Service Design Show

James Lang, founder of Together by Design, explores the essence of community in service design. He discusses how design can foster connection rather than isolation, using personal anecdotes to highlight the importance of group experiences. Lang critiques traditional personas for their individualistic focus, advocating for a collective approach that embraces community dynamics. He also dives into ethical considerations, the balance of belonging and identity, and the need for sustainable community practices in design.

Who pours their heart and soul into journey maps that end up gathering dust...Exactly no one of course!Sure, we all want our journey work to have more impact, faster. But the question is how?That's exactly what we're exploring in the Journey Management Playbook series in collaboration with TheyDo.What makes this series different is that it's built on the real-world lessons learned from companies who are deep in the trenches of implementing journey management. Success leaves clues – clues we're sharing with you.Just like in the first episode, this second part dives into a step that many professionals (myself included, sometimes) tend to skip, overlook, or take for granted. Yeah, it's the kind of oversight that often comes back to haunt you later on.This crucial step is all about grounding your journey efforts in solid evidence, blending the what with the why. It’s what separates informed action from guesswork.Getting this right brings clarity on what truly deserves your attention and what noise you can safely ignore. Without it, you’re essentially sailing in the dark, hoping for the best. And let's be honest, hope isn't the most reliable strategy when stakeholders are looking for tangible results.So, join Tingting Lin and me to learn how to prevent your journey management efforts from failing to make the impact they deserve.I thought I already had things pretty well dialled in with my own journey management, but this conversation was an eye-opener. Tingting showed how looking into a few simple things differently could help me ground my journeys in even stronger evidence. Take care,~ Marc[RESOURCES]LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tingting-lin Journey AI Episode: https://youtu.be/ImPCICkw9CITheyDo - ⁠https://www.theydo.com/[EPISODE GUIDE]00:00 Episode Preview 04:00 Meet the Expert: Tingting06:30 EP 1 Recap: Business Challenge08:30 Data in Workflow11:30 Analyzing with Data16:30 Data Types & Sources18:00 Siloed Data Challenge19:30 Numbers vs Emotions21:30 Why Data Quality22:30 Understanding Quant Data25:30 Correlations & Indicators28:00 Comperehensive data32:30 Adding Data Context35:30 Actionable Data Context37:45 Quant Data Takeaways39:00 Qualitative Data Example41:00 Churn Example with Qual43:00 Unstructured data45:00 Naturally occurring data48:00 Key qualitative data insights49:45 AI for Quality Analysis50:45 Putting Data Together53:00 Data Combination Insights56:00 Data in Large Businesses57:30 The Business Journey Tool58:30 Episode 3 Preview1:00:00 Audience Q&A (EP 1)

What is the secret to consistently delivering high-quality work, day in and day out...Recently, I was chatting with my neighbours who run a bespoke interior design and manufacturing business.They make truly stunning, customised pieces for the upper market.It's easy to think their success hinges on exceptional craftsmanship, which is surely part of it.But what really keeps their business running smoothly is something far more fundamental.In my conversation with them, we agreed that most of it comes down to things like having the right supplies available, making sure everything in its place so it can be found quickly, that tools in tip-top shape, and even something as simple as having lunch prepared so you don't have to worry about it.These basic and somewhat "boring" conditions, are what enable them to deliver consistently high-quality work. Without them, production would be a slog, quality would be all over the map, and let's face it, they probably wouldn't be in business for very long.We often take these kinds of conditions for granted. When things are running like a well-oiled machine, we assume that's just how it's supposed to be.But you, as a service design professional, know that the conditions for delivering your best work are often far from guaranteed.In fact, it can often feel like your organization is actively making your job harder, not easier.This brings us to the question: What would it take to create the ideal conditions for service design to achieve its maximum impact? And how can we actually put those conditions in place?Well, as you might have guessed already, that's where Design Operations (aka DesignOps) comes in.Getting started with DesignOps (or scaling it) can be a real challenge, especially in organizations that don't have a strong design heritage.But the good news is that John Calhoun and Rachel Posman have done the heavy lifting for us. They've gathered best practices from experienced DesignOps professionals and compiled them into a brand-new book "The Design Conductors".This book promises to help you kickstart or scale your DesignOps efforts more effectively, make a bigger impact, and sidestep common pitfalls. The result? Making your life as a service design professional a whole lot easier!So, with this foresight, we of course need to know more about this book.And you guessed it, that's exactly what this episode is all about.Here's already one key insight from the conversation: Every organization is already doing design operations. Most are just doing it unconsciously and missing out on the benefits. Yeah, there's a lot of low-hanging fruit waiting to be picked...--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 22604:00 Book Title Revealed05:00 Defining DesignOps06:30 Starting the DesignOps Journey08:30 Realizing it's DesignOps10:30 Inside Design Operations13:00 DesignOps IS Design16:00 Honing the Craft (Iteration)21:30 Ideal Book Audience & Origins26:00 Book Feedback28:00 Why Write the Book Now?31:45 Book Structure Evolution40:00 Favorite Writing Part42:30 Deciding Book Content45:30 Defining Success & Measurement50:30 Knowing You're on Track53:00 Current State of DesignOps56:00 AI as a Roadblock57:30 AI as an Opportunity59:30 Questions While Writing1:02:30 What Was Left Out1:04:30 A Question to Ponder1:06:30 Get the Book1:07:30 Discount & Giveaway --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncalhoun/https://www.thedesignconductors.com/ [ Discount Code ]Use "ServiceDesign15" to get 15% off the book. Valid till May 31, 2025. Redeemable at https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/design-operations/[ Signed Copy Contest ]Leave a comment on this episode (via YouTube or Spotify) to enroll in the contest. We will pick a random entry on May 8th, 2025. Please respond within 24 hours if you have won to claim your prize. --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle

Shelby Bower, the first UX professional at Rush Health Systems, discusses her pioneering role in enhancing digital transformation in healthcare. Nicole Bennett, lead service designer at Lairdall, shares insights on translating health tech products for the US market. Together, they explore the messy realities of service design, the power of storytelling in fostering collaboration, and the critical importance of stakeholder relationships. Their personal anecdotes reveal the emotional challenges and rewarding moments in navigating the complex healthcare landscape.

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.