Ok so it’s been a while but I’ve been in careful consideration of the service design process at the Design Council in London for the past month. I am now thinking about the way in which you create services and is there a right and a wrong way to do this when you’re talking about social services, or big corporations, do you thiink about innovation in the same way.
Is it possible to create innovative services which really don’t necessarily look at new products, touch points, economic models, but rather new ways in which people might deal and understand them.
Is there space for innovative user thinking? Is there a new paradigm of services which are thinking about new user behaviours? How is that innovative, economically sustainable, can you apply the same performance criteria as any other service?
Arghhhh questions!!!! Any comments?
2 comments so far
Personally, I truly believe that “design thinking” can be applied to national issues the same way it can be applied to business issues and that do just that would make the citizens life in the state better.
I think that many national issues which includes govermental bodies and citizens (as opposed to a company and its customers) can be solved by looking at the orgiginal need the citizen or the govermental body has - and the performance criteria related to this - rather than the old solution to that need i.e. an existing service.
User involvement and co-creation would be applicable in the social service as well - i guess that goes well together with democracy - but whether the process will look the same as in the corporate world is questionable. Overall I guess they would be similar but in detail I dont think so.
To change behaviour of a citizen will be very dependent on the roll out of the service and the related communication/marketing of the service. Much like in the corporate world. But if the changes/the new service is based on the citizens needs they would be much easier to convince that the novelty acctually adds value/decrease “friction” in their lives.
These are just some immediate thoughts. I guess the design council has more experience with this then I do, but it’s really an interesting perspective!
Could you elaborate more on your thought/question;
“Is there a new paradigm of services which are thinking about new user behaviours?”
I’ve also been thinking about these issues in the context of designing, promoting and implimenting design education programs. Within a state funded vocational educational system my task as manager of design and visual arts programs is to develop and deliver commercial and internationally orientated business outcomes [i.e. user pays course offerings].
My starting premise has been the user/client experience is central to the design process. The journey has been so far concentrating on branding, new product development and prototyping, and developing excellent resources both technological and human. These factors I see as essential to the user experience within the service. Of course given the educational nature of the service, curriculum and it’s relevance to the industry and the client group is equally crucial.
So I too struggle with many questions that are often ambiguous and difficult to answer for numerous reasons including resource limitations, unfriendly systems, resistance to change, workplace culture.
I think the implications and challenges within this activity align with some of your comments on national issues , government bodies etc. Magnus.
The issue of setting performance criteria is problematic and dependent on some of the factors already identified above. I’d appreciate any further dialogue on this that is possible.