Service Design YAP How to pay bills and feed your soul with a Service Design portfolio career, with Daniel Tuitt.
Many of us started are career as business consultants before finding Service Design, however, few of us can claim that the lure of a free Friday fish and chip lunch started their design career journeys.
Daniel Tuitt's career journey has given him a great perspective about portfolio careers, where commercial and pro bono projects can be balanced to "pay the bills and feed the soul". Portfolio careers are not for everyone, but, for the right designers, they can provide vital autonomy when it comes to taking work that's aligned to your values.
Daniel also sets out some ground rules about working with and for under-represented groups. He talks about how vital it is to avoid positioning designers as saviours and how engaging stakeholders in community co-design projects involved balancing listening, respecting input and paying participants.
Thanks to Ruchi Lockande, who recently graduated from Brunel Uni for this episode's student question.
About Daniel
Daniel is an Accredited Service Designer master trainer with Global Service Design Network with over 12 year experience in innovation strategy, business and service design. Through his portfolio career, he has helped large international organisations, startups, and social impact organisations navigate complex challenges while challenging them to think about WHY and HOW they create new value. He works with brands, including Nike, Lloyds Bank, Ministry of Justice, Samsung, BT, Lego, and Vodafone, to identify challenges that stop growth. He helps businesses discover & leverage new technologies, business models, service opportunities, systems thinking & co-innovation as a lead service designer. Daniel is obsessed with the intersection between building communities, unrepresented startups and creating new value worldwide.
Links from this episode.
The Wheel of Privilege
Climate Labs UK
Open IDEO
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? By Michael Sandel
Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.
- Episode Host: Stephen Wood
- Production Assistance: Jean Watanya