Service Design Show

Marcelo Calbucci, an author and consultant with 25 years of tech experience, introduces the PRFAQ framework, a strategic tool used by Amazon for over 20 years. He discusses how the framework helps organizations evaluate which ideas to pursue, blending narrative writing with structured data to enhance decision-making. Marcelo emphasizes preventing common pitfalls in problem-solving and exploring customer needs. The conversation also touches on integrating AI in the writing process and fostering community among service design professionals for enhanced collaboration.

In this engaging discussion, Tingting Lin, a Principal Journey Management Coach at TheyDo, shares her wealth of experience in guiding organizations toward effective journey management. She tackles the common struggles that customer experience professionals face, revealing innovative strategies to enhance stakeholder engagement and demonstrate tangible business impact. Listeners will benefit from practical insights on aligning business challenges with goals and employing data-driven decision-making to drive operational improvements and customer retention.

Jess Kessin, an experienced designer with a passion for inclusive design, discusses how many products and services fail to meet the needs of diverse users. She shares compelling insights on why businesses should not just design for the majority but embrace inclusion as both a moral and economic imperative. Kessin highlights the importance of understanding extreme users, advocating for co-design methods that enhance accessibility. She also addresses how emerging technologies like AI can support inclusive practices, urging designers to consider ethical implications and the broader societal impact.

Tash Willcocks, head of learning design at TPX Impact, transformed from a conflict avoider to a champion of embracing tension for growth. She discusses how handling conflict and feedback can unlock potential in the workplace. Tash emphasizes the importance of balancing kindness and clarity in feedback, and how radical candor fosters collaboration. With insights on overcoming workplace dread and cultivating self-awareness, she inspires listeners to navigate difficult conversations for personal and professional development.

Ryan Scott, a seasoned design leader with an MBA from Berkeley, bridges the gap between design and business through his coaching practice. He delves into essential business skills every designer should master, emphasizing effective communication and storytelling. Ryan discusses the evolving role of designers in corporate settings, urging them to cultivate business acumen and negotiation skills. He highlights the importance of demonstrating design value amidst macroeconomic changes and advocates for community support to empower designers. A compelling conversation for anyone in the design field!

Pablo Fernández Vallejo, an educator and service design innovator, discusses the multifaceted impact of AI on service design. He emphasizes the necessity for design professionals to adapt their skills, advocating for critical thinking over mere technical proficiency with AI tools. The conversation dives into issues like the risks of AI bias, the role of diverse language representation, and the potential effects of AI on social inequality. Pablo also explores how AI might redefine user personas and the way designers collaborate, highlighting the importance of ethical practices in a rapidly evolving landscape.

I crossed a line... Recently, while working on redesigning our online community platform, my excitement got the better of me. I dove headfirst into prototyping a few things in the backend system. "How hard could it be, right?" (Keep this line in mind throughout the rest of the email.) Sure, I know a thing or two about programming, and if everything else fails, there's always AI to help out, right? Well, the honest conclusion a few days later, when we brought in a true expert developer, was that I had no clue what I was doing. Before the developer could implement the updates properly, we had to undo all the changes I had made. So we lost time, not once, but twice. The silly thing is, this seems to be a habit I can't shake. And I see it a lot around me as well: saying yes to challenges that are better left to experts. Of course, there are many situations where being confident and experimental gets things done. Instead of waiting and debating, we build a prototype and iterate from there. Frankly, this approach is encouraged and celebrated in our design process. But... there's a major pitfall. In the story above, the cost of my "how hard can it be?" approach was lost time. That's unfortunate but not something that will cause any major, long-term damage. Now, imagine working in a context where the stakes are much higher. Where you're intervening in people's lives. Where your solutions impact the well-being of communities. Where your approach has the potential to reduce—or increase—systemic inequalities. KA McKercher, our guest in this episode, argues that in those scenarios, we can't just rush in and take on every project that comes our way. Because when we do, and we go in with a beginner's mindset, chances are high that we might end up causing actual harm to the people who need help the most. In those situations, losing time on a project is the least of your worries. There are clearly much bigger stakes at play. So the tough question becomes: How do we know which challenges are a good fit for our skillset and which ones should we say no to? Especially when we want to do good and contribute to a positive outcome in those high-stakes challenges. Having the self-awareness to know you limits and limitations is a sign of maturity and professionalism. If you care about growing your self-awareness, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. --- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 220 04:00 Good intentions are not enough 06:30 Why this matters 09:00 Lived experience aligning to design 12:30 What's good enough? 14:30 What is co-facilitation 16:30 Emotional curiosity 20:30 Being conscious of the water 27:00 What to do 30:30 Is it a yes or no? 35:00 Intentions 38:30 What's within the scope 41:00 Material based practices 45:30 Impostor syndrome 48:30 Reviews on the article 50:00 Hoping the conversation evolves 52:00 When it's out of your scope 54:30 When to step away 58:00 Question to ponder --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ka-mckercher Ethical Curiosity with Trans and Non-Binary Clients by Lucie Fielding (book) www.BeyondStickyNotes.com --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle

Courtney Morgan, a design strategist and architect, discusses the often-overlooked power of dreams in service design. She encourages using dreams to align with our true selves and foster community empowerment. The conversation reveals how collective dreaming can transform design processes and enhance community engagement. Courtney also emphasizes the necessity of creating safe spaces for dialogue, nurturing curiosity, and allowing all voices to shape visions for the future.

Ru Butler, a service designer for an insurance firm in the UK, shares insights from the first four years of a community designed for in-house service design professionals. They discuss the evolution of the Circle community and the importance of co-creation. Topics include ethical dilemmas in service design, the introduction of AI enhancements, and the push for decentralized leadership. Ru emphasizes the strength of personal connections and the need for ongoing engagement, making it a vibrant space for learning and growth in the service design realm.

Jochem van der Veer, CEO of TheyDo, offers unique insights into journey management's evolution as he predicts trends for 2025. He emphasizes the shift from mapping to management and highlights the role of AI in enhancing customer experience. The conversation dives into the challenges organizations face in scaling these strategies and the importance of data integration. Jochem also teases an exciting upcoming conference, 'Beyond the Map,' underscoring the significance of community and collaboration in advancing service design.