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Methods and processes of service design: a conversation

Extract of a published conversation between Oliver King and Birgit Mager, Editor of the Service Design Network‘s journal: Touchpoint.

This article was published in full in May 2009 in Touchpoint Vol. 1 No.1.

Birgit Mager - Let’s talk about the service sector - what opportunities do you see?

Oliver King - There are enormous opportunities in both the public and private sector. Life is getting more complicated and the abundance of information, far from empowering people, only makes the average person apprehensive and confused about making the decision. Set this against a backdrop of recession, climate change, security, etc, and you have the perfect situation for organisations to lead the way by really helping people, for providing service: the act of helping someone to do something. It’s time for organisations to rethink and redesign the services they provide.

BM - I believe we are just starting to convince service providers that a continuous investment in service design, which includes research and development, is necessary if they want to successfully offer additional value to their customers. How do you explain to a client why they should make a financial commitment to service design and how they can expect to profit from the investment?

OK -We talk about service design as a process for identifying where, when and how organisations can make the services they provide more valuable for their customers and themselves. We examine customer retention and acquisitions. We talk about customer satisfaction; we discuss reducing costs and increasing revenue. And we talk about service being the only value added strategy their competitors can’t copy.

Unlike traditional design disciplines, service design takes a more holistic look at the demand, supply and strategy of a service. You cannot separate in any challenge or project the look and feel of the service and the operational systems, processes and resources that deliver it.

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Engine’s process wheel

BM - For me there are several important features in the service design concept. One of them is the holistic approach; the customer experience does not begin or end at the borders of organisational structures, departments, or responsibilities. The experience is a continuous flow and in order to create a continuous framework for positive customer experience, one needs to have an integrative perspective.

OK - You’re right: contextual, empathetic research is key. Not only must the aesthetics and behaviour of the touchpoints that customers interact with be consistent with the brand, but the way the touchpoints change and adapt must also be considered. As you would expect, this means that services must be designed to cater for flexible user standards and most importantly find ways to make the intangible, tangible.

BM - I agree. The creation of perceivable evidence for the service is one of the real values of service design, along with the tangible evidences that are implemented at the customer interface. The mock-ups and prototypes of service evidence we create typically inspire and motivate our customers. These examples of service evidence help a client visualise where service design will bring a strong sense of a feasible and desirable future.

OK - Absolutely. Strategy, culture and capability are the three most important things an organisation needs to deliver for sustainable service innovation. A company can stop a cycle of decline by identifying and developing value-added services. Services are relational and they cannot be duplicated without the knowledge, context and history that are shared between a company and its customer. From the provider’s perspective, its about the provision of the service being sustainable, efficient and effective.

BM - Often that means that companies may have to completely change their perspective. Of your five fundamentals of service design, could we focus on ‘people?’ Those that provide the service, how do you integrate their perspective into the service design process?

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Engaging users and service providers

OK - Co-design is one of the most important service design techniques. By this I mean a situation where service designers work closely with people to really understand their needs and requirements. We ensure that our clients will have the capabilities to dynamically evaluate and develop their own services.

BM - In a way, it’s all about culture a service culture that encourages interaction, open communication, learning and playfulness.

OK Right. When you design a service, which on its own is intangible and immaterial, the need to craft the touchpoints that do exist becomes absolutely critical. The abilities to critique experiences from users perspectives, deploy empathetic research techniques, and enjoy co-creation processes with users are probably the most important tools in the service designer’s kit. Also the simpler things: a desire and an ability to collaborate, manage ambiguity, have faith in a creative process, or simply visualise an idea, are all skills that are unique in their combination.

BM - Thank you Oliver. To sum up: service design as a discipline provides an organisation with a proven set of tools and methodologies that span two gaps:
- What customers want and what an organisation can provide, and
- The look and feel of a service; how to orchestrate systems, processes and resources to produce the desired result.
Service design is a strategic tool that can be used by all organisations. The principles and approaches that are employed are identical, and the issues that require resolution are remarkably similar across many challenges.

Birgit Mager is a Professor for Service Design KISD (Koln International School of Design)