

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 14, 2020 • 29min
Everything you wanted to know / Marc Fonteijn / Episode #100
What do you learn from talking to 99 service design leaders over a course of 4 years? Find out in this 100th episode of the Show!
I invited you, the Service Design Show community to send in your questions. And you did. From all over the world!
So in this episode I’ll be answering your questions about service design, about the Show and even some questions about me.
You’ll also learn about the change that’s going to happen on the Show in the coming weeks.
Because after 4 years it’s also time for the Show to go through an iteration.
Finally I’d love to know what the biggest challenge is that you face which is holding you back right now as a service designers?
Leave a comment or send me a message on LinkedIn!
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
* 01:20 - How has service designed transformed your life personally?
* 02:52 - What to expect from the Show in the near future?
* 05:11 - What problems do NOT suit service design as an approach to solve them?
* 07:00 - What are the not yets of service design?
* 08:05 - Can service design projects be done entirely online?
* 12:27 - What is the biggest change regarding service design you have seen in de last 4 years?
* 14:35 - How can users become better service consumers?
* 16:18 - Did you have a revelation, that was so radical, that you could never go 'back to the previous state of mind'?
* 18:17 - What have you learnt from chatting with service designers from all around the world?
* 20:29 - What is the thing we don’t know about you?
* 23:16 - Regarding service design and CX, who's the father and who's the son?
* 24:46 - Was it worth it?
* 27:07 - What challenges are you facing that we can help you with?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfonteijn/
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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!
servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Apr 30, 2020 • 51min
The 7 roles of a service designer / Robert Bau / Episode #99
How can you successfully drive, facilitate and guide change as a service designer?
It helps when you're aware of the type of change process you're involved in.
Your classic top down change process requires a significantly different approach than a bottom up crowd driven movement.
In this episode Robert Bau talks about the 4 main change processes in an organisation and how service designers relate to them.
Over the years Robert has identified 7 key roles a service designer can play.
When you map these roles onto the different changes process a clear picture emerges that helps you to understand on which activities and skills you need to focus.
The last topic in this episode is employee experience. And specifically how employee experience is the new frontier for service design.
More and more organisations start to see that in order to deliver a great customer experience they also need to provide a great employee experience.
Robert explains how you as a service designer can help to shape these employee experiences.
This is an extended episode as we wanted to go in-depth so I hope you can appreciate it :)
Know someone who might be interested in what we've discussed? Share this episode with them!
That way you'll help to grow the Service Design Show community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Robert.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
06:30 - The first encounter with Service Design.
08:10 - Who is the service designer?
16:05 - What if service designers got involved in changes processes?
33:40 - Why employee experience?
47:10 - Big question: What is the role of service design in change?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbau/
* Toucpoint Magazine: Service Design and Change Management
https://www.service-design-network.org/touchpoint/vol-11-no-3-service-design-and-change-management
--- [ PRESENTATION ] ---
You can download the slides Robert refers to in this episode using the link below.
* https://go.servicedesignshow.com/e99_slides
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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!
servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Apr 16, 2020 • 42min
Who can say no to good design? / Yoko Akama / Episode #98
The dominant form of design privileges certain, often western oriented norms and values. This has big ethical implications and a direct impact on the people we are designing for.
In this episode Yoko Akama shares her thoughts about how we can embrace diversity and make service design a more inclusive practice.
It's a healthy and important conversation we need to have as a community.
The topic of ethics within (service) design falls into a larger discussion about the future of our field.
Yoko poses the question how we can rise above our individual interests and shape the future of our practice as a collective.
At the end of the episode you'll learn more about the ServDes 2020 conference. Yoko is the co-chair for that event and she explains how you can become part of it.
If you know someone who might be interested in what we've discussed please share this episode with them.
That way you'll help to grow the service design show community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Majid.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
03:40 - The first encounter with Service Design.
05:25 - Why ethics?
16:00 - How can design accommodate diversity?
26:20 - What if we would shape service design as a collective?
37:30 - ServDes2020.org: Tensions, Paradoxes + Plurality
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoko-akama-a554612/
* https://www.servdes2020.org/
* http://servicedesign.net.au/
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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!
servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Apr 2, 2020 • 41min
What is a service at it’s core? / Majid Iqbal / Episode #97
What is a service? No really, what is it? As you might imagine it's quite an instrumental question a service designer. But as it turns out, surprising little knowledge about services is embedded in our practice.
So in this episode Majid Iqbal talks about service design from the service rather than from the design perspective.
We often feel that service design is a strategic practice. Majid has a different take on that. So we talk about how strategy translates into services. And how designers can become strategists.
One of the big challenges in our field is to get people in a project aligned around a desired outcome. The holistic nature of services requires that. Majid shares a methodology called the strategic narrative that helps to do this.
Finally at the end of the episode there's a book give contest where you can win a signed copy of Majids book. Check the detail below.
If you know someone who might be interested in what we've discussed please share this episode with them.
That way you'll help to grow the service design show community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Majid.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
05:15 - The first encounter with Service Design.
08:40 - What if designers were strategist?
16:25 - How can we bring everybody on the same page?
24:15 - How does strategy translate into services?
35:15 - Big question: How could we make a fundamental leap?
37:15 - Book giveaway!
--- [ GIVEAWAY ] ---
We're giving away a signed copy of Majids books!
To participate in the contest head over to this episode on YouTube and leave a comment there where you have to name 3 movie references that are in the book. So you have to find someone who has a copy of the book first ;)
The contest closes on April 16th 2020 11:59pm (CEST) so make sure you submit your entry on time. If you're the lucky winner please make sure to respond to our message within 24 hours. If you fail to do so we'll pick a different winner.
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* linkedin.com/in/mxiqbal/
* twitter.com/mxiqbal
* https://implementing.design/about/majid-iqbal/
* https://medium.com/@mxiqbal
The book
* https://www.bispublishers.com/thinking-in-services.html
* https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Services-Encoding-Expressing-Strategy/dp/906369489X/
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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!
servicedesignshow.com/free-course

Mar 19, 2020 • 36min
A lean(er) service design approach / Lincoln Neiger / Episode #96
Have you been following the classic design process in most your projects? Moving from research to insights and from opportunities to prototypes.
Well you're not alone because most service designers do. It's the process that has been described in many books over the years and become the de facto approach.
But what if this isn't the most efficient way to design good services? What if you could tweak the design process so that you get better results in less time? Would you be interested in that?
Perfect! Because the guest in this episode - Lincoln Neiger - shares how he has reshuffled the design process with great success.
One of the things you'll learn is why it might be smart to start with prototyping rather than design research in your projects! Imagine that :)
Have you ever heard of Service Design Gifts? Well neither did I prior to this episode. But as it appears these "gifts" are a very effective (and fun) way to create buy-in.
Kindness as a design strategy. That's the final topic in this episode. Lincoln shares how he's been spreading kindness throughout his project and how that has impacted the outcomes of his work. Spoiler alert: it's super inspiring!
If you know someone who might be interested in what we've discussed please share this episode with them.
That way you'll help to grow the service design show community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Lincoln.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
04:45 - The first encounter with Service Design.
08:30 - What if service designers kept design simple
14:50 - How can we spread kindness and excitement about design
22:20 - When will we make the design process more efficient
32:50 - Big question: How do we design pro-actively?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/lincolnneiger/
* https://twitter.com/pragmasmic
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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 5, 2020 • 33min
Designing with the invisible glue that holds us together / Josina Vink / Episode #95
If the service you've designed goes against the existing socials structures it's bound to fail. That's why it's essential that from the very first moment you're aware of these social structures and use them in your design process.
But how you might wonder... Josina Vink has done a lot of research on this topic and in this episode she shares her most important learnings.
One of the reasons social structures are so important in service design is that they dictate interactions between people.
Organisations are, for a large part, made up of social structures. Explicit but mostly implicit ones. If you can understand these structures and shape them you're basically designing the way an organisation operates. Which is really powerful if you want to turn ideas into reality!
In service design we pride ourselves that we're always thinking about the user. But we rarely if ever design for the user as part of a larger collective. A collective like a family or a sports team. Which is quite strange if you think about it.
A user, including you and me, are always part of larger social groups. When we encounter services that are be good for us but fail to align with the needs of other people in the group, these services will not be as effective as the can be.
So when you're designing services it helps to at least be aware of the principles you need to take into account from the perspective of the collective.
The final question we address in this episode is: Can you really design a service? Or can you just design the context for the service? And if that's the case who is the one designing?
If you enjoyed this episode don't forget to share it with fellow practitioners who might find it helpful as well.
That way you'll help to grow the community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Josina.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
03:10 - The first encounter with Service Design.
05:20 - How can we become aware of social structures and intentionally shape them in our service design process?
13:00 - Why aren’t we already considering collectives in design?
20:15 - Who is designing?
28:00 - Big question: how can we get everyone more literate in design?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.twitter.com/josinavink
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/josinavink/
* https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Josina_Vink
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patch_Adams_(film)
* SDGC 19 | Dr. Josina Vink: In/Visible - Shaping Hidden Social Structures Through Service Design / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCfK03drxbA
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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 20, 2020 • 34min
How much empathy is enough? / Maike Klip / Episode #94
Empathy, understanding and compassion. These words are not commonly used in many large organisations. But why? That's what we're going to find out.
Our guest in this episode, Maike Klip, has embarked on an inspiring research project to learn what it means to be a compassionate civil servant.
As an employeed of the Dutch Government herself Maike recognized the stories about organisations not having enough empathy for the people they serve.
So she got curious and wanted to understand how much empathy is enough? And if we're lacking empathy why is that? And maybe even question if we really want organisations to show more empathy... because empathy has it's flaws.
If you're sometimes frustrated with the lack of empathy from organisations this episode holds some valuable insights about the dynamics that are at play here.
And if you want to open up the conversation about empathy in your own organisation, Maike's design research method will definitely be a great addition to your toolbox.
If you enjoyed this episode don't forget to share ir with fellow practitioners who might find it helpful as well.
That way you'll help to grow the community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Maike.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
03:55 - The first encounter with Service Design.
05:35 - How much understanding do you need as an organisation?
13:55 - How can we have responsibility?
20:55 - What if we have an open conversation?
30:30 - Big question: How do you involve people in the design process?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* www.linkedin.com/in/maikeveltman/
* www.klipklaar.nl
* www.debegripvolleambtenaar.nl
* 2020.govservicedesign.net
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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 6, 2020 • 40min
Design 101 for CEOs and business leaders / Audrey Crane / Episode #93
What do CEOs need to know about design? This was the question Audrey Crane tried to answer in her latest book which carries exactly that title. Make sure you stick around till the end of the episode because there's a little surprise...
Sometimes it might seem that design is already a well established practice and field for most organisations out there. But the reality is that it's far from.
There are still (many) business leaders out there who don't have a clue what design is and more importantly how they can use it to build better companies.
So in this episode Audrey shares some of hers most successful strategies and tactics to convey the value of design.
You're also going to learn about the common mistakes people make with regards to design. Hello unicorn designer anyone? And of course what you can do to avoid these mistakes.
Finally Audrey poses the question how we can spread design beyond our small community? What's needed to break out of our design bubble? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
At the very end of the episode there's a little book giveaway contest. Signed copy!
I hope you'll find this episode helpful as this is a really important topic that need to address in our community.
And don't forget to share this episode with fellow practitioners!
That way you'll help to grow the community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Audrey.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
03:20 - The first encounter with Service Design.
06:40 - How can we help more organisations leverage design effectively?
16:00 - What if we could help people solve the most impactful design mistakes?
27:40 - What if you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about business leaders?
36:20 - Big question: How can we reach out to people outside our bubble?
37:40 - Book giveaway contest! (read below)
--- [ GIVEAWAY ] ---
We're giving away a signed copy of Audrey's books!
To participate in the contest head over to this episode on YouTube and leave a comment there where...you share a story of an organisation who wasn't aware of what is possible with design.
The contest closes on February 20th 2020 11:59pm (CET) so make sure you submit your entry on time. If you're the lucky winner please make sure to respond to our message within 24 hours. If you fail to do so we'll pick a different winner.
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/audcrane/
* https://twitter.com/audcrane
* https://www.senseandrespondpress.com/what-ceos-need
* https://designmap.com/ideas/what-ceos-need-to-know-about-design
* https://www.amazon.com/What-CEOs-Need-About-Design/dp/1703635051/
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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

Jan 23, 2020 • 41min
The organisation as your design material / Linn Vizard / Episode #92
Why is it that so many service design projects still get stranded before they have been able to make an impact on customers? In this episode Linn Vizard shares her experience with what it takes to make service design real.
Linn has an interesting perspective on how we might start looking at the outcomes of service design. Because the outcome of our work almost never is an actual service... So what are the outcomes we create as a community? And how can we do a better job at communicating those outcomes?
Another thing that we explore in this episode is what would happen if we start treating the organisation as our design material? If services are the software that we design then we might see the organisation as the hardware on which they run... and in that sense it's quite important to understand the properties of this design material.
If you've ever struggled to get your service design projects beyond the concept stage than this is definitely an episode that you don't want to miss!
I hope you'll find this episode helpful as this is a really important topic that need to address in our community.
And don't forget to share this episode with fellow practitioners! That way you'll help to grow the community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Linn.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
04:10 - The first encounter with Service Design.
06:45 - Why are we having a hard time making it real in service design?
15:00 - How can we expand our understanding of what outcomes of service design are?
26:40 - What if the material of service design is the organisation?
37:50 - Big question: Which organisations do ongoing service testing?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://twitter.com/wittster
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/linnvizard/
* https://www.servicedesignpaths.com/blog/2020/1/2/2019yearinreview
* http://www.redjotter.com/redjotterblog/2019/1/22/64-the-mighty-designer
* Service design across borders - https://vimeo.com/334671277
* https://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com/
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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

Jan 9, 2020 • 37min
How sharing makes you a better service designer / Daniele Catalanotto / Episode #91
Could you become a better service designer by just sharing more? According to the guest in this episode that's definitely the case!
Daniele Catalanotto has been writing and sharing a lot about what he knows (and doesn't) related to service design.
It might sound counter intuitive but Daniele argues that you first and foremost should share for your own benefit. If other people find the things you share helpful, that's great. If not then that definitely shouldn't make you share less.
Now you might think that you have nothing to share. Or that you don't have the time to share. Or that sharing won't give your any real value. Well in this episode you'll learn that these are often just false believes.
Next we dig into why so many service designers overlook the simple solutions. What would happen if we would concentrate on fixing human to human interactions before we jump into designing the next shiny new service?
And finally, as Daniele is a Swiss based service designer, we're of course going to talk about rules. Daniele shares how having a set of guiding rules helped him to deliver better work. And you'll also learn how you can create your own set of guiding rules.
The big question for you in this episode is: What can you do tomorrow to share more (and what is preventing you from doing so)?
I hope you'll find this episode helpful and if you do please consider sharing it with just one other person today.
That way you'll help to grow the community and help me to invite more inspiring guests like Daniele.
Remember. Every. Share. Counts. :)
--- [ GUIDE ] ---
04:40 - The first encounter with Service Design.
07:45 - What if we would be sharing more as service designers?
17:10 - Why do we forget about relationships in service design so much?
25:10 - How many rules do we need as designers?
33:10 - Big question: What can you do tomorrow to share more?
--- [ LINKS ] ---
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielecatalanotto/
* Service Design Magazine ➜ https://service-design.co/
* A tiny history of Service Design ➜ https://service-design.co/book-a-tiny-history-of-service-design-368ed603797c
* Service Design Principles 1-100 ➜ https://store.swissinnovation.academy/book-service-design-principles-1-100
* Service Design: From Insight to Implementation ➜ https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/service-design/
--- [ MORE ] ---
Enjoyed the show? Take a look at some of the other episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/spotify
YOUTUBE
Every episode of the Service Design Show is also available as via the official YouTube channel.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/youtube
FACEBOOK
Check the Facebook page where you'll find more content and can discuss the episodes.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/facebook
INSTAGRAM
Get an exclusive behind the scenes look of the Show.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/instagram
--- [ FREE COURSE ] ---
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