

Service Design Show
Service Design Show
Go beyond the basics of service design and learn what it truly takes to deliver services that make a positive impact on people, business and planet.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 13, 2021 • 52min
What learning design teaches us about growth / Andre Plaut / Episode #126
Take a guess... How much time do you invest to learn something during your week? It's a lot.
We learn all the time in order to grow as a professional, a team and an organisation.
Heck by reading this email you're learning something (hopefully).
Most learning happens organically and on the fly. Which is totally fine.
But when you deliberately want to bridge a gap in knowledge, skill or experience it's smart to design that journey.
That's where learning design comes in.
According to Andre Plaut learning should be hard but not confusing, frustrating or painful.
As you'll discover in this weeks episode there's a lot more to learning design than just coming up with training material.
It's a (strategic) design discipline that very closely related to service design.
After the conversation with Andre I got really excited about the potenial of learning design. Hope you will too.
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 126
03:50 Who is Andre
05:00 60 second rapid fire
07:45 What is learning design
11:00 The goal of learning design
19:00 Redesigning the way we work
22:30 Learning design in practice
28:30 When to design learning
33:00 Setting teams up for success
40:00 The evolution of learning design
44:00 A better business conversation
46:30 The future of learning design
49:30 Recommended resources
51:00 Final thoughts
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreplaut/
* https://ahumanmachine.com/
* Workshop by Andre: Learning is Experience Design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMprxiz5rGM
* Square wheels cartoon - https://performancemanagementcompanyblog.com/tag/cartoon-too-busy/
Books:
* John Marshall: Definer of a Nation - https://amzn.to/3w1y9mD
* Design for How People Learn - https://amzn.to/3y2Y2nJ
* Making Conversation - https://amzn.to/3hh1K7f
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Apr 29, 2021 • 1h 2min
How to meaningfully evaluate the impact of service design / Joyce Yee / Episode #125
Here's a question that makes every service designer cringe...
Can you show (prove) the impact of your work?
So what makes this such a tough question?
Well the value created through design is emergent and appears in shapes and forms that you didn't expect upfront.
It's often hard to capture the benefits and outcomes using traditional ways of measuring successes (excel sheets).
Nevertheless it's not smart to ignore this question.
When you can't show the impact of your work, you will eventually become irrelevant. It's as simple as that.
Next to that I believe we should hold ourselves much more accountable for the results of our work as a community.
But how!?
In this week's episode of the Show you're going to learn about a framework for evaluating social impact.
The great thing is that this framework is also very applicable to service design.
If you've been struggling to communicate the value of your work in ways that non-designers understand then this is an episode you really don't want to miss.
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 125
01:30 Who is Joyce
03:00 60 second rapid fire
07:00 Finding a way to measure social impact
11:45 Evaluating versus measuring
14:00 The current limitations
19:00 What's standing the way
28:30 Smarter reflection
33:30 Celebrating succes
35:30 The burden of evaluation
40:00 How do you know it works
44:00 The excel sheet person
47:00 Create your own tune
52:30 Stay true to design
55:30 The limits of data
57:30 Final thoughts
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* Designing Social Innovation in Asia-Pacific Network (DESIAP) - https://desiap.org/
* A practical guide to Developmental Evaluation - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/agwpz
* A developmental evaluation primer - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/81m6h
* Better Evaluation Resource Website - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/w196r
* Different approaches to evaluation - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/116om
Books
* Design Transitions - https://amzn.to/3eEpShm
* Transformations: 7 Roles to Drive Change by Design - https://amzn.to/3aMzGVf
* The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs - https://amzn.to/3dYE7hH
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Apr 15, 2021 • 1h 4min
Using systemic design to dissolve problems / Arash Golnam / Episode #124
Design is often described as a problem solving approach. But what if you didn't have to solve problems...
What if you could let problems disappear by dissolving them?
Let me give you an example.
Now that we can't do regular school exams due to the pandemic we look for new ways to still do exams. That's solving problems.
Dissolving problems is about figuring out how we can achieve the same goals without exams entirely.
It might sound like a small nuance but the impact is huge.
The way to dissolve problems is through systemic design. And in this weeks episode Arash Golnam introduces us to it.
If you ever found yourself working on incremental improvements and solutions that don't address the root cause.
And you want to break free from the boundaries and constraints that cause the problem in the first place?
Than grab your pen and paper to start making notes as this episode will give you a lot of stuff to think about!
I'll be honest, there's a lot in this episode and everything is interconnected.
I've already listened to it twice. If you feel a bit puzzled at the end just press repeat :)
--- [ WEBINAR ] -—
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/systemic-design-webinar
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 124
03:00 Who is Arash
04:20 60 second rapid fire
07:15 Systemic vs systematic design
12:30 Current limitations
21:30 Perceptions as the artifact of design
31:00 Layers of relationships
34:15 Starting with systemic design
42:00 Designing for people
47:00 The compatibility of the designer
53:00 When is design?
58:00 Standing the test of time
1:00:30 The designers journey
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/arash-golnam-4b982120/
* http://dissolve.design
Books
* The Timeless Way of Building - https://amzn.to/2RzQTdZ
* Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - https://amzn.to/3mP3oxF
* The Power of Myth - https://amzn.to/32btS2O
* The Poetics of Space - https://amzn.to/32f9bmF
* I Am a Strange Loop - https://amzn.to/3wQy2LM
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Apr 8, 2021 • 41min
What's life on the inside? Real-life stories from 7 in-house service designers.
What's it like to be an in-house Service Designer the Swedish Tax office or the fashion giant Zalando?
In this episode of the Service Design Show you're going to get a sneak peak behind the curtains.
You'll hear about the challenges in-house service designers face.
And of course get some practical tips on how to navigate around them!
Even if you're currently not working in-house I think you'll find these stories very useful.
[ Join the Campfire ]
https://servicedesignshow.com/campfire/

Apr 1, 2021 • 47min
The reason why designers fail in organisations / Tricia Wang / Episode #123
How can I as a service designer, be of more value to my organisation?
That's the question we're exploring in this weeks episode of the Show. And the answers we find will surprise you!
So yeah, of course you want to work on challenges that matter. You want to make a difference.
But all too often designers are still not heard within enterprise environments. And you know what that means.
When this keeps going on too long you will eventually becoming irrelevant. And fail to achieve your mission.
Tricia Wang, our guest this week, has an interesting take on why this is happening...
Designers have the tendency to get in their own way. What does this mean?
It means that we've adopted anti-patterns that actually prevent us from achieving success on the level we desire.
According to Tricia we need to uncenter ourselves and transition from being a guru to being a guide.
If this sounds abstract don't worry.
Tricia provides some very practical things you can do in your day-to-day work to make this happen.
Things like sharing unfinished work, ditching the HWM and much more.
So when you feel like you could be making a bigger impact on your organisation, but aren't sure how to do that.
This episode might just hold the clue you're looking for.
I love how Tricia challenges some of the assumptions and habits that we've developed in the design community.
It might be confrontational at first but it's a conversation that we need to have sooner than later.
Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact :)
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 123
03:00 Who is Tricia
05:45 60 second rapid fire
09:00 Elevating design
12:00 What I failed to do
17:30 Communication is the problem
20:30 From guru to guide
24:45 Get rid of the how might we
33:00 HMW alternatives
38:00 Uncenter yourself
41:00 The business to human question
43:45 Final thoughts
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* triciawang.com
* linkedin.com/in/triciawang/
* twitter.com/triciawang
* projectinkblot.com/
* onepageonehour.com/
* Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around (book) - https://amzn.to/3sDjoVP
* The human insights missing from big data | TED Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk35J2u8KqY
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Mar 18, 2021 • 55min
How to apply game dynamics in service design / Andy Morales / Episode #122
Now be honest with me... What is the first thing you think about when you hear game design?
Badges, points, rewards? Gamification? Minecraft?
Well, in this weeks episode you're going to hear a completely different story.
Together with Andy Morales I explore how game dynamics can be used in the word of service design.
It's quite amazing that this topic hasn't been covered on the Show before as there are so many parallels between games and service, really!
Andy gives some great examples of how game design can for instance be used to prototype interactions on a small scale before going large. But there's much much more.
Yes, as service designers we borrow a lot of tools and methods from other disciples.
And after this conversation with Andy I'm 100% convinced that game design should be part of our vocabulary as well.
I highly recommend this episode if you're interested in designing better -and more playful- services!
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 122
04:45 Who is Andy
05:35 60 second rapid fire
08:00 The journey into game design
12:30 Role of game design in society
17:30 What is the potential of bringing more game design into service design
20:30 An application of game design in a service context
27:00 Open gameplay in services
36:00 Gaining mastery through satisfying loops
43:00 Play is good for business
47:00 Your first step into game design
49:00 The big lessons
52:00 Final thoughts
53:45 Get in touch with Andy
--- [ LINKS ] ---
- http://andreamoralescoto.com
- https://twitter.com/mentapurpura
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasmorales/
- https://www.latinxswhodesign.com/people/andrea-andy-morales-coto
- https://www.latinasintech.org/spotlight-andy-morales-coto-from-mongodb/
- https://www.projecthorseshoe.com/
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Mar 4, 2021 • 1h
How design can lead the conversation / Jim Kalbach / Episode #121
"I didn't sign up to be making wallpaper." That's a quote I can strongly relate to from this conversation with Jim Kalbach.
As service designers we want to make a tangible impact on the world around us.
For that you need to make sure that your work gets "shipped". If you fail to do that you're often just making wallpaper as Jim said.
And the stakes are high because if you fail to ship you run the risk that your contributions will be seen as insignificant or irrelevant.
So an important part of doing good service design is following up and making sure your work is actionable for other people. Now how can you do that?
What Jim had found is that we are in a very good spot to facilitating meaningful conversations. Often these conversations are the way do drive initiatives forward.
After watching this episode you'll walk away with a better understanding of how you can make great design happen.
I really enjoyed the chat with Jim. It's filled with practical tips and with entertaining one-liners as you'll hear :)
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 121
04:30 Who is Jim
06:00 60 second rapid fire
07:30 Getting design delivered
11:15 Design in a bigger context
14:15 How did we get here
18:45 AHA moments!
24:00 What makes workshops work
29:45 Do pilots
33:15 What are we missing
37:45 Understanding organisational design
40:30 Stop doing this
45:30 The figure 8 is everywhere
47:30 What does success look like
50:30 Naivety about go to market
56:15 Final thoughts
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalbach/
* https://www.jtbdtoolkit.com/
* https://experiencinginformation.com/about/
* https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/jobs-to-be-done-book/
* The Statue in the Stone (book) - https://amzn.to/3bX4Zwi
* Rise of the Deo (book) - https://amzn.to/382QVQL
* Presumptive Design (book) - https://amzn.to/3sMWFGx
--- [ SELLING SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn how to win the hearts and minds of clients, managers & CEOs, without wearing a suit.
https://servicedesignshow.com/selling

Feb 18, 2021 • 47min
The secret power of empathy at work / Emma Jefferies / Episode #120
Have you heard about Workplace Empathy? It’s a powerful movement championed by dr. Emma Jefferies.
The idea is that too often we leave ourselves at the (remote) door when we put our professional hats on.
This is a recipe for a lot of nasty things like work related stress and burnouts.
The antidote to this might be closer than you think.
What would happen when you employ the same levels of empathy towards the people you work with as you do towards the end-users in your projects?
According to Emma this increases productivity, engagement and overall well-being.
But there’s a challenge…
Showing empathy means that you need to slow down and listen. Truly listen to the people around you.
When you work in an environment where everything is driven by deadlines slowing down requires a lot of courage.
In this conversation Emma shares some inspiring stories of how Workplace Empathy has transformed teams and what potential it holds for you.
After this episode you’ll know how to take the first steps to get this movement started within your organisations. Even there currently seems little time or acceptance for it!
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to episode 120
03:00 Who is Emma
04:00 60 second rapid fire
05:35 It started in Brazil
08:50 Impacting well-being
10:45 Humanizing organisations
14:00 Getting rid of Us and Them
20:45 Finding the space to listen
27:30 The limits of empathy
34:00 The influence of environment
36:00 Which skills matter
41:30 What's next
44:00 Episode summary
44:45 Get in touch with Emma
45:30 Final thoughts
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmajefferies/
* http://dremmajefferies.com/
* Design Transitions (book) - https://amzn.to/2N33Rz7
* Black Fatigue (book) - https://amzn.to/2NL1iSj
* IBM 3.0 - https://www.ibm.com/blogs/services/2020/09/16/make-human-experience-your-organizational-compass/
* Nonviolent Communication Language (book) - https://amzn.to/3dVgA1B
* Compassion based living - https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/weekly-challenge/compassion-based-living-course/
* https://gestaltcentre.org.uk/course/group-facilitation-programme/
* Servant leadership course - https://www.greenleaf.org/academy/
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Feb 11, 2021 • 51min
8 tips on how to be more successful as an in-house service designer
Does your life get easier when you're embedded within an organisation as a service designer?
Or do you run into the same challenges as the rest of us?
In this special episode of the Show you'll get a unique "behind the scenes" look from 8 in-house service designers who participated in the recent Campfire.
Next to this you'll also get some very practical tips on how you can be more successful when working in-house.
I think that you'll find these tips helpful even if you're currently not embedded inside an organisation.
The doors for the next Campfire have just opened. You can find detail on how to apply on the page below.
👉 https://www.servicedesignshow.com/campfire/
There's space for only 8 participants so if you’re interested don’t wait too long with submitting your application.

Feb 4, 2021 • 57min
How to grow your influence on business decisions as a designer / Ryan Rumsey / Episode #119
Expectations of design. Everyone has them. What it is. How it works. The value it can create.
Often these expectations are implicit. This is especially challenging when you’re working with business people who don’t necessarily think like a designer.
Of course you believe in the power of design and want to live up it’s promise.
So it can get really frustrating when you feel you’re not able to live up to these expectations.
You might even start to think that something is wrong with you.
The good news is that most likely that’s not the case.
Usually the problem is a lack of common language and understanding.
In this episode with Ryan Rumsey you’re going to learn how you can close this classic gap between business and design.
Metaphorically speaking you need to become a true local in the village of business. Without losing your design soul of course.
As you’ll hear in this episode the pay off is high. Get this right and you’ll have a much greater influence on how important decision are made.
Allowing you to change organisations for the better.
To be honest I really think this is a conversation we need to have more in the design community.
--- [ GUIDE ] -—
00:00 Welcome to episode 119
02:45 Who is Ryan
04:10 60 second rapid fire
07:15 How did we get here?
16:15 Where do I start?
20:15 Different expectations
24:00 What can I gain?
29:30 Building partnerships
37:15 Business value of design
47:15 Valuable resources
49:30 There is a lot at stake
54:15 Final conclusion
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrumsey/
* https://www.ryanrumsey.com/about
* https://www.secondwavedive.com/book
* https://www.ryanrumsey.com/words/the-good-partner-canvas
* Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered - https://amzn.to/3crYHXA
* HBR'S 10 Must Reads: The Essentials - https://store.hbr.org/product/hbr-s-10-must-reads-the-essentials/13292
--- [ HOW TO EXPLAIN SERVICE DESIGN ] ---
Learn what it takes to get your clients, colleagues, managers, CEOs and even grandmas as excited about service design as you are.
https://servicedesignshow.com/free-course