Service Design - DesignThinkers Weblog -

Moving my Blog to WENOVSKI

2009-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

For some time now I have been shifting my attention from Blogging to Twittering. I like the possibility Twitter offers me to have amazing conversations with professionals from all over the world. And these conversations have become very important for getting information, keeping in touch with everything that is going on and for getting insights and inspiration from experts.

Besides being very active on Twitter I have started the WENOVSKI design thinkers community. This network is becoming very important and it give me more possibilities to connect to others. That's why I decided to move my blog there.

So from now on I will post on WENOVSKI. I hope to see you there!!!

Story and Emergent Design

2009-07-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Story and Emergent Design

View more documents from Hugh Graham.

Via Lauren

How creativity is being strangled by the law

2009-07-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I've just been discovering Larry Lessing and his struggle. Very relevant in light of our growing capability of self-organisation.

Watch this TED-TALK BY Larry Lessig, the Nets most celebrated lawyer, cites John Philip Sousa, celestial copyrights and the "ASCAP cartel" in his argument for reviving our creative culture.

Human Centered Branding

2009-07-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Great presentation by my good friend Erik Roscam Abbing (@roscamabbing ) of Zilver Innovation.

Human Centered Branding

View more documents from Erik Roscam abbing.

Introduction to service design.

2009-07-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Dan Saffer - Attention Awareness for Interaction Designers 2009

2009-07-14T13:54:00.001-07:00

Dan Saffer - Attention Awareness for Interaction Designers 2009 from Interaction Design Association on Vimeo.

A Cooper concept project

2009-07-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Stratus Air: A Cooper concept project from Cooper Journal on Vimeo.

Redefining Future Learning Spaces

2009-07-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Service Design Book

2009-07-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

The book is ready, printed and I finally received copies!!!

Service Design Course MCI Innsbruck

2009-07-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am a guest lecturer on service design at the Management Centre Innsbruck in Austria. A few weeks ago I worked with students on a case concerning the customer experiences and services provided by the AlpenZoo. I think they did a great job. Specially since this was their first encounter with service design tools and methods. I thought I'd show some of their presentations:

Zoomotion - MA Student Project: Service Design of the Alpenzoo, Innsbruck/Austria

View more presentations from MarcStickdorn.

SinnSation - MA Student Project: Service Design of the Alpenzoo, Innsbruck/Austria

View more documents from MarcStickdorn.

Faminal - MA Student Project: Service Design of the Alpenzoo, Innsbruck/Austria

View more presentations from MarcStickdorn.

IZoo - MA Student Project: Service Design of the Alpenzoo, Innsbruck/Austriaion

View more presentations from MarcStickdorn.

Edutainment - MA Student Project: Service Design of the Alpenzoo, Innsbruck/Austria

View more presentations from MarcStickdorn.

The future according to Gerd Leonhard

2009-06-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

New Book On Service Design

2009-06-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

I participated in writing a book on service design called "Designing Services with Innovative Methods". This book presents the emerging and increasingly important field of service design.

You can now order the book...

The 99% Conference

2009-06-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Lift france 09

2009-06-24T02:31:00.000-07:00

Liftfrance09: John Thackara from Lift Conference on Vimeo.

Lift France 09: Gunter Pauli: Changing the Planet from Lift Conference on Vimeo.

Lift France 09: Dennis Pamlin: Changing the Planet from Lift Conference on Vimeo.

Lift with Fing 09: Timo Arnall: "Making Things Visible" from Lift Conference on Vimeo.

Thanks to Putting People First

WENOVSKI design thinkers network

2009-06-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I started WENOVSKI a design thinkers network. This network will function as a platform to design thinkers from whatever discipline, to connect, share and find ways to work together. There are 144 members to date.

One interesting development on WENOVSKI is the forming of groups based on nationality and/or language. France, Australia, Dutch, German speaking, Spanish speaking. But the other groups are no less interesting: AIGA (the professional association for design), Design Thinking Education, project group Inner-city Education and Social Designers.

I'm very exited by all these activities.

Connect with me on WENOVSKI

Final Service design concept from Eilidh Dickson

2009-06-16T08:34:00.001-07:00

Final Service design concept from eilidh dickson on Vimeo.

Warm Hands Network concept video

2009-06-16T08:32:00.001-07:00

Warm Hands Network concept video from Magnus Bendtsen on Vimeo.

Service Design Practice Video

2009-06-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

I love these service design prototype films :-)

Steve Lee (Engine)

2009-06-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Collective Intelligence

2009-06-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Collective Intelligence from TheTransitioner on Vimeo.

Why the Failure of Systems Thinking Should Inform the Future of Design Thinking

2009-06-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Article by Fred Collopy:

"You never learn by doing something right ‘cause you already know how to do it. You only learn from making mistakes and correcting them."
Russell Ackoff

"Design and "design thinking" is gaining recognition as an important integrative concept in management practice and education. But it will fail to have a lasting impact, unless we learn from the mistakes of earlier, related ideas. For instance, "system thinking", which shares many of the conceptual foundations of "design thinking", promised to be a powerful guide to management practice, but it has never achieved the success its proponents hoped for. If systems thinking had been successful in gaining a foothold in management education over the last half of the 20th century, there would be no manage by designing movement, or calls for integrative or design thinking."

read the article...

Four Design Thinking Clips

2009-06-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Service Design Research

2009-06-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

A new website on Service Design research "SDR"

"What is the Service Design Research initiative?
It aims to collectively build an understanding and foster a dialogue on where ideas and concepts of Service Design have come from, how these evolved over the last two decades as well as report and review current research and service design practices. The motivation is to consolidate existing knowledge and to support the growth of a research community that engages in meaningful research relevant to the challenges design is dealing with today and in the future."

Go to the website...

creative company conference 2009 report

2009-05-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

"The Creative Company Conference is an event that has the potential to become one of the leading gatherings of creative minds in Europe, if it will have the courage to harness the energy and creativity of its attendees."

Read the report by Eric Roscam Abbing at Brand Driven Innovation

Sir Ken Robinson at the creative company 2009

2009-05-28T06:12:00.001-07:00

KBIRI.NL - Sir Ken Robinson @ Creative Company Conference from KBIRI on Vimeo.

Advertising Is Dead

2009-05-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

from Futurlab

Advertising Is Dead

View more presentations from Futurelab.

Resonance by Continuum

2009-05-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

A film from Continuum

Resonance from Continuum on Vimeo.

Thanks to Ralf Beuker

Course on Service design at the Management Center Innsbruck

2009-05-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I gave a lecture and a workshop to students at the Management Center Innsbruck. The university is beautifully situated in the heart of Tirol, and the part were I gave my lecture had a grand view on the white peaks of the Alps. Besides this great scenery the people were extremely nice and welcoming. Needless to say I had a great time. And I'm looking forward to my next lecture.

I liked working with the students. They were noisy but attentive, just the way they should be. After my lecture we practised in brainstorming and lateral thinking and started working on their case study (the Alpen Zoo).

Below you'll find the first (and somewhat philosophical) part of my lecture. After this we discussed the realities and challenges of service design projects and I explained some service design methods.

Lecture on Service Design and Design Thinking Management Center Innsbruck 2009

View more presentations from designthinkers.

MIT Wins The Buckminster Fuller Challenge

2009-05-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Winner: Sustainable Personal Mobility and Mobility-on-Demand Systems

"Mobility-on-Demand systems utilize fleets of shared-use lightweight electric vehicles placed at automatic charging racks throughout a city. The CityCar and RoboScooter, both folding vehicles, along with the Green-Wheel Bicycle, minimize parking space and can be picked-up and dropped-off at any rack. Mobility-on-Demand systems maximize mobility and dramatically reduce congestion and pollution through energy and land-use efficiency.

More info...

Marc Rettig - How to Change Complicated Stuff

2009-05-07T03:54:00.001-07:00

Marc Rettig - How to Change Complicated Stuff from Interaction Design Association on Vimeo.

The role of customer service in a downturn

2009-05-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Tim Hill (FutureBrand) with a statement about the role of customer service in a downturn.

Apps For Democracy

2009-05-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

DC wants to hear citizens’ ideas about problems that could be solved through technology, as well as their ideas about the perfect system to receive feedback and service requests.

Apps For Democracy Community Edition from Peter Corbett on Vimeo.

Short Film From Thinkpublic

2009-05-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

Thinkpublic created this short film about what they do and how they do it.

thinkpublic: social innovation and design from thinkpublic on Vimeo.

Interview

2009-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

I gave an interview to Davison Creators.
You can read it on their blog...

Literature on Design Thinking

2009-04-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Michaeldila started a search via Twitter for literature on design thinking and ended up with an impressive and still growing list.

Check it out!!!!!!

HOK's Jim Rice on the Idea Factory

2009-04-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

WE THINK

2009-04-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

A bit old but still valid:

IDEO's David Kelley about the importance of iteration

2009-04-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

There is more over here...

Seeing Tomorrows Services: A Panel on Service Design

2009-04-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

Seeing Tomorrows Services: A Panel on Service Design

View more presentations from brandonschauer.

Service Stories #15

2009-04-20T04:55:00.000-07:00

Girl forever traumatized by bad service experience at McDonalds. "A burger with no burger? That's just ridiculous". I love the language.

DesignThinkers on Sustainable Design

2009-04-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I gave a presentation in Finland for student (and teachers) of the Savonia University of Applied Sciences. Subject: Sustainable Design.

I first and foremost wanted to inspire them and give them a lot to think about. And I played a few mind-games.

But the most important point I tried to make is a fairly simple one:
We, humans, are not that special. And we are not in control as much as we would like to make ourselves believe. 'Man made' and 'natural' are often used as if they are opposites. But every new scientific discovery on this subject shows us again and again that we are an almost indistinguishable part of everything around us. We are nature. Acknowledging this is an important step in the discovery of who we are, what we are, where we are, and how we can build a future without destroying our home.

Take a look at the presentation below.

There was an alternative reason for me to be in Finland. I am part (and co-founder) of the Social Design Taskforce and we are working on a project for Greenpeace. A group of students from the Savonia University is helping us with research and prototyping. I'll soon tell you more about this very exiting project and the Social Design Taskforce.

DesignThinkers Lecture On Sustainable Design 2009

View more presentations from designthinkers.

Emily Pilloton & Project H

2009-04-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

"Project H Design is a charitable organization that supports, inspires, and delivers life-improving humanitarian product design solutions. It champions industrial design as a tool to address social issues, a vehicle for global life improvement, and a catalyst for individual and community empowerment and it encourages the reorientation of the design industry towards a more socially-impactful and humanitarian entity through a variety of Initiatives that include design thinking, production and distribution, funding, design academics, and local chapter projects. The "H" in Project H stands for Humanity, Habitats, Health, and Happiness."

More info....

Design Thinking in Business

2009-04-08T08:20:00.001-07:00

Continuum - Inside Design & Innovation

2009-04-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer

2009-03-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

"How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer brings us a new view of the world, as we unfold the science behind the popular trivia game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon'. Based on the idea that anyone on the planet can be connected in just a few steps of association, 'six-degrees of separation' was supposedly an urban myth. Through this documentary we discover it's at the heart of a major scientific breakthrough."

How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer - Part 1 from gephi on Vimeo.

How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer - Part 2 from gephi on Vimeo.

How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer - Part 3 from gephi on Vimeo.

DesignThinkers at the Academy of Design, Finland

2009-03-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio Academy of Design in Finland organises an event on sustainability, design and project management.

I will give a lecture on the value of 'design thinking' for the development and success of sustainable designs.

The lectures will be held on Monday March, 30, 2009.

Get more more information on the event at the Akatemia website (in Finnish) .... or visit the Facebook page of the event..

.

Design Ignites Change

2009-03-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

"Creativity holds enormous power for fostering positive social change. Instilling this ideal in the next generation of creative professionals is core to Design Ignites Change, a collaboration

Design Ignites Change promotes and encourages talented high school and college students across the country to use design thinking and innovation to create messages for, and solutions to, pressing social problems."

More info...

Thanks Derek

New World of Work

2009-03-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

"The world is changing at such rapid pace. We have entered a world where reality is no longer real, global institutions are going bust and CEO's are barely managing, let alone leading us through this change. However, opportunity is great and with this new world comes a new ethic of openness, sharing and collaboration..."

Thanks Lauren!

What The *#&! Is Social Design

2009-03-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

“Softspot is an initiative that provides designers with the information and inspiration by which they can solve contemporary issues and educate the masses about the solutions designers provide for a more perfect and healthy world."

"The opening night of the SoftSpot's first exhibition was a great success. This time lapse is of the first hour of the show, and shows how the place filled up and is a quick documentation of how people flow through the space."

Matthew effect

2009-03-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

I've been reading the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and was struck by his descriptions on how the Matthew Effect (the rich get richer and the poor get poorer) is effecting our changes of success.

He unveils the important role 'relative age' plays in the lives and careers of successful people. And It's all about the system we use to find and select our biggest talents.

This first example used in the book makes this very clear:
In Canada young ice hockey players with talent are selected when they are 9 years old (not 10) for the all-starteams. The selections take place every year, at the beginning of the year. This simply means that if you are born in January your in luck. By the time the selection takes place, you are almost 10 years old. In your development you are way ahead of the kids born in December. Consequently they are selected and will enter special programs and receive extra training to further develop their talents. As a result most successful Ice Hockey players in Canada are born in January, February an March. This is a fact.

The way almost all countries select their talents in sports and education is basically the same. And as a result there are a lot of talented people left behind.

It makes you think. Why didn't anyone notice this before....?

Read the book (besides the Matthew Effect he describes some other worthwhile ideas.)
More on Outliers...

Core Principles

2009-03-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

Seedmagazine is publishing a new column by Paola Antonelli on design and science. Paola Antonelli is the senior curator of design and architecture at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Her column will focus on innovation and consider objects as gateways to information and services; as means rather than mere commodities.

It struck a cord and left me hungry for more...

" From chairs to interfaces, from food-delivery trucks to conceptual scenarios on the impact of nanotechnology — design takes into account people's needs and concerns, helping them live better within the broad context of the world; it maximizes the available means to achieve the most satisfying outcome, and produces culture in the process."

"Designers stand between revolutions and everyday life."

"They're able to grasp momentous changes in technology, science, and society and convert those changes into objects and ideas that people can understand."

"Design is looking for a unified theory — or maybe just for a theory tout court — for, in spite of its permanence and inevitability, it is still a rather unexplored region of human creativity."

"Science can teach design how to find its own core."

"Designers find themselves today at the center of an extraordinary wave of cross-pollination.
Because of their role as intermediaries between research and production, they often act as the primary interpreters in interdisciplinary teams, called upon not only to conceive objects, but also to devise scenarios and strategies."

Read the article...

Via Derek Stewart

Charles Ogilvie Talks About Service Innovation

2009-03-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Charles Ogilvie speaks about service innovation, new revenue models, and the use of airborne technology throughout Asia and the world at large.

Public Service Design

2009-03-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

DesignThinkers at the Design Management Institute Conference in Milan

2009-03-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

I have been invited to give break-out sessions on Service Design at the Design Management Institute Conference in Milan.

The theme of the conference: Facing/Changing – Changing/Facing REALITIES. "Let’s get real: the world of business is changing dramatically. Every day, we’re confronted with news of a rollercoaster economy, environmental actions and behaviors, and corporate pressure to succeed. Every day, we confront constantly evolving challenges that affect our roles as design leaders. What will have the biggest impact on our lives and work? How can we manage, meet, and change the future? "

The conference will be held at the Designmuseum La Triennale Di Milano on 1-3 April 2009.

Get more info...

John Cleese at the Creativity World Forum, about the importance of creativity

2009-02-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

via Lauren

Help Us Write 'Intentions': A Book About Failure

2009-02-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." - Sir Ken Robinson

Welcome to Intentions, a collaborative project between Arne van Oosterom and Kate Andrews.

Our aim is to create a book of compelling stories from around the world, capturing how young creative people struggle to make a difference, in an indifferent world.

The book 'Intentions' will tell stories about the importance of making mistakes. Because from failure we learn and grow. This is what being creative is all about. It is about learning by trying, sketching and experimenting. It is failure which makes us grow the most, not 'success'.

Intentions puts the importance of failure center stage for a change.

And we need your help! So, do you have a story to tell us about? Post it here on Facebook. And maybe you can become a part of Intentions.

JOIN US...

BOOKaBOOK lets Readers Decide

2009-02-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

Just notised BOOKaBOOK. A very intresting concept:

"Most books that are written are never published. Why? Publishers reject more than 80% of the manuscripts that they receive from writers. This means that readers depend heavily on what publishers decide to publish. BOOKaBOOK wants to change this situation: readers decide what books are published."

BOOKaBOOK

Alex Nisbett in Prisson

2009-02-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

"What role can design play in addressing some of the complex issues associated with the experience of visiting in prisons? More broadly, how can design-led strategies support the maintenance of family ties, an important factor in reducing a prisoner's risk of re-offending?"

Watch the film with Alex Nisbett. (Engine Service Design)

Twitter Interview

2009-02-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

Had a nice surprice when I came home this afternoon. A week ago I (amongs others) had an experimental interview with the Dutch magazine Adformatie... on Twitter (@adformatie). And I didn't know they were going to print it. So I was a bit surpised when I saw my Tweets in print. But it turned out real nice.

Download the pdf (it's in Dutch)

Sustainable Mobility

2009-01-30T06:35:00.000-08:00

Now!Move is a project we do on sustainable Mobility, mobility that doesn't take more than it gives.

The first subject we are tackling is our Congested Cities. The suffocating grip traffic has on our daily life. Specially in older cities, never build for large number of cars, we could do with a new approach.

A congested city (or country) usually means an economic congestion as well, but it definitely spells problems concerning safety and health for the people living in the city.

So what can we do? Well, one of the biggest problems is using your car for short trips. One possible solution: everyone should use a bicycle for trips shorter that 5 Km.

To a City like Amsterdam this would mean an almost car free city. It means an economic boast because of the more Accessible City, and last but not least it would have a big positive effect on health because of the improved air-quality, safety on the roads and people simply getting more exercise. There is a lot to profit.

Now, this is never going to happen quick. Mentalities, politics, laziness and old habits are in the way. They always are. But in due time there is no doubt that things will start moving.

Now!Move is going to give a little push.

This blog on the project is put up to keep you posted. But more important we set up a experimental "project twitter" to have a real conversation.

So join the conversation on Twitter (twitter.com/NowMove) and place @NowMove before your Tweets so we can track the conversation.

Joseph Pine: What Do Customers Really Want?

2009-01-27T05:59:00.001-08:00

TED posted a great presentation held bij Joseph Pine from 2004 "What Do Customers Really Want?"

via Ferry van Ommen

Fourth Order Design? What Do You Think?

2009-01-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

Lately people started talking to me about the "fourth order design" or systemic integration. The person who comes up the most in this discussion is Richard Buchanan.

And I found these articles from Jeff Howard:
Buchanan Keynote
Kip And Jamin Interview
I found this and this
And than there is this very informative website fourthorderdesign.com

That's about it...

I would like to form an opinion about it and need more information. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

And let me know what your thoughts are about the subject.
(ps: getting some great feedback. Please go to 'comments')

Service Stories #14

2009-01-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

Interactive Table Bank Prototype

2009-01-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

Making a good prototype film is never easy.

EasySMS Bank

2009-01-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

I like to watch these prototype films. Specially when they are a bit strange like this one...

Niall Harbison On Customer Service

2009-01-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

Visit his blog

Service Stories #13

2009-01-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

Is "Transformation" a Better Concept Than "Innovation" to Guide us Forward?

2009-01-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Bruce Nussbaum on January 03

"We are having a great conversation on one of the most important subjects in our lives—how we can change our broken institutions and out-dated culture to survive and thrive within 21st century forces. The thread is brilliant and I’m learning a lot.

Here are the reasons why I think the concept of “transformation” is of great utility and power than “innovation at this point in time."

Read on...

via lauren and Jeff

Service Stories #12

2009-01-06T00:59:00.000-08:00

Customer Service On Steroids... and something els

2009-01-06T00:54:00.000-08:00

The powerful link between creativity and play

2009-01-04T03:36:00.000-08:00

Tim Brown on TED

"At the 2008 Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play -- with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn't)."

DesignThinkers 5 Steps Service Innovation Method

2009-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

DesignThinkers assists Public and Private organizations and companies in delivering the best possible service. We help them to be more innovative and competitive.

We created a 5 steps service innovation method to guide us while working on complex Service Design projects.

Download our 5 steps method.

Course On Service Design

2008-12-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

Just got invited to give a course on service design (two days) in Innsbruck Austria at the MCI. That's going to be great!

Brand Book Holland

2008-12-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Some time ago we created a brand book (a silver box with three books in it... and a Miffy) for the economic image of Holland. This was part of a larger nation branding project we do for the Dutch government.

We created a mainly visual brand-book and it's used as a starting point and source of inspiration by the Dutch government and other Dutch organizations. We worked on this project with Simon Anholt and I've always been very pleased with the result.
Especially because we were aloud to tell an emotional story using images and narratives.

Just a few weeks a go we were asked to put the books online. This means I can share it with you now.

Take a look at "... and the Dutch created Holland"

Service Stories #11

2008-12-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

I'm collecting these testimonials because they are of interest to me as a service designer. Besides that they are a powerful sign that the world is changing. Organizations and companies need to realize that they are becoming ever more transparent and vulnerable. If they like it or not. So it's time to pay attention.

Service Innovation Briefing by Innovaro

2008-12-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

"Service innovation is fast becoming the most interesting and successful area of innovation for businesses. Now accounting for 70% of the aggregate production and employment in OECD nations, service innovation is widely seen as critical for longer-term growth and prosperity. While the economic downturn has hit some parts of the services sector very hard, it is clear that the trend towards service domination in the major economies is here to stay. The ageing population will have a greater need for social and health services; both the obese and the health conscious sections of society will drive an increase in wellness and nutrition services; and the opening up of all levels of education will drive innovation in the provision of teaching and learning.These are just three drivers of growth in the service sector."

Read the whole thing.....

(Via Choosenick)

IDEO Toolkit Human Centered Design

2008-12-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Great Toolkit by IDEO.

Why Customer Service Sucks

2008-12-12T12:15:00.001-08:00

Service Stories #10

2008-12-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Rant about Western Union

What do service designers do?

2008-12-10T01:11:00.000-08:00

Designing for Services in Science and Technology-Based Enterprises was an interdisciplinary research project (2006-2007) initiated by Saïd Business School (SBS) at the University of Oxford.

The study explored how academics, service designers, and science and technology entrepreneurs understand the designing of services in science and technology-based enterprises, and featured three case study projects in which service designers helped early stage science and technology enterprises (re)design their services.

Get the details via Putting People First or Lucy Kimbell

Service Stories #9

2008-12-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

I am collecting these testimonies (service stories) from end-users because they are great research material and help us gain more insight. Beside that these videos illustrate the changing world companies and governments are facing.

IED Service Design workshop by Engine

2008-11-30T15:06:00.001-08:00

Designing Services Together

2008-11-30T15:05:00.003-08:00

Kent County Council and Engine Service Design

Craig LaRosa on Service Design

2008-11-30T15:05:00.001-08:00

Service Design Theory Weary

2008-11-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

The last three days I have been attending the Service Design Conference in Amsterdam. All in all, it has been a great experience and I met a lot of inspiring and inspired people.

I liked seeing all the faces that belonged to the names I already new. I enjoyed the presentations the second day. Although I did dose off from time to time... but that's me. And I thought the workshop by Carnegie Mellon University and Engine was inspiring. I believe Alex Nisbett (Engine) is just brilliant.

But after three day's of listening and talking and listening and talking about what service design is or could be I am theory weary.

I have a restless and insubordinate brain and after a while it starts rejecting everything that has to do with rules and methods thought up by others. Especially academics... with all due respect. Please forgive me but it's just that I am tired of people creating there own little reality and talking in circles. We seem to put so much effort in explaining what service design is... to ourselves. I can't take it anymore. This morning I even started explaining service design to myself in the mirror... I didn't get it.

I think it's about time we stop talking and go out there, get our hands dirty, do something and deliver. And my bet is that consultancies/ agencies are going to do just that. I'm sure that next year we will see lots of presentations (mainly from consultancies) about clever life-altering solutions with real results. Big and small. And I promise that I will make a worth to watch contribution. If not, I will delete the word service from our website and change it for communication.

(Alex Nisbett at the Service Design Conference Amsterdam 2008)

Tim Brown on design thinking in Dubai

2008-11-17T01:07:00.000-08:00

Read Tim Brown's post and join the interesting discussion that follows on his blog.

"While I can be legitimately criticized for seeing every conversation as an opportunity for design thinking, I came away from Dubai with a strong feeling that design can make a contribution to improving the way we tackle the deep systemic issues the world now faces."

New Zealand Engaging Everywhere

2008-11-14T00:15:00.000-08:00

Laura Sommer, Acting Manager, E-government Strategy and Policy, State Services Commission, New Zealand, speaks on New Zealand Government insights from online engagement to enhance policy and service design and delivery.

Tuality Hospital Training Video Part 2

2008-11-03T09:06:00.001-08:00

Tuality Hospital Training Video Part 1

2008-11-03T09:05:00.001-08:00

Design Thinking at Rotman

2008-10-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

Great interview with Roger Martin, Dean of Rotman.

Via Choosenick and Metacool.

The Female Customer's Time Horizon

2008-10-29T02:54:00.001-07:00

The lunch currier

2008-10-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Draft version of the video presented at the "Changing the Change" conference in Torino (July 2008)

Service Opportunities

2008-10-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

A great list of service opportunities from Patricia Seybold (Outside Innovation).

".... Here are just a few examples of customer-unfriendly policies that annoy customers while increasing operational costs:

• Placing a multi-day hold on funds deposited at an ATM machine, forcing customers to come into the branches to make deposits so they can access their money (a common banking practice in several countries).
• Requiring that a serial number match a service contract number before you'll provide technical support or renew a support contract.
• Requiring that the customer type in a long license key in order to load the software he has purchased.
• Limiting the number of times a customer can load a game, music, or other purchased intellectual property on his own machines or systems.
• Making it difficult for customers to return or exchange goods they have purchased.
• Making it difficult for customers to redeem coupons or rebates in the hopes that they will neglect to do so.
• Making it difficult for distribution partners to gain approval for promotional programs and deals before they can quote a price to end-customers.
• Making it difficult for customers to renew, exchange, and/or co-terminate a support contract that covers a number of products, many of which have been added, moved, or amended since the contract was originated.
• Making it difficult for customers to change the terms of a loan, mortgage, or other financial agreement when their circumstances have changed.
• Providing networked products that can't self-register and identify themselves when they connect to a network.
• Requiring customers who travel to pre-notify their credit card providers and their mobile/wireless providers that they are about to travel in order to ensure that they receive uninterrupted service. "

Read the article.....

(Via Choosenick)

Design thinking is basically about being able to make good PowerPoint slides...

2008-10-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

A sceptical point of view from John Maeda:

"While the corporate world is obsessed with the idea of design thinking -- which relies on data and process for inspiration -- Maeda is skeptical. "Design thinking is basically about being able to make good PowerPoint slides -- the quad-chart slide, the stakeholder slide. I get that. I think it's important. But at the same time, you hear whispers, even at Stanford, that people aren't making things anymore." Scott Klinker, head of the 3-D design program at Cranbrook Academy of Art, who defended the intuitive, qualitative approach to design at this year's Industrial Designers Society of America conference, agrees: "The proponents of the strategy-based approach say, 'Don't worry about form. We'll save you with design thinking.' I think that's crap. Design has always been a complex synthesis of analytical and intuitive processes."

Read the article...

(Thanks to Arjan van Woensel)

Designing Interactions

2008-10-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

A book and a website from Bill Moggridge with some great interviews .

"Designers of digital technology products no longer regard their job as designing a physical object—beautiful or utilitarian—but as designing our interactions with it. In Designing Interactions, Bill Moggridge, designer of the first laptop computer (the GRiD Compass, 1981) and a founder of the design firm IDEO, tells us stories from an industry insider’s viewpoint, tracing the evolution of ideas from inspiration to outcome." go...

Will A New Breed Of Innovation Companies Eventually Settle Into The Realm Of New Product/Service Innovation?

2008-10-10T14:22:00.002-07:00

Idris Motee on Product/Service Innovation

"Can adv agencies design great products and/or experiences? You would think so? Over the years they have narrowed their skills (rather than broadening) and their core capabilities were reduced to doing the following three things 1/ finding a unique way to positioning a products within its category 2/adjustments of minutia to affect the consumers’ perception of the brand 3/ maximize repetitive exposure and extend reach. Innovation is not a core capability. Deep customer insight is not a core capability (over reliance of traditional research is the problem). Customer engagement is not a core capability (although they refer customer engagement as engaging through a 30sec TVC). It makes you wonder whether a new breed innovation companies will eventually settle into the realm of new product innovation and brand / communication innovation or even push into the space to deliver business model innovation."

Read the article...

RooMatch

2008-10-10T14:22:00.001-07:00

A service idea for low cost hospitality (and some other stuff...).

Service Stories #8

2008-10-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

This sight always effect the service experience of the flight...

Service Stories #7

2008-10-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am collecting these testimonies (service stories) from end-users because they are great research material and help me gain more insight. Beside that these videos illustrate the changing world companies and governments are facing.

Bad Experience with Sprint Wireless

The Millennials

2008-10-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

A video from the Alcatel Lucent Corporation