Learn the Language of Service Design

Let's see how some of the service designers around the world that we talked to define service design – and get it from the horse's mouth! So, service design looks at two things. It looks at the customer experience, so it really takes in the design research lens of looking at what each customer is dealing with.

But then it's also looking at the back-end systems that support a particular experience. And so, we look at a service. And a service we define sort of very broadly, anyway, and in many ways. Like, a service can be something that is like going to a coffee shop. But it can also be a digital tool that you use to deal with your banking. So, that is – an element of your service is dealing with that digital device.

We really want to understand "What is the experience that's happening for the customer?" and then where all those elements that are supporting that – the experience – and those interactions that the customer is having with the service, so that we're able to ensure that if there are any log jams, if there are any issues that may be occurring throughout that service experience, we're able to not only identify them but then begin to address them and improve them.

So, when I talk about service design, I'd like to think of a service as a whole series of different interactions. Now, that's probably no different from a UX designer and how they see their work. But one key difference is that I think for UX designers that will be mainly digital interactions and with service design it can be digital, in the real world – it can be anything. I think that when UX designers talk about "users",

they tend to talk about "end users". And when we talk about "users", that because a lot of these interactions are not with digital products but between people or between people with a thing in a setting, our users are also the staff delivering the service. Each of these interactions in a service we like to break out where they happen – the setting – and we use a theater metaphor – who's involved in this interaction – the actors;

if there's any sort of touch points involved – the props; and then the actors – they will have a certain script. So, when we explain service design – what it is that you're designing – then it's the string of interactions. And then for each interaction, the setting, the actors, the props and the scripts.

(Frank Spillers:) I think service designers talk about this line of visibility. And can you just talk a little bit more about that – that dynamic between front-end and back-end? (David Bill:) There's actually two lines. There's the line of visibility and the line of interaction. So, the line of visibility is the interactions that the customer can see. And so, that's – let's say you're going to a pharmacy and you're getting your prescription, right?

It's you walking in the door; it's you going up to the pharmacy counter; you interacting with the attendant; she being able to punch in to the point-of-sale device all the information that you're giving her; that is then going into a database. That database is then being connected to some sort of distributor

who is getting the drugs from some sort of pharmaceutical company. So, you know, it's this massive web of interconnectivity. There's obviously lots of layers there, but the line of visibility is really what that individual, that customer can see. And then the line of interaction is what *that staff* is doing and what they're interacting with. And then all the back-end systems – that's what's happening behind the *lower portion* of the line of interaction;

the distribution – you know – the partners, all of that kind of thing; the database. (F.S.:) Yeah. (D.B:) You know – that stuff that *not* the customer *nor* the staff member is going to see. I think that while Service Design can answer a lot of big questions around how services are implemented, I think the trouble is that as much as it can really

dive into some issues when it comes to a particular service, the people, the culture of that organization has to be ready to really embrace it. And – you know – it's the whole idea of taking a horse to water. (F.S.:) Right. (D.B.:) And if you take a horse to water, that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to drink. And so, here – this is something where we're seeing this with the IRS

and the agencies I've worked with in the past. We can show them these different methods, but, you know, they're dealing with all kinds of legislative, technological issues that hold them back from really being able to do a lot of interesting work. It doesn't mean that you don't have good people who want to push the needle. But they're hamstrung. (F.S.:) Right. (D.B.:) And it's a bigger, more complex issue than we would like to really admit.

And I think that a lot of times stuff is just pushed underneath the rug. But I think what's happening – you know, especially in my case, and I feel like I'm lucky in that regard – is we have an agency that recognizes the need for something like this. And they've brought us in to help evangelize and socialize this idea, this concept, this approach of service design

as a means of improving the various products and services that they offer, and ultimately not only improving the customer experience but increasing their bottom line.

(Jonas Piet:) One of the pieces of work we're working on is called Kudoz. It's a learning platform for people with developmental disabilities. And basically what we do is we link people in a community with an interest to people with a developmental disability with a similar interest. And then we have an Airbnb-type of platform with all those learning experiences, where – "Kudoer" we call it –

a person with a developmental disability books a learning experience from a volunteer host. And then, like with Airbnb, those experiences take place in the community. Obviously, a really big part is that platform. And we've got a mobile app as well. And our UX designers will work on those products. But then some of the things that I as a service designer work on

are starting way before people even enter the platform. It's "How do they know – how do they find out about this platform?"; "How do they know about Kudoz?". The first interaction wouldn't be that they sign up online. But the first interaction would probably be that they come across us at an event – a community event. And then, you know, maybe they get a flyer or another piece of information, or maybe they see a video, or maybe they see one of our team members explaining it – what Kudoz is and why it might be interesting for them.

Or maybe they're part of one of the community experiences that we do to get people interested to become a volunteer host on the platform. There are many interactions that aren't happening on the platform but that are a really important part of the flow through the service. And, as a service designer, I have to keep an eye on all these different interactions and all the different user groups. Whereas the UX designers, they mainly work with the people going on experiences and the volunteers who offer experiences.

So, only two of the user groups – not so much the staff. And they focus on the digital platform. So, as an example, if someone signs up on the platform to host an experience, then fairly quickly they meet up with one of what we call "Experience Curators". So, they meet that person. So, the role that that person has is designed by the service designer – what they do and what they don't do;

how they introduce Kudoz – the script, that's designed by the service designer. Some of the pieces of paper and the worksheets that they have with them and the storybooks to tell a compelling story about Kudoz, those are in this case designed by service designers. They will then have to do at some point a criminal records check. There is going to be some sort of a safety check. People have to brainstorm together to come up with a great idea for their learning experience.

And, yes, that goes back into the digital platform. But a lot of the interactions are actually not on the platform. They happen in real life. And, yeah, the service designer is really making sure that all these different interactions line up and that it's hopefully a seamless experience – but at least a positive experience that, yeah, gets people closer to the outcomes that we're after.