Service Design
“Service design as a practice generally results in the design of systems and processes aimed at providing a holistic service to the user.”
Stickdorn & Schneider. 2011. This is Service Thinking. Selected chapters.
Definition
Service design is an approach that considers the human not as the center focus for design, but instead as one part of a whole system.
Type
Design technique
Context
Constructive design
The “Unseen Cuisine” food delivery team (from left to right: Boris, Dylan, Varun, me, and Nick).
Taking out the milk (photo by Nick Motta).
Procedure
Service design is a very open-ended technique that’s context dependent. Although, there are certain preparations that can be taken in any situation:
Develop a map for each stage a stakeholder will go through. This can be a user journey map, a storyboard, a flowchart, or any other form which outlines the sequence of steps that need to be completed in the service.
Develop a stakeholder map to understand the relationships between everyone involved.
Create a service which addresses an opportunity gap identified from the maps. It’s helpful to do this with an open-minded, diverse team.
As part of the service, come up with a method for evaluating success or progress. This will gauge the performance of the service into the future.
Plan a way to test out the service before implementing it. This can uncover unexpected challenges or consequences.
Food collected on one of our deliveries.
Use Case
When I was in high school, I started a food delivery program with four other friends. Each weekend, we took unsold food from local restaurants and grocery stores and donated it to homeless shelters nearby.
I helped put together a delivery manual to coordinate a routine schedule with the food store workers and the people at the homeless shelters. Our service connected separate groups of people in a way that was mutually beneficial to everyone. Service design can create a positive change in the community, but it depends on everyone in the system to communicate and cooperate.
Data Analysis
Determining the success of a service can be difficult, which is why it might take some creativity. For my food donation program, my team and I would weigh all of the food we collected for each delivery. This allowed us to measure the impact we were making on a weekly basis.
In service design, it’s important to keep track of the performance, either through quantitative or qualitative means. Feedback should be built into the system so the service can evolve and improve over time.