Service Design Show

I recently started playing Padel...And like with all my new hobbies, I enjoy getting good gear.So after some research, I treated myself to a racket from the higher end of the market.Now, when I'm on the court playing and lose, I could (might) complain that my racket sucks. That it was "false advertising" because all the specs indicate that this is almost an unbeatable racket.But let's be honest, we both know that's probably not the case. It’s far more likely that I just don't yet know how to use this new "tool" to its fullest potential.You may be surprised to learn that this is strikingly similar to what happens in many organizations.They invest in building a service design capability, but after a while, they complain that it’s not delivering the game-changing results they hoped for.So, does service design suck?Well, according to the research our guest Giles Colborne has done, the answer is a definitive no. In fact, he found that companies with high design maturity grow at 9x times(!) the pace of everyone els

Do you ever wonder about the "so what?" of your journey maps...To this day, I often see that journey mapping is treated as a "documentation" exercise. Basically as a way to visualize our customers experiences. And while having that visual overview is useful, it's just the beginning.As you probably know, the real challenge is turning that understanding into action that actually impacts your customers (and your business). Not a small challenge by any means.That's why this episode of The Journey Management Playbook is fully dedicated to it.We're already into episode six of the series, and if you haven't seen the previous ones, you can find the full playlist in the show notes. So far, we've gone from defining a business challenge to using AI to generate and enrich insights. We’ve covered how to structure and simplify your journey to be more action-biased.But all of that work is just a foundation. The journey map we've created is a reflection of the current state, and the key question still remains: What do we do

The things service design professionals have to deal with...Okay, so your boss tells you drive to a place with “a great view,” hands a full tank of gas, and wished good luck. Oh and by the way, we need to be there in 30-days, no compass, no map.Now take a guess, how likely is it that after a month you'll have arrived at exactly the location they had in mind. I'd say anything higher than 0 is an optimistic perspective.This sounds pretty absurd, right? But I'm not making it up.But how often have you been in that exact situation at work? The destination is vague, nobody can tell you where you are today, and there’s no way to know if your actions are actually moving you in the right direction. And the cherry on top is when you're asked for hard evidence that you're getting closer, while someone else gets praised for reporting a higher average speed than last week. Yeah, but dude, are we even moving in the right direction? So painful and frustrating.If you didn’t know better, you might think th

Are you tired of proving the value of service design… over and over again?Well, I'm happy to share that you're not alone. It's one of the most common frustrations I hear from professionals in our field. You work hard, you get a win, you move the needle... and then the next project starts, and it feels like you're right back at square one, making the case all over again. Sound familiar.Many of us feel stuck in this endless "prove it" loop, wondering how to get service design to move from a special invitation to a fundamental expectation.So, how do you break the cycle? How do you build momentum that lasts?That’s the challenge we take head on in this episode of our Inside Service Design series.In this series we explore the real, unpolished practice of driving change from within organizations.For this conversation, I was joined by two brilliant in-house professionals, Nancy Samayoa and Sara Langston, who are deep in the reality of this work every day.They share some honest and insightful

I'm sure you've seen the news...At the outset, the recent announcement of the "America by Design" initiative and the new "National Design Studio" is quite exciting. It’s a huge spotlight on our field.But it also feels a bit strange, doesn't it? Because it wasn’t so long ago that the US government had 18F, an entire organization dedicated to improving the user experience of its services. And then, in early 2025, it was deemed "non-essential" and unceremoniously "deleted".One of the people right in the middle of it all was our guest, Ron Bronson. As the Head of Design at 18F, he was at the forefront of applying service design within the complexities of government. So, you can imagine that when Ron sat down with me for the conversation, it wasn’t just a walk in the park. We dove into some juicy questions that challenge the very core of our practice. Is service design too opaque and stuck in its own craft? What if we reframed our work as a form of “design as rep

All you want to do is run away…Okay, so you’re standing in a boardroom overlooking a beautiful vineyard, leading a workshop for a major client, and the only thing that's going through your mind is: How do I get out of there?This was a real moment for this episode's guest, Ben Rennie. And it's a feeling that I think many of us can relate to, even if the setting is different (vineyards sound good though).We’ve all heard stories of people who achieve incredible success. The entrepreneur, the athlete, the professional, only to end up feeling empty and miserable. They had their eye on "the prize," did everything to get it, but upon achieving their goal, they end up more unhappy than before.Well, this story is about what happens next.Ben co-founded a design agency that, by all external measures, was a huge success. He was working for leading brands and riding the wave. But one day, during that exact workshop overlooking the vineyard, he had enough. He quit his own agency. That single decision

What makes time go fast for you, and what makes it go slow...It's a powerful question that might just help you find more meaning and heck, yes even more joy in your work.We see a brighter future, but the system moves slowly. This mismatch can lead to frustration and burnout. What if the secret to creating change wasn't about the system, but about you?In this conversation with Martha Edwards, a public sector veteran, we talk about powerful personal habits that keep her effective and optimistic.In this episode we explore topics like:How to find satisfaction in work that might not bear fruit for yearsWhy the energy you bring to a room is one of your most powerful professional toolsAnd how a simple practice like writing "week notes" can be a hack to recognize your small wins and give you the motivation to keep going.This framing takes the pressure off and allows us to be kinder to ourselves, knowing we’ve contributed a piece to a larger, longer story. I'm curious if this metaphor resonate wi

What if we’ve been led down the wrong path…When it comes to service design, we’re often told the main goal is to break down silos. And that makes sense, right?Our organizations are structured vertically, but the experiences we design flow horizontally. This clash creates friction, so the natural instinct is to declare war on silos.But what if that’s sending us in the wrong direction?Silos exist for a reason; they bring focus and efficiency to specific tasks. The real problem is often the broken connection between them. So, what if instead of trying to eliminate silos, we focused on repairing them?In this episode, I talk with Ellen Pittman, a researcher who shares a fascinating case study from a high-stakes organization struggling to meet a critical, time-sensitive performance target. On the surface, the pressure was on a single department to solve it.But as they dug deeper, they discovered the true bottleneck wasn't in that department at all, or even on the organizational chart. The real roadblocks were l

I have to admit, even I got stuck...Recently, I was working on the onboarding journey for my Circle community.What started as a flexible journey inside a Miro board very quickly became a complex map that became impossible to use. With every new insight we wanted to add came questions about where it should go and how it should be defined. Due to these meta-level questions, we lost momentum, and the entire process slowed to a halt. Unintentionally, I had created a journey structure that was simply too complex to be useful in practice.Finding the right balance between structure and flexibility, as well as richness and overview, in your journeys is a challenge many of us face. That's why it's the next big problem we tackle in our Journey Management Playbook series.In the past episodes, we've used AI to generate a journey and then verified it to build trust. Now, we need to make it truly manageable.The core issue is that we often treat journey maps as containers for all information, when their true pow

Everyone wants change, just not for themselves…I remember a great experiment we used to do back in my agency days.At the start of a workshop, we'd ask everyone to put on a prop. It could be a hat, a pair of oversized glasses, or even a superhero cape. After some initial laughter, everyone usually played along.But the interesting part wasn't putting the props on. It was what happened in the minutes that followed.As we started the "official" program, the first person would quietly take their prop off. Then a second would follow, and so on. At no point had I instructed them to stop wearing the props, yet, one by one, they always did.It was a powerful way to confront the group with the strong pull towards conformity. Towards the default mode of doing things. Towards getting back in line.As service design professionals, we know that to create meaningful change, we have to challenge the way things are currently done. But doing anything outside the status quo is inherently risky, especially when the incentive struct

As a service design professional, what is your primary role...!?Are you the host who sets the table for collaboration and creates a safe space for everyone?Or are you maybe a trusted advisor, working quietly behind the scenes to help stakeholders make better decisions?Well, what if the answer is... both?This tension between hosting and advising is at the heart of the latest Inside Service Design episode, in which we explore the real, unpolished practice of driving change from within organizations.In this episode, we have a great conversation with two seasoned professionals, Seth Campbell and Phil LaDeur, who bring some honest perspectives to the table.Phil shares how we can create the perfect conditions for collaboration and influence by drawing inspiration from the concept of "Unreasonable Hospitality".And Seth talks about the importance of patience, humility, and the art of giving away choices to empower your team and build long-term trust.This is one of those episodes where you get a true peek be

What's the last time you did something you didn't know how to do...For me, it was last week when I took up the idea of building custom Cornhole boards (fun and addictive sport, look it up) with my kids.My woodworking skills are limited, at best. And that's one of the reasons I decided to take on this project.I can tell you, now in the midst of the process, that I've already made a dozen small mistakes. However, going out of my comfort zone and doing something for the first time is weirdly what gives me a great sense of joy and satisfaction. Next to having my own custom Cornhole boards at the end of this project I'm sure that the skills, experience and knowledge I'll have gained will be useful somewhere further down the line. So in my personal life, I try to create a lot of space for these types of projects. (Sometimes a bit too much space if you ask my wife.)But what if the environment you're in is explicitly designed to stay in its comfort zone... as much as possible?The reality i

What does it take to spend more of your time creating real impact...That's the central question we're exploring in our Journey Management Playbook series.In the last episode, we did something pretty amazing: we took a pile of raw data and, with a click of a button, watched AI generate a structured journey map in a matter of minutes.I'll admit even though I was a bit skeptical to start with, this felt pretty magical.But the truth is that this first draft is just the beginning.As you have hopefully seen, an AI-generated journey gives you an incredible head start, but it's not yet something you should bet your business on. So, how do you move from this first draft to a decision-making tool you can truly trust? How do you make it yours?That’s exactly where we're going in Episode 4. This is the essential next step.Once again, Tingting and I roll up our sleeves and show you the practical, step-by-step process of:Prioritizing what to tackle first, so you don't get overwhelmed.Verifying AI-gen

Let's be honest, unfortunately not many business truly cares about sustainable services... The energy debate around AI is finally highlighting digital services' environmental impact. But every service, digital or physical, consumes resources: energy, materials, and even our time. As service designers, we have a moral obligation to design with sustainability at the core.This episode tackles the real challenges: clients not asking, defining "sustainable," and measuring impact. Our guest, James Chudley, shares key lessons and real-world examples from his journey, showing how he integrates sustainability into daily design.Discover what it really takes to design services that are better for customers, better for business, and better for our planet. Plus, uncover a deceptively simple design principle that guarantees more sustainable services.Can you guess what it is? The clue is in this episode.Keep making a positive impact on customers, business, and our planet!--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome

Have you ever thought about...What a therapist, a grandma, and an organ donor teach you about service design?I know, this might sound like the start of a strange joke, but it gets to the heart of a big truth about our work. We invest a lot of time perfecting our journey maps, blueprints, and personas. But as we know, the challenges we work on won't be solved by a deliverable.They're solved through invisible "tools" like subtle influence, creating space for others, and building strategic relationships. So, where do you find these tools? Well, this episode is a great start.This episode is part of our "Inside Service Design" series, where we explore the real, unpolished practice of driving change from within organizations.And just like in the previous episodes you get to hear two brilliant in-house professionals, share some of their most powerful, non-traditional strategies. This time we're joined by Irina Damascan and Gina Mendolia.Gina walks us through her concept of "Setti

Ever feel like your most crucial work goes unnoticed? Just like the essential "cooling fluid" of a car, much of service design's impact—making teams efficient and processes smooth—operates in the background. But when it's missing, chaos erupts.In this episode, our guest Kat Thackray dive into the invisible, yet vital, work that drives true change in service design. We'll explore why this intangible effort is often overlooked, what it actually looks like in practice, and actionable ways to gain the recognition and resources you deserve.If you're tired of your crucial contributions being taken for granted, this episode is your roadmap to getting that unseen work finally recognized.Enjoy the conversation, and keep making that positive, even if sometimes invisible, impact!~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 22904:15 Who is Kat Thackray05:00 The Consultant's Dilemma07:45 Kat's "Aha!" Moment: Prioritizing People10:30 Painful Status Quo of Teamwork15:00 Why

It's time to continue our journey...In episode 1 of the Journey Management Playbook we pinpointed a key business challenge that we want to tackle. The focus of episode 2 was all about gathering qualitative and quantitative data to understand the 'what' and the 'why'.But now comes the big question: How do you transform all that valuable material into clear insights and identify the opportunities that will actually make a tangible impact, fast? Where should you even start to make sense of it all and prioritize your efforts?This is where the rubber meets the road, and it's exactly what we address in episode 3. We're diving into the crucial first steps of structuring and scoping. Just like in the past episodes, we're joined again by Tingting Lin from TheyDo, who shows us how to take our raw data and, with AI as our powerful co-pilot, quickly generate an initial, structured journey map.This episode helps you understand how to:Take your raw qualitative data (like survey responses or

Why does doing good service design often feel like an uphill battle...Okay, I'm on a mission this year to find the best recipe for BBQ Chicken Wings (recommendations are welcome, by the way).Over the weekend, I was experimenting with a new one (I'd give it an 8.5/10), and then it struck me.I can have the most delicious recipe, but if my guests turn out to be vegetarian, we spontaneously decide to go out for dinner, or the kids are just tired of eating chicken again, it won't matter. No one will appreciate my tasty chicken wings, no matter how hard I try.And obviously, the problem isn't with the recipe itself.Well, you might be surprised how often this exact scenario plays out in our work in service design.We pour our hearts and souls into crafting solutions that should create a positive impact on users and our organizations. Yet, somehow, a lot (maybe most?) of these well-designed solutions never actually see the light of day.Is it because they are bad solutions? Assuming you know what you'

Are they lying to us...You often hear people say that driving change as an in-house service design professional often feels less like a sprint and more like a marathon, right?But let's be honest, that's not quite true.In reality, it's more like running an ultra-marathon (and some more).We all know that "tangible" progress in service design can sometimes feel slow and far removed.Often, the real challenge isn't about which tools, methods, or frameworks you use.It’s about keeping your internal flame burning and maintaining momentum inside the organization, especially when things get tough.But here's the good news: some professionals have found ways to play the long game successfully.So, how do you sustain your energy, passion, and impact when the work feels like a long-distance race (without a clear path and unknown finish line)? That's what this new episode is all about.It’s part of our new series where we dive into the actual, unpolished practice of in-house service design.For this conversation, I was joined

Have we, as the design field, contributed to the erosion of our social fabric over the last years...I had a big week recently. My daughter received the news about which high school she'll be attending next year. In the Netherlands, we have a lottery system for high schools; you list multiple options and hope fortune smiles upon you for your first choice. The second option on my daughter’s list involved a 45-minute bike ride, which is quite a journey, even by Dutch standards.A few weeks prior, we’d made that bike ride together to visit the school. Reflecting on those 45 minutes, it struck me.The experience is, of course, completely different when you make that journey alone compared to when you’re riding alongside your best friend to school.Suddenly, those 45 minutes take on a totally new meaning. So, in this case to make the journey more enjoyable, you don't have to redesign the roads, you need to design for connection.This got me thinking: What if we shifted our focus in design? What would happen if