Service Design Show Service Design Show

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/



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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



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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 ​Simon Clatworthy​, 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



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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/

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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 ​Fang-Jui Chang​ 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 radiclecivics@darkmatterlabs.org if you are interested in building proof of possibilities in your cities or communities and funding the work.

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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)



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