Tip 1: Service Design 101
This article is perfect for those new to service design. You will find all basic information about service design: from definition to its three components. The metaphors in particular are very good. By explaining service design with the example of the restaurant (how it is organized) and the theater (what do you see on stage versus what happens backstage), it is easy for everyone to understand.
Format: Article
For whom: Beginners
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Tip 2: Demystifying Service Design — Part 1
In this article, Erik Flowers asks what it actually means to provide a service. He too uses the theatre, or rather the opera, as an illustration. This article goes a little deeper than Service Design 101. It is not only about what happens behind the scenes of the theater, but also backstage with the visitor in his or her life. Because in the end it all comes down to the needs of that visitor. He also explains the difference between UX- and Service Design and how these two disciplines complement each other.
Format: Article
For whom: Advanced
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Tip 3: This is Service Design Thinking
This is Service Design Thinking is a favorite reference book among designers. This book is a collection of the work of 23 authors and a large online community. The book was created through co-creation (practice what you preach!). The writers share their knowledge and experience in the field of service design in the form of theory. That is also the focus. The book also contains some tools and methods that you can apply immediately. Thanks to its clever design, it is a fine reference work. An absolute must for everyone from beginner to expert.
Format: Book
For whom: Beginners, advanced and experts
Purchase the book
Tip 4: This is Service Design Doing
The title gives it away: this is the successor to This is Service Design Thinking (tip 3). The whole book is about doing service design, how do you do it? You learn to guide workshops, apply its methods and much more. The book is full of smart methods that you can also download. A super practical book that helps you bring about change.
Format: Book
For whom: Advanced and experts
Purchase the book
Tip 5: Three Analogies for the Aggregate Nature of Service Design
This is another article by Erik Flowers. The three analogies are strong because they show that you don’t design for individuals, but for an entire ecosystem around moments of interaction. We love the analogy of designing a national park. There is not just one persona and there are thousands of different journeys: no walker walks the same path. There are walking routes and you pass some viewpoints and places of the park via several walking routes. You can see a walking route as a touchpoint of the park and the viewpoint as a touchpoint of the walking route.
Format: Article
For whom: Advanced
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Tip 6: Working Forwards and Working Backwards
In this article, Ben Holliday argues about reverse mapping the steps you need to take to get to a final result. He contrasts analysis and design. According to Holliday, many organizations are moving forward from analytics, and analytics just tells you where things are right now. By first imagining where you want to go, what the vision is, you can, as it were, work backwards. This way you determine what needs to change in the current situation. This does not mean that the analysis is no longer necessary, the working method only offers a different perspective.
Format: Article
For whom: Experts
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Tip 7: Comparing Service Design and Business Analysis
This article follows on from the previous article: it compares service design with business analysis. It helps you understand the different perspectives and approaches. The table in which the roles and skills are compared is particularly useful.
Format: Article
For whom: Beginners and advanced
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