Episodit
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Ever feel like the weight of the world on your shoulders as a service design professional...That you're constantly juggling your "actual" work with the complexities of organizational processes and structures?Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Our DesignOps friends are here to lighten that load.They enable us to focus on what we do best - design â by handling the operational intricacies that so often slow us down, and drain our energy.I've heard many firsthand stories of how transformative a DesignOps partner can be. But to fully unlock the potential of this partnership, we need to understand what's happening in the ever-evolving DesignOps world.That's why I'm very excited to have Meredith Black join us on the Show. Having contributed to building DesignOps teams at major companies like The New York Times, Pinterest, and Figma, and as co-founder of the largest online DesignOps community, Meredith is one of the most influential and well-informed people on the planet when it comes to DesignOps.In this episode, we dove into questions like:* What does it take to grow a successful DesignOps practice inside your org?* How does the shift towards remote work impact DesignOps strategies?* Why effective DesignOps might initially not look like what you'd expect?* And what's Meredith's secret for quickly gaining momentum and buy-in?Whether your organization already has an established DesignOps practice or you're just beginning to explore this field, I'm confident that the lessons Meredith shares in this conversation will make you a better service design professional.With the risk of over-exaggerating, tapping into Meredith's years of hard won wisdom feels a bit like cheating.So if you want to know how DesignOps can help you deliver your best work, don't miss out on this conversation.As you'll hear, DesignOps has faced quite some challenges in recent years. But at the same time it's clear that the train has left the station and will continue to move forward. DesignOps is here to stay and the future is brighter future than ever.
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 210
04:00 Her credibility for this topic
07:00 Mental shift in Design Ops
13:00 Hard conversations
16:30 Recalibrating expectations
19:00 Living up to promises
24:00 advertising model) vs subscriber model
27:30 Building those relationships
29:30 Make or Break in Design Ops
33:15 Slow consistent progress vs immediate results
37:00 Clients confusion about our role
41:15 Judging your success
45:00 Community building expectations
48:00 Our hope for the community
50:00 How we can help realize that wish
51:30 Resources
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/msmeredithblack/ https://x.com/msmeredithblack DesignOps Assembly - https://www.designopsassembly.com/â Kate Towsey's Books - https://katetowsey.com/book DesignOps Summit 2024- https://rosenfeldmedia.com/designops-summit/2024/register/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Sure, AI is pretty cool, but have you heard of something called Retrieval-Augmented-Generation (RAG)... We don't often spotlight specific tech on the Show, but RAG?
I firmly believe that RAG has the potential to shake up service design in a big way.
Imagine having a super-powered teammate on every project. This teammate has the ability to recall every meeting, every workshop, and every sticky note, not just yours but your entire team's, even from years ago. Not just yours but your whole team's.
Ask them a question, and a few seconds later, they've got the answer. It's like being able to have a conversation with your entire project history. Just think about the impact of this for a moment.
Now, we all know about those fancy Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. Amazing, right? But they're not trained on your data. Ask them about your project, and you'll get... well, something made up. But what if you could combine the conversational magic of LLMs with the deep knowledge of your own data?
In a nutshell, this is RAG's promise. It lets those powerful LLMs tap into your world, giving you answers that are not only smart, but relevant.
I've been tinkering with RAG to unlock the wisdom hidden in our Circle community discussions. But I'm far from an expert, so I brought in someone who is: Kirk Marple, founder of GraphLit, a startup using RAG to make your knowledge AI-friendly.
In our conversation we dove deep. How do we even start with RAG? Do you need to be a coder? How do we make sure the answers you get are any good? What about privacy when AI sees your data? And that's just the start to be honest.
What struck me was Kirk's idea that using AI is more art than science. It's about 'prompt sculpting', not (just) engineering. There's a lot of gray area, and that's where we as a design community shine.
We should be all over this AI thing... What do you think?
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 209
05:00 What Kirk does in life
10:00 AI for content discovery
14:00 AI and service design
16:00 Data retrieval with AI
19:00 Tracking unstructured data
22:00 Podcast metadata example
24:30 Vector search explained
30:00 AI vs human experience
35:00 Privacy concerns with AI
37:30 Large language models and understanding
41:00 Importance of graphs in AI
44:30 AI: art or science?
48:00 AI's growth and data processing
51:30 AI agents
56:00 Kirk's AI roadmap
57:30 Tips for AI beginners
59:00 Common AI terms
1:01:00 AI resources
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkmarple/ https://www.graphlit.com/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Puuttuva jakso?
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How can we leave the world in a better place than we inherited it... And what's design's role in all of this?In this episode, we tackle these big questions with Steve Baty. Steve is an author, former political candidate, the current CEO of the Australian Design Council, and co-founder of the renowned Meld Studios.He joins us to confront the undeniable breakdown of our existing systems. Yes, as we've discussed in previous episodes, redesigning these systems is daunting, but Steve believes a turnaround is possible â and urgent.We explore how today's design decisions shape tomorrow's world, balancing profit with doing good for our planet. And I ask Steve the burning question: How can we know we're on the right track when our work's impact won't be felt for generations?But don't worry, I can assure you this isn't just about lofty ideals. We also discuss practical steps we all can take right now to make a difference. It's a good reminder that every monumental shift begins with the small steps.For me, this episode joins the playlist that makes us rethink what good (service) design looks like. So, I would love to hear from you: What does good design mean to you in the context of creating a better world?
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 208
04:00 Who is Steve
07:00 Better Planet for Our Kids
09:30 Design's Role
13:00 The Landfill Problem
14:30 Why Haven't We Solved It?
17:00 Old Ways, New Challenges
18:00 Potential Changes
21:45 Decision-Making for Longevity
24:30 Designer's Dilemma
27:30 Staying Positive
30:34 Measuring Success
33:00 Products vs. Services
37:00 Reconnecting People and Nature
41:00 Accelerating Change
44:00 Government Intervention
45:30 What to Do?
48:30 Good Design Defined
51:00 Designing Standards
53:00 Final Thoughts
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebaty/ Designing Tomorrow by Steve Baty & Martin Tomitsch (Book) - https://www.designingtomorrowbook.com/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Ever felt trapped in a service you couldn't escape...Trying to end a subscription only to face a frustrating maze of hurdles?Let's face it, service endings are often the worst experience ever.The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way.In fact, well-designed endings can be a secret weapon for your business.Think about it â when customers inevitably move on, what's the final impression they take with them?Sadly, most companies neglect or wilfully ignore this crucial stage of the customer lifecycle.They hide the cancel button, throw obstacles in your path, and make leaving feel like a punishment.It's a missed opportunity because, historically, businesses have focused all their energy on acquiring new customers rather than on gracefully saying goodbye.But what if we flipped the script?What if endings felt like graduations, where we celebrate customers moving on to new adventures?Could those who leave become our biggest fans?This isn't just a pipe dream. Joe Macleod, who's literally written the book on this topic (twice!), joins us on the Show to share how to design endings that leave a positive, lasting impact.We'll unpack the secrets of great endings, how they differ from beginnings, and the undeniable business case for getting this right.Trust me, this episode is an eye-opener.Once you hear it, you'll see opportunities everywhere to turn departing customers into brand ambassadors.So, if you don't want all your hard work building good customer relationships to go to waste when they leave, tune in and learn how to make every goodbye a fond farewell (and maybe even a new beginning!).
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to episode 207
05:30 About Joe and Endings
07:00 Ending Journey
08:30 Joe's Passion for Endings
15:00 Businesses & Endings
18:00 Businesses & Status Quo?
20:00 Reassurance Endings
24:30 Divorce example
27:00 Measuring quality of an ending
35:00 Endings & Memberships
38:00 Alumni or Death Phase?
43:00 Healthcare Offboarding Example
47:00 Ex-Customers = Value
51:00 Importance of Alumnis
53:00 Pondering about Endings
55:00 3rd Book Preview
57:00 Giveaway announcement
58:00 Resources
59:00 Key Takeaways
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmacleod/ Endineering by Joe Macleod (Book) - https://www.andend.co/endineeringbook Ends by Joe Macleod (book) - https://www.andend.co/book www.andend.co--- [ 3. CONTEST ] ---
To enter the contest, head over to the video version of this conversation on YouTube and leave a comment there to answer the question posed in the episode.
https://go.servicedesignshow.com/207-youtube
--- [ 4. CIRCLE ] ---
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Let's crack the code of proving design's impact on the bottom line...For this, we first have to go back to 2012. That year, a groundbreaking discovery was made at CERN. The existence of the Higgs Boson, a particle that had eluded scientists for over 40 years, was finally proven.You know what? I feel that this elusive quest is very similar to our own pursuit in the world of service design: proving the undeniable business value of design. We see its impact all around us, but providing it with hard evidence remains a struggle.Our guest this week, Ryan Rumsey, may hold the key that gets us closer to unlocking this mystery. One reason the Higgs Boson took so long to find was that the researchers were unsure where to look. As former Apple executive, author of "Business Thinking for Designers," and founder of the Chief Design Officer School, Ryan proposes that we, just as the researchers at CERN, may have been looking in the wrong place all along.Many companies, he argues, don't actually need (good) design to turn a profit, which makes it difficult to isolate its added value.But fear not, there are tested and tried methods to uncover the correlation between our work and its impact on the bottom line. As you'll hear in this episode, it might not be as complex as we sometimes are made to believe; it could simply be a matter of putting in the work.
The discovery of the Higgs Boson faced similar challenges, requiring unwavering determination and persistence.This is an episode about business speak, statistics and our self-worth. And somehow, it's still quite entertaining if you ask me.So if you're even remotely interested being able to clearly articulate the value you bring to your organization, you don't miss out on this one!I echo Ryan's argument that every design professional, even those in-house, should embrace an entrepreneurial spirit. Understanding marketing, positioning, and even sales can be immensely beneficial. Ryan is truly one of a kind, and I'm always grateful to be able to learn from him.I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. ~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 206
07:00 OKRs & KPIs
13:00 Rethinking Measurement
16:00 Strategy Mapping
22:00 Statistician Thinking
29:30 Measuring Impact
32:00 Google's Money Machine
33:30 The Implication
37:00 Beyond Best Service
37:30 Apple vs Dell: Design?
42:00 Management & Narrative
48:30 Design vs. Innovation
49:30 Minto Pyramid
52:30 EasyJet Example
57:30 Defining Good Work
1:02:45 Community Matters
1:08:00 Key Takeaways
1:09:30 How You Can Help Ryan
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrumsey/ https://www.letsjumpship.com/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Good Services... A book that has quickly become a classic in our field. If you haven't read it yet, it's a must. It outlines the 10 principles of good services, which is pretty fundamental stuff.But even before writing it, Lou Downe was already an icon, creating impact as the Director of Design at the Government Digital Service in the UK. So when I heard through the grapevine that there was a sequel in the making, I just had to invite Lou back to the show.Interestingly enough, our conversation started with a question: Why, even after all these years, are we still trying to justify the value we bring to the table?There's nothing wrong with articulating our value, of course. But how can we make it a two-way street, rather than all the burden falling on us, the design community?These days, Lou runs the School of Good Design, where they help professionals tackle this very challenge. So in this episode, we get to tap into a wealth of practical advice based on their experience.But we didn't stop there. We also dive into:* What has changed since "Good Services" was published in 2020?* What drove Lou to write a follow-up, and how will it differ from the first one?* What does the future hold for service design?Lou dropped a surprise during our conversation. As the new book is still in the works, there's a unique opportunity for you to contribute! You'll hear all the details in the episode.
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome (keep the same)
04:00 Beyond Design Justification
05:20 Good Services Journey
08:00 The Gap: Bad Services
13:30 Finding Value's Middle Ground
16:00 External Validation
19:00 Misunderstanding Service Design
25:00 Lightbulb Moment
28:30 Great Service Example
31:30 Design vs. Service Pros
35:00 Understanding the Service
37:00 Service "Designers" debate
44:00 Understanding your role
48:00 Grow Service Design Skills
51:00 The New Service Book
53:00 New Book vs. Good Services
55:00 How We Can Help
56:30 Wrapping Up
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-downe-757a83b/ https://good.services/ https://good.services/home https://good.services/deadendspodcast https://good.services/contact--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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What are the materials of service design... A seemingly simple question, but one that I believe has the potential to reshape our understanding of service design.
Historically, design has always been about shaping and manipulating materials to give form to things around us.
It's only in recent years, with the popularization of design thinking, that design has drifted away from its roots and heritage of a craft.
The focus shifted on -sometimes mindlessly- following a flawed double diamond process.
Even though people over the recent years have tried to raise the question of what the materials of service design are, the conversation never really caught on.
Something tells me that's about to change with the release of the book "The Materials of Service Design." (links below)
This book, in my opinion, marks a turning point in the history of our field. Yes, I absolutely feel it's that important, and no, I'm not getting any commissions on the book sales.
It offers a fresh, materials-based perspective that adds a much needed nuance and richness to how we think about service design.
Imagine being able to have constructive conversations about designing with time, relationships, culture, and all the other materials that make up services.
Imagine understanding the properties of these materials deeply enough to co-create a shared library of service design patterns.
The implications are huge.
This approach once again makes it clear that services can't be designed by a single person; they require the involvement of experts from many areas.
It also challenges us to reimagine how we teach service design.
All in all, it really does open up a world of new questions and possibilities.
As you hopefully can read, I'm excited about the direction and trajectory that could take us.
So, join âSimon Clatworthyâ, co-author of the book, and myself as we dive into this exciting new perspective of a materials-based approach to service design.
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 204
04:30 Beyond the Toolkit
08:00 The 4 Unexpected Materials
11:00 Lost Essential?
16:30 Service Design vs. Design Thinking
20:00 Skills for Designing Services
24:00 Unveiling the Book's Materials
30:00 Data as Material: Conversations
34:00 Shaping Conversations
42:00 Time: A Material to Master
44:30 Measuring Time in Design
46:30 Specialization in Service Design
49:00 The Rise of Service Design Specialists
51:00 Co-Design: Your Service Design Team
54:30 The Responsibility of Design
58:00 Implications for Service Designers
1:01:00 Beyond Designers: Service Experts
1:06:00 The "Taste Buds" of a Service
1:07:00 A Library of Service Materials
1:09:00 Aesthetics of Service Design
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-clatworthy The Materials of Service Design (Book) - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/yl2ym 50% discount on the print copy with code: BLOM50 (valid until 31st July 2024) How to Read A Film by James Monaco (Book) - https://a.co/d/8Rv0ZE5--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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What does it take to become a great design leader...
Regardless of whether or not it's in your official job title, you're already leading to some degree.
You are leading because your work is to deliver change.
Change because we want to break free from outdated mental models that can't solve today's challenges.
But what kind of leadership is needed to transform our organizations from the dehumanizing machines they are today into adaptable living beings?
Returning guest Marzia Arico has some valuable perspectives on this.
With a PhD in Organizational Studies and experience leading complex projects at LiveWork, she has many juicy insights to share with us.
In this episode, we explore the emergence of a new, more empathetic leadership style that's quite different from the traditional notion of leadership.
We discuss how to present ourselves confidently in our work, even when imposter syndrome is lurking around the corner.
And we also delve into whether we should be explicit about the change we seek make or take a more trojan horse approach to influencing things.
This is a must-listen episode for anyone who wants to step up, take charge, and offer an alternative to the current leaders who aren't doing what's required today.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that we are all setting an example. Each and every day. So let's be intentional about what we want to put into the world.
Take care and keep making a positive impact.
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 203
03:30 Welcome back Marzia
04:30 Machines to Living Beings
11:30 What made her want to make the change
17:00 How to quickly build your confidence
21:30 From Machines to Living Orgs
30:30 Onboard with How, Not What
33:30 Conversation with the oblivious
40:00 Empathizing with the machine
42:00 The example of technology
46:00 Fast-tracking to leadership
47:00 Being strategic when you talk
50:30 Discussions to ponder
51:30 Food for thought
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marziaarico https://design.mavericks.substack.com https://strategicdesignbook.com/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Why is it that we rarely question the systems that govern our day-to-day lives?Imagine building a rocket ship while still believing the sun revolves around the earth. Even though this sounds ridiculous today, it's not that long ago that this was the accepted notion. When Galileo first made the claim that it was actually the other way around, he even got jail time. Yeah, people don't really like it when their fundamental beliefs are put up for scrutiny. Our history is full of "truths" we later debunked.Okay, so what does this have to do with service design What if you're currently designing services that are based on flawed beliefs? There's certainly reason to think so.So, in this week's episode, we explore what these beliefs could be. For that, I have invited âFang-Jui Changâ from the Dark Matter Labs to join us at the Show.In the conversation we dive into the hidden systems we take for granted, like ownership, currency, and even government.Fair warning: This episode will challenge your assumptions. It might even feel a bit like mental jiu-jitsu at first (it surely did for me). But once things click, a whole new world of possibilities opens up. And judging by the news, I would argue that we need a radical new perspective on how our world operates in many areas.So join me for a conversation that will challenge the way you see the world, question some fundamental "truths" and give you some fresh insights along the way.This is one of those episodes where I had to let the ideas marinade a bit. It's all too easy to dismiss them because they seem incompatible with how our existing worldview. But defer judgment, and you might be surprised what happens.Take care and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 202
04:00 Who is Fang-Jui
07:00 How she got into SD
10:00 Lightning Round
12:30 All beings thriving
18:30 Outdated systems fail
23:00 Asking a river permission
30:00 What we took for granted
38:30 How to prevent overwhelm
46:00 Moving forward without panic
48:00 The skill that will help
51:30 what we can to help
1:01:00 where to reach them
1:01:30 One thing you can remember
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://radiclecivics.cc https://darkmatterlabs.org https://twitter.com/darkmatter_labs https://www.linkedin.com/company/darkmatterlabs Please get in touch with the Radicle Civics team via [email protected] if you are interested in building proof of possibilities in your cities or communities and funding the work.--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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My daughter dared me to 15 meters free-fall... I was on a climbing track with her, and this was one of the "attractions." Of course, she had taken the plunge without shedding a sweat.So, there I was standing on the edge, ready to take the jump, while everything in my body was screaming NO. I hesitated, terrified... but backing out was not an option. Especially not when a 10-year old girl is cheering dad on from the ground.Sometimes, you just have to leap into the unknown and trust that things will turn out alright.Our guest this week, Lilli Graf, also took a massive leap. She left a safe job at a respected design agency to go independent and start her own business. Why? Because she knew 'less bad' isn't good enough anymore when it comes to our climate crisis.Her journey in the last few years has thrown up many challenges. So, I wanted to know what kept her going, what she had learned so far, and what she would have done differently, looking back.Of course, we also had to talk about what pushed her over the edge to make the leap in the first place. This episode is about way more than climate solutions (though those are fascinating).It's about YOU... As service design professionals, we champion change. We push our clients to step into the unknown. But how often do we do that same?I hope this honest and open conversation will inspire you to leap more often. What fascinated me is how well Lilli's story shows the ripple effect of our choices. From childhood to career, it all connects.What will your next ripple be?
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 201
03:00 Who is Lilli
04:00 how Lilli heard about SD
05:15 Lightning Round
06:15 Community needs to reflect
11:15 Why Lilli needed to Step Back
13:30 Moving to the sustainability spectrum
19:30 World that's not going to be here
22:30 Black foot tribe
25:00 The responses / the results
29:15 Crisis to nature and to ourselves
33:15 How do I preserve this life?
39:15 What Imma Collective is doing
45:00 The biggest challenge
49:00 Do it with Joy and patience
50:30 The journey most proud of so far
51:30 One piece of advise
54:30 How to embark in this journey too
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-lilli-graf/ https://www.immacollective.com/ Change by Design by Tim Brown (Book) Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life by Kristen R. Ghodsee (Book)--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Recently, I turned 43... I don't really celebrate my birthdays anymore.
Don't worry; I have an amazing wife who makes sure there's always cake.
But I do always try to take a moment and reflect on my past year because âThe only time you should ever look back, is to see how far you've come.â
Well, today, it's not just about my journey; it's about ours.
We've hit a massive Service Design Show milestone: 200 episodes!
That's a new interview every two weeks for over 8 years.
And by now, we've clocked in over 500.000 listens to our conversations. Truly mind-boggling.
Especially when you consider how niche our field is (still). It tells me what I do matters to people like you.
Honestly, if I had to, I'd still do this show just for my own learning... but knowing you're out there makes it so much better.
To celebrate, I'm flipping the script. For this episode, it's me answering YOUR questions. Some are about service design, some get a bit personal...
Here's a sneak peek:
Is Journey Management the next big thing? Will service design disappear? How does the Show make money? How do I keep sane working solo?You might be surprised by some of the answers.
Guess, there's only one way to find out...
This episode was a lot of fun and quite a challenge to produce. Let me know if you like this format â maybe we'll do a follow up...
Take care,
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to episode 200
01:50 Why Service Design
04:30 Lessons learned from 200+ conversations
10:15 The business model
16:15 How to stay healthy and sane
25:00 Communicating service design
31:00 Designing timeless services
36:00 Is Journey Management the next big thing
40:00 Where are things going
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfonteijn/ https://www.servicedesignshow.com/circle/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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Is design facing a crisis? You don't have to spend much time on LinkedIn to read about the recent layoffs, studio closures, and debates about our value. Whether or not you call it a crisis, it's hard to deny that things have been shaken up recently. But instead of focusing on surface level symptoms, let's dive deeper. In this episode, we sit down with Yvonne Tran, design director at the New York Times, to explore the underlying forces that shape design. Where are we coming from, and what could be its next destination. Why is design in its current state?Is this a backlash against the widespread understanding of "design thinking"? If everyone's a designer, what's the unique value a professional brings?Despite the challenges, Yvonne still sees a bright future for design. As our clients and colleagues evolve and mature, so must we. In our conversation, Yvonne outlined three key areas where design can continue to provide unique value.A thought-provoking episode for anyone interested in new ways to think about how to keep playing a meaningful role in the future.It's all too easy to get bogged down in the daily grind. What I enjoyed about this conversation with Yvonne is that we zoomed out and challenged our perspectives. Let's look beyond the horizon of this quarter and make decisions that are grounded in a long-term perspective.Inspired? Share this with someone who needs to hear it.Take care,~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 199
03:30 Who is Yvonne
04:30 How she stumbled to SD
06:00 Lightning Round
10:00 Design, Designers, & Innovation
14:00 The promise of design thinking
17:30 What's the impact
27:00 The new role of design community
37:00 Aligning people's expectations
39:30 How to accelerate demand
44:00 How to measure success
48:30 One takeaway
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnetran/ Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Book) - https://a.co/d/3Jho54D--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
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This has to stop... I don't care what they say. Chatbots s*ck.
But we, as service design professionals, have the power to make things better.Sure, ChatGPT and Google Gemini are impressive tools, but a chatbot on a company's website? Probably one of the most frustrating experiences you can have these days.This trend toward replacing humans in service delivery is a growing concern. There's nothing wrong with trying to optimize processes. It becomes a problem when it's done in a mindless way to solely cut costs at the expense of the user experience.Our guest, âCameron Tonkinwiseâ, makes a compelling case for preserving the human element in service delivery. Because removing this vital component erodes something incredibly valuable that AI (or any other tech) can't and will never be able to replicate.As you can imagine, simply pointing out the problem isn't enough.So, in our conversation, we explore how to make a strong case for human-driven services... even to the most skeptical stakeholders.Spoiler: Waiting for our clients to change their minds isn't the answer. It requires a proactive approach on our part.If you work in a product or tech-driven environment, this episode will hopefully give you the energy and ideas to challenge the relentless push for short-term optimization.The chat with Cameron reminded me that we have a responsibility to design the future we want to see rather than just being of service to others.Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!Take care,~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 This is Episode 198
04:00 Who is Cameron
05:00 How he stumbled to SD
12:30 the current perspective to SD
15:00 the ideal outcome
16:45 A vastly uneducated community
24:00 Why the model isn't adopted
26:00 How to support the current economy
29:30 Hockey puck story
33:30 Thoughts in AI
39:00 What you can be offering
41:30 Expressing the need
45:00 Importance of frontline observation
50:00 One practical takeaway
52:00 Connect with Cameron
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-tonkinwise-80a5987/--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. â https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
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Imagine that you had the power to look into the future...
That you could escape from the short-term focus and envision a world years or even decades away. And on top of this, you'd be able to turn this vision into something real, a roadmap to guide your decisions today.
Wouldn't that change everything?
Now, this episode won't give you a crystal ball, but it might be the next best thing.
We all know that the challenges we face today require different ways of thinking in order to solve them. If we continue on the trajectory we're currently on, our future isn't looking very bright, to say the least.
In order to create a different, better future, we have to first imagine it.
But with our world changing so fast, how can we even predict tomorrow, let alone years from now? Aren't we just better off focussing on the here and now?
Not according to our guest, Ali Draudt. Ali teaches us that predicting the future is a hidden superpower of designers. Lucky for us, Ali is an expert â author of "What the Foresight," holding a degree in Design Strategy and Strategic Foresight, and is currently the Head of Innovation and Design Strategy at Nike.
In this episode, you'll hear how to:
Explore worldviews that might be radically different from your own. Challenge your existing beliefs and biases to imagine the seemingly impossible. Use practical tools to make abstract futures tangible.So, if you're to unleash your hidden superpower and make better decisions today you'll be in for a treat!
Talking with Ali reminded me that the dots only connect in hindsight. The only way to make those breakthrough, serendipitous connections is by continuing to explore things that seem irrelevant now.
Enjoy and keep making a positive impact.
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 197
04:00 Who is Ali
04:45 How Ali Stumbled into Service Design
06:30 Lightning Round
08:00 Moving beyond antromorphic design
10:30 What's truly human-centered
17:30 Adopting to this practice
21:00 Next big thing to go beyond
24:00 Changing levels of zoom
31:00 Coping mechanism on the speed
38:00 Using the Steep Model in Teams
40:00 4 archetypes to future potentials
45:30 What good work look like
49:30 Co-creation mode
50:45 What I hope you'd remember
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alidadraudt/ The Thing from the Future (Team-building game) https://situationlab.org/project/the-thing-from-the-future/ The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson (Book) https://a.co/d/992fmv5--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. â
https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
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Here is something that makes many service design professionals cringe...
The question to quantify the impact design has on the company goals.
You'll see that finding the answer to this question is actually surprisingly easier (and more fun) than you might think.
Here's a business mantra you might have heard before: If it's not being measured, it's not important.
Numbers rule. That's that cold, hard reality of how companies operate.
Now, as a design community, we've always struggled to quantify the value we bring to tangible business outcomes.
Sure, there are valid reasons â we often work on systemic challenges where it's hard to make a water-tight correlation between our efforts and the specific impact they have on the goals.
There are just many factors at play that have an influence, and isolating our contribution is hard or, rather, impossible.
So, we often get hung up on this attribution question as we feel we can't "prove" how much we've contributed.
Even if we want to measure our contribution, we find that the right measuring processes aren't in place to do so. So, we'd rather focus our time and energy on solving the actual challenge at hand than implementing those processes from the ground up.
And let's be real, not many of us wake up excited about capturing things in a spreadsheet.
So yes, there are reasons why quantifying the impact of design is hard and often lacking.
But, as we've recently seen, we're paying a high price for this.
Just scroll through your LinkedIn feed to see many sad examples of that playing out. When budgets tighten, design often takes the hit as it can't show, in numbers, its contribution to the business.
Okay, I know this hasn't been a very uplifting message so far. But here's the good news.
There is a group of professionals out there who absolutely love design and thrive on these types of measurement challenges.
Of course, I'm referring to our friends from the DesignOps community.
When we collaborate closely together, we have the power to anchor design as an indispensable strategic discipline. At least that's the firm conviction of Patrizia Bertini, our guest in this episode.
Patrizia, shares her journey of implementing measurement frameworks that facilitate healthier conversations between design professionals and business stakeholders. In the conversation, we dive into the juicy stuff like value attribution, measuring systemic impact, and prototyping with numbers.
I can't guarantee this episode will turn you into a spreadsheet enthusiast, but it will definitely inspire you to be BFFs with someone who loves crunching numbers.
Let's face it; we might sometimes feel intimidated by numbers. We want to prove with scientific rigor that things are the way we say. But here's a secret: educated guesses are everything you need...
Enjoy the chat and keep making a positive impact!
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 196
03:30 Who is Patricia
04:15 Patricia's first Service Design encounter
05:00 Lightning Round
06:30 Thoughts about design identity
12:00 The decline of strategic design
16:30 Unpacking data triangulation
21:00 Identifying problem in onboarding
24:45 Design thinking for business problems
30:00 Going against the system's structure
32:30 Initiating organizational values
42:00 The impact of translating what the business is
46:00 How to bridge the gap
51:30 Who should be accountable?
56:00 What to avoid and what we should do
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
http://linkedin.com/in/patriziabertini--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.
â https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
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What's the most important tool in your service design toolbox?No, it's not a fancy piece of software or a groundbreaking methodology.The most important tool is you.A bit cheesy? Perhaps. True? Absolutely!Let me explain.You're the enabler for all actions leading to positive change. It's easy to overlook the importance of keeping this toolâyourselfâin top shape. And you can only deliver your best work when you're healthy and happy.If you're drained by unfulfilling work or feel your talent is going to waste, all the other tools in your kit won't matter. So, how do we get to a place where we do work that gives us joy and motivates us to get up in the morning?That's the theme of the conversation with our guest, Frances Yllana. Frances shares practical ways to align our work with our purpose. And we discuss the importance of prioritizing conscious career development, even in busy times. As you'll hear, the great thing is we can apply many tools and methods from our own toolbox to achieve this.This episode is all about making sure you do the work you want to do, not just the work you know how to do. Yes, the stakes are high!The conversation with Frances inspired me to spend even more time understanding myselfâwhen do I operate best and deliver my most valuable work? There's a lot of power in knowing yourself, so hopefully, it will get you in this mood as well.Keep making a positive impact.
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 195
03:30 Who is Frances
04:00 How she stumbled to Service Design
05:30 Lightning Round
08:45 Finding purpose by doing work outside of our work
10:30 What lead to this thinking
14:30 How the purpose translated
18:30 Increasing the chance of clarity
20:30 Insights to figuring out what you should be pursuing
27:00 How we can identify the impact that we are contributing
32:45 A knack for recognizing wins
39:30 Helpful methods to help you find purpose in your work
43:30 Piece of advice
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesy/ SunsayS.cool - https://www.sundays.cool/ Send a letter of gratitude to someone - https://www.sundays.cool/praise--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. â https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
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Design is at risk of being misused and exploited...
Wow, I had to let that sink in for a moment.
It's not the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the service design community.
I generally see a bunch of optimistic and passionate professionals dedicated to making the services around us better.
However, our latest guest, George Aye, delivers an important wake-up call. George argues that when we solely focus on the feasibility aspect of our work, we fall into the trap of contributing to challenges that aren't aligned with our values.
It's not enough to merely ask whether we can do something.
As a practice, we must take responsibility and hold each other more accountable for the impact we have on the people that we serve. The key question, according to George, is whether we should contribute to a particular challenge. No challenge is too small for thorough scrutiny. We need to overcome the idea that we should get involved in every project and demand higher ethical standards from ourselves and our clients.
But what does this mean in practice?
In our conversation, George, who leads a highly respected design studio, spills the beans on how his team holds him accountable for the clients and projects they take on. Why he has written over 50 break-up letters to clients and the importance of the "gut-check" tool as the crucial compass for guiding their decision-making process.
This conversation might make you uncomfortable at timesâI certainly felt that way. Yet, I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for a moment, and I believe you might feel the same after listening.
The topic is too important to ignore.
One statement from George that continues to resonate with me: When a lawyer or doctor makes a mistake, they lose their license. What are the consequences when a design professional screws up?
This is a key question we must address to mature our field.
Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact.
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 194
03:45 Who is George
04:30 Lightning Round
08:00 Should we do it?
10:30 Am I asking this question enough?
14:30 A Project promoting unhealthy behaviors
20:00 Guns and tobacco
22:15 The risk of getting fired and it's trade-offs
26:15 How can we know when to speak up?
30:45 Examples when making a wrong judgment call
31:15 The Gut check
48:15 What to do when it doesn't play out well
53:45 How do we bring this to a broader community?
57:15 Moral injury
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
LinkedIn - â https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeaye/â George's studio: â http://greatergoodstudio.com/â The Social Change by Design Database: â https://airtable.com/appxBXOcR6tqV5phJ/shrmOgXzu5DD2NlYC/tbltgZ0yFEmLkqqJeâ Sign up for the fireside chat: - https://go.servicedesignshow.com/kdpbv--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.
â â https://servicedesignshow.com/circleâ
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Could it be that we're missing the ultimate metric of success?
If I asked you about the metrics driving your organization, I bet revenue, costs, and profit would top the list. Sure, staying in business means earning money, and for most organizations, growing profit has been the default mode of operation.
But here's the catch: more money shouldn't, and frankly can't, be the end goal. We all feel the consequences of that mindset today. So, if profit isn't the ultimate metric of success, what could be the alternative?
Our guest, Alan Moore, has an inspiring take on this. According to Alan, the metric to optimize our business for is beauty. Yes, you read that right, beauty. Now, I know this will sound a bit unconventional for some organizations, but just because beauty isn't a recognized metric doesn't mean it lacks importance.
Just imagine a world where we actually would optimize for beauty instead of profit. Intriguing, right?
So, is this just wishful thinking? Surely not! In our conversation, Alan shares practical tools and examples of companies that have embraced this philosophy, taking the first step toward a more beautiful business.
This is one of those conversations that could open up a whole new area in your opportunity space that will help you design better services.
What resonates with me about Alan's story? It's aspirational. It challenges the mainstream narrative and demands courage to follow this path. Perfect for the design community to embrace if you ask me
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 193
07:15 Who is Alan
08:30 How he stumbled upon Service Design
10:15 Lightning Round
11:30 Beauty will change the world
16:15 Why is it about beauty
22:45 3 Steps to Reset
28:45 How to look at the world differently
37:00 Steps in the "Do" Stage
47:45 When should we push reset?
49:15 Applying the work you're doing today
50:45 The point is to strive
52:15 How to know you're making progress
1:00:15 What you can do today
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alanmoore2 https://beautiful.business https://thebeautifuldesignproject.com/ No Straight Lines by Alan Moore (book) - https://a.co/d/9metoPr Do Design by Alan Moore (book) https://thedobook.co/products/do-design-why-beauty-is-key-to-everything--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. â https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
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Here's a crazy idea... Imagine you had a team of service design superheroes by your side.
A team that helps you take on the status quo head-on, challenging organizational inertia with confidence.
As service design professionals, we're playing the long game. Change is a journey, and navigating tough times is part of adventure.
Over the holidays, I read "The Long Game". In the book, the author underscores the importance of a strong support group to overcome short-term challenges and bridge the unavoidable chasm of doubt.
Well, enter the âCircle communityâ â our, or rather your, team of service design superheroes. If you've been following my work, you'll know that we've been carefully building this support group over the last three years. Since day one, the Circle has been an ongoing prototype, and (fortunately) not everything works out as we plan.
In this episode, you get a peek behind the curtains as we share the lessons learned from the past year. You'll also hear about our hopes for the future and what the next iteration of the Circle could look like.
The insights aren't just for those creating their own (internal) community; they will resonate with anyone on a journey of professional growth.
Having experienced the Circle firsthand, I have no doubt that actively exposing yourself to your peers' thoughts, ideas, and experiences is the most effective way to evolve into a mature and well-rounded professional.
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Circle Retrospective 2023 Special Episode
02:45 Welcome Brian & Hayden
03:45 How the Circle evolved
08:15 The Most helpful Dinner Table Session
11:00 What we will be exploring more
12:15 What's important for service designers
22:15 Small wins
26:45 Ways How the Circle has expanded
30:45 What to look forward in 2024
36:30 What the Circle Can Look like in 5 years
40:45 How we can improve our practice
44:45 Closing
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We've all heard it before... An idea is nothing without execution.
As service design professionals, our mission goes beyond doing research and creating future scenarios. We're here to create real, tangible change in the lives of the people we serve.
But here's a frustration I'm sure you'll recognize: many insights we uncover eventually never materialize into solutions. It's been a critique of service design for years.
Why does this happen? Well, one reason is the handover moments within organizations. Many great ideas die in the transition between people, teams, and departments. Plagued by conflicting agendas, different objectives, and unequal resources. And as service designers, we lack the mandate or authority to see our ideas through to the end.
So here's a wild idea: What if there were no handovers?
What if service design were the driving force all the way through?
In this conversation, we sit down with âBrad Alphonsoâ, who's successfully championed this approach within his organization. Service design is now a respected voice shaping customer experiences and influencing the business strategy.
We explore with Brad what it takes for service design to play this role within your organization. How can you earn the trust and confidence of those around you, allowing you to take the keys to the car?
We also dive into why we must expand our definition of design, step out of our comfort zones, and overcome imposter syndrome to lead the change we want to see.
An inspiring conversation based on a real-life case study that will surely give you some new ideas on how to turn ideas into impact.
Brad's insights have made me aware again that we need to redefine success as we mature within our organizations. Different stages require different metrics, and failing to adapt can leave us stuckâsomething to reflect on.
Enjoy the conversation!
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to Episode 192
06:00 Who is Brad
07:00 How he got into Service Design
10:30 Owning the journey
13:30 First-hand experience to pain
15:30 Should we eliminate the hand-off?
22:00 How they got people in the room
27:00 Meet the desires of the organization first
31:00 What Difference a Holistic Approach Can Make
33:30 Recalibrate what success is
40:00 The development process on how this could be implemented
41:30 The criteria of great work
45:00 When your work evolves the transformation
47:45 The biggest challenge in the shift
50:00 When you can't see immediate progress
53:15 A practical advice
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
https://au.linkedin.com/in/brad-alphonso-637914126--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. â
https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
- Näytä enemmän
