also in terms of empirical evidence upon which they are formulated. The article concludes with formulation of core discrepancies that the concept of policy design incorporates. It is argued that more empirical research is needed to avoid self-referential nature of the literature to which much of the scholarship tends.