What's the most important tool in your service design toolbox?

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 195

03:30 Who is Frances

04:00 How she stumbled to Service Design

05:30 Lightning Round

08:45 Finding purpose by doing work outside of our work

10:30 What lead to this thinking

14:30 How the purpose translated

18:30 Increasing the chance of clarity

20:30 Insights to figuring out what you should be pursuing

27:00 How we can identify the impact that we are contributing

32:45 A knack for recognizing wins

39:30 Helpful methods to help you find purpose in your work

43:30 Piece of advice

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Design is at risk of being misused and exploited...

Wow, I had to let that sink in for a moment.

It's not the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the service design community.

I generally see a bunch of optimistic and passionate professionals dedicated to making the services around us better.

However, our latest guest, George Aye, delivers an important wake-up call. George argues that when we solely focus on the feasibility aspect of our work, we fall into the trap of contributing to challenges that aren't aligned with our values.

It's not enough to merely ask whether we can do something.

As a practice, we must take responsibility and hold each other more accountable for the impact we have on the people that we serve. The key question, according to George, is whether we should contribute to a particular challenge. No challenge is too small for thorough scrutiny. We need to overcome the idea that we should get involved in every project and demand higher ethical standards from ourselves and our clients.

But what does this mean in practice?

In our conversation, George, who leads a highly respected design studio, spills the beans on how his team holds him accountable for the clients and projects they take on. Why he has written over 50 break-up letters to clients and the importance of the "gut-check" tool as the crucial compass for guiding their decision-making process.

This conversation might make you uncomfortable at times—I certainly felt that way. Yet, I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for a moment, and I believe you might feel the same after listening.

The topic is too important to ignore.

One statement from George that continues to resonate with me: When a lawyer or doctor makes a mistake, they lose their license. What are the consequences when a design professional screws up?

This is a key question we must address to mature our field.

Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact.

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 194

03:45 Who is George

04:30 Lightning Round

08:00 Should we do it?

10:30 Am I asking this question enough?

14:30 A Project promoting unhealthy behaviors

20:00 Guns and tobacco

22:15 The risk of getting fired and it's trade-offs

26:15 How can we know when to speak up?

30:45 Examples when making a wrong judgment call

31:15 The Gut check

48:15 What to do when it doesn't play out well

53:45 How do we bring this to a broader community?

57:15 Moral injury

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Could it be that we're missing the ultimate metric of success?

If I asked you about the metrics driving your organization, I bet revenue, costs, and profit would top the list. Sure, staying in business means earning money, and for most organizations, growing profit has been the default mode of operation.

But here's the catch: more money shouldn't, and frankly can't, be the end goal. We all feel the consequences of that mindset today. So, if profit isn't the ultimate metric of success, what could be the alternative?

Our guest, Alan Moore, has an inspiring take on this. According to Alan, the metric to optimize our business for is beauty. Yes, you read that right, beauty. Now, I know this will sound a bit unconventional for some organizations, but just because beauty isn't a recognized metric doesn't mean it lacks importance.

Just imagine a world where we actually would optimize for beauty instead of profit. Intriguing, right?

So, is this just wishful thinking? Surely not! In our conversation, Alan shares practical tools and examples of companies that have embraced this philosophy, taking the first step toward a more beautiful business.

This is one of those conversations that could open up a whole new area in your opportunity space that will help you design better services.

What resonates with me about Alan's story? It's aspirational. It challenges the mainstream narrative and demands courage to follow this path. Perfect for the design community to embrace if you ask me

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 193

07:15 Who is Alan

08:30 How he stumbled upon Service Design

10:15 Lightning Round

11:30 Beauty will change the world

16:15 Why is it about beauty

22:45 3 Steps to Reset

28:45 How to look at the world differently

37:00 Steps in the "Do" Stage

47:45 When should we push reset?

49:15 Applying the work you're doing today

50:45 The point is to strive

52:15 How to know you're making progress

1:00:15 What you can do today

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--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

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Here's a crazy idea... Imagine you had a team of service design superheroes by your side.

A team that helps you take on the status quo head-on, challenging organizational inertia with confidence.

As service design professionals, we're playing the long game. Change is a journey, and navigating tough times is part of adventure.

Over the holidays, I read "The Long Game". In the book, the author underscores the importance of a strong support group to overcome short-term challenges and bridge the unavoidable chasm of doubt.

Well, enter the ​Circle community​ – our, or rather your, team of service design superheroes. If you've been following my work, you'll know that we've been carefully building this support group over the last three years. Since day one, the Circle has been an ongoing prototype, and (fortunately) not everything works out as we plan.

In this episode, you get a peek behind the curtains as we share the lessons learned from the past year. You'll also hear about our hopes for the future and what the next iteration of the Circle could look like.

The insights aren't just for those creating their own (internal) community; they will resonate with anyone on a journey of professional growth.

Having experienced the Circle firsthand, I have no doubt that actively exposing yourself to your peers' thoughts, ideas, and experiences is the most effective way to evolve into a mature and well-rounded professional.

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00:00 Circle Retrospective 2023 Special Episode

02:45 Welcome Brian & Hayden

03:45 How the Circle evolved

08:15 The Most helpful Dinner Table Session

11:00 What we will be exploring more

12:15 What's important for service designers

22:15 Small wins

26:45 Ways How the Circle has expanded

30:45 What to look forward in 2024

36:30 What the Circle Can Look like in 5 years

40:45 How we can improve our practice

44:45 Closing

We've all heard it before... An idea is nothing without execution.

As service design professionals, our mission goes beyond doing research and creating future scenarios. We're here to create real, tangible change in the lives of the people we serve.

But here's a frustration I'm sure you'll recognize: many insights we uncover eventually never materialize into solutions. It's been a critique of service design for years.

Why does this happen? Well, one reason is the handover moments within organizations. Many great ideas die in the transition between people, teams, and departments. Plagued by conflicting agendas, different objectives, and unequal resources. And as service designers, we lack the mandate or authority to see our ideas through to the end.

So here's a wild idea: What if there were no handovers?

What if service design were the driving force all the way through?

In this conversation, we sit down with ​Brad Alphonso​, who's successfully championed this approach within his organization. Service design is now a respected voice shaping customer experiences and influencing the business strategy.

We explore with Brad what it takes for service design to play this role within your organization. How can you earn the trust and confidence of those around you, allowing you to take the keys to the car?

We also dive into why we must expand our definition of design, step out of our comfort zones, and overcome imposter syndrome to lead the change we want to see.

An inspiring conversation based on a real-life case study that will surely give you some new ideas on how to turn ideas into impact.

Brad's insights have made me aware again that we need to redefine success as we mature within our organizations. Different stages require different metrics, and failing to adapt can leave us stuck—something to reflect on.

Enjoy the conversation!

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 192

06:00 Who is Brad

07:00 How he got into Service Design

10:30 Owning the journey

13:30 First-hand experience to pain

15:30 Should we eliminate the hand-off?

22:00 How they got people in the room

27:00 Meet the desires of the organization first

31:00 What Difference a Holistic Approach Can Make

33:30 Recalibrate what success is

40:00 The development process on how this could be implemented

41:30 The criteria of great work

45:00 When your work evolves the transformation

47:45 The biggest challenge in the shift

50:00 When you can't see immediate progress

53:15 A practical advice

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In our fast-paced society, we often find ourselves rushing through life. Whether meeting work deadlines or juggling personal commitments, speed and efficiency seem to rule the day.

Our interactions with others have become transactional, focused on accomplishing tasks rather than building meaningful connections. Have we lost the art of genuine communication, leaving us feeling pressured and stressed, constantly chasing happiness? Sometimes, it definitely feels so.

So what if we paused for a moment? What if we took the time to listen to one another without judgment or hidden agendas? Listening not to prove a point but to understand.

Our guest this week, Johnnie Moore, introduces us to the concept of Unhurried Conversations. What started as a simple experiment has grown into a movement.

Johnnie shares the origins of this movement, what it is at its core, and how it can be integrated into our busy lives, even in work settings where busyness often defines success. Unhurried Conversations act as a magical lubricant in our interactions, making everything flow more smoothly.

I won't spoil the surprise, but if you feel lucky, take a guess about what this magic entails before diving into our conversation.

In a world where change takes time, patience is an essential trait for every service design professional. I really do think that embracing an unhurried mindset can be a simple way to strengthen your patience muscle.

Enjoy and keep making a positive impact :)

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 191

05:00 Who is Johnnie Moore

05:30 How he stumbled with service design

06:30 Lightning Round

08:00 Topic for today: Have More Faith and Curiosity

10:30 It's not a secret: Unhurried Movement

13:00 The talking stick process

15:00 The experiment

17:00 Current state of Unhurried Movement

20:30 The result when people engage in the process

26:30 What it requires for a participant

30:00 What might not work - The Risk

33:15 The effects, level of progression when you "Unhurry:

35:00 Value in not doing and only listening and repetition

38:00 Advise when doing Unhurried conversation

43:45 Not having an agenda

46:00 Making human connections

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Design has failed... There's a growing narrative that design has fallen short, failing to tackle important business challenges and truly impact customers' lives.

But let's dive deeper. Was this a predictable narrative from the start? In recent years, design often found itself working within confined parameters, struggling to fit into an agile, time-boxed, and predictable fashion. Trying to responsibly and get in line with the rest of the business.

I've seen many talented service design professionals work their *ss off, still trying to deliver the best work within these boundaries. But the odds were always against them.

Perhaps it's our optimism or the sheer challenge that leads us to believe we can reshape design to fit within these constraints. We tried, and to some extent, we succeeded.

But when we're honest, the result often resembles a watered-down, marginalized version of what design is truly capable of. So, it's not surprising to come across critiques regarding the impact of design.

The question is, how do we get ourselves out of this messy situation? Our guest in this episode, James Helms, offers some intriguing insights.

One key aspect is to reconnect with design's superpower: crafting solutions that resonate with people on an emotional level. Additionally, we must find ways to get our executive leaders along this journey. Helping them see how it contributes to the bottom line.

We can and should also take more responsibility for the work we deliver. If that's not living up to our standards, we need to voice concerns. And when those concerns go unheard, sometimes, we must bravely decide to seek a more supportive environment.

If you also sense the potential for design to tackle bigger and more meaningful challenges but struggle with the practicalities, this conversation will give you some food for thought.

The conversation with James got me thinking again about the ever-present balance between a business's quest for predictability and the way design works. How predictable can our work be before it loses its magic?

Enjoy the episode, and keep making a positive impact!

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 190

05:30 Who is James

08:30 How James came across Service Design

11:00 Lightning Round

13:00 Design's current state

17:15 Design's value at the expense

19:15 The agile process

25:30 Design core values success stories

31:15 How to maintain the status quo?

32:00 Domino Effect

40:00 The Dilemma

50:00 Anecdotal evidence and stories

54:00 Is it our fault?

55:15 What's a better strategy?

1:03:00 Piece of advice

1:08:30 Three tech poles of a great creative

1:10:00 What James is doing now

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ResearchOps, it's a real game-changer... To drive home why, let me share a personal story.

I've been producing this podcast for six years now. There are at least 60 steps that need to be completed before a conversation reaches your ears.

Over the years, I've put different systems in place to make the production process run smoother. But here's the interesting part: Today, I spend about the same amount of time on each episode as I did in my first year.

So what's changed, you ask?

Now that I've standardized and documented the entire process, much of the logistical overhead is out of the way. I use that time to focus on our guests and the quality of our conversation -- the magic happens there.

So, what does this have to do with research?

Well, what if we applied a similar approach to research? We all know that there's no service design without research. However, getting the time and resources needed for proper research is tough.

Research is still often seen as an expense to be minimized rather than the investment it truly is—an investment that multiplies the value of your work down the line.

How can we streamline the research process to free up more time for the real magic to happen?

Well, that's where ResearchOps comes in! It's a community of passionate professionals looking into how research can be done smarter and deliver more value. Our guest in this episode, Kate Towsey, is at the forefront of this community.

In our conversation, we discuss how we, as service design professionals, can benefit from the work done by the ResearchOps community and why service design plays a crucial role in making ResearchOps even better—a beautiful self-reinforcing loop.

One important point from my conversation with Kate is that streamlining the research process isn't about doing less research—it's about increasing its quality.

Enjoy the chat, and keep making a positive impact!

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 189

05:00 Who is Kate

06:30 How I stumbled into Service Design

09:00 Lightning Round

11:00 Intersection Between ResearchOps and Service Design

14:15 What is ResearchOps?

20:45 Importance of a Research Library

27:00 The Secret to Research

32:00 How it impacts adoption

37:00 What's missing with ResearchOps

44:00 Importance of Research Strategy

48:30 Advise when connecting with a ResearchOps

52:00 The Future of ResearchOps

55:30 Resources

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There is no way around it; you have to lead... Here's the elephant in the room: Being in a leadership position can be a lonely and isolated endeavor.

As service design professionals, we often find ourselves in situations where people look up to us on what to do next. They put their trust in us to set out the course and direction. Great, right?

Well, if you're the one who has to carry the weight of making the correct call each and every time, it can easily lead to unhealthy situations and potentially burnout. Not to mention that the challenges we work on are simply too complex to solve in isolation.

But it doesn't have to be this way, as our guest, Amelia Diggle, shares in this episode.

In our conversation, Amelia shares some unconventional leadership practices that promote collaboration, effectiveness, and even fun, from working out loud to deep listening and mindfulness.

Amelia's insights offer a much-needed, refreshing perspective on compassionate leadership.

As you'll hear, regardless of whether you hold a formal leadership role or not, you can inspire change by modeling positive behavior.

So please join us for the chat and what it takes to become a compassionate leader who achieves results.

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 188

05:30 Who is Amelia

08:00 Lightning Round

10:15 How we can be more collaborative leaders

13:45 Design having more influence

16:45 Leadership isn't collaboration

21:00 What to expect to do differently

22:30 What's "Working Out Loud"

27:00 How to get people to work on the right level

29:15 What to Avoid

35:00 Being Good at Listening

42:30 Am I Listening Enough

43:30 Dealing with a Loud Person

49:30 A Pivotal Milestone

52:30 Importance of having a Vision Statement

57:45 Piece of advice

1:00:30 Connect with Amelia

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Let's face it... In many organizations, human-centered design, unfortunately isn't yet woven into the cultural fabric.

This means that design often still needs to earn its stripes before it gets fully accepted inside an environment that's dominated by a different mindset.

And the stakes are high. Either design's influence grows, and investments shift toward it, or it risks fading into insignificance.

Right now, there's a strong debate going on in our field: How can we earn this respect without losing our design essence, the very source of our effectiveness?

​Scott Zimmer, our guest this week, brings a wealth of insights on what it takes to persuade organizations to make substantial (financial) investments in design. Through his experiences in executive leadership roles, he successfully championed design, building environments where it was regarded as an equal partner rather than a replaceable resource.

In this conversation, we delve into the strategies for building bridges between business and design, ensuring mutual understanding and appreciation.

As you'll hear, Scott offers practical, actionable steps to drive change within your organization, from the influence of job titles to crafting stories that resonate with your business partners.

So, if you're interested in learning what really moves the needle in favor of design from someone who's been at the very top, make sure you don't miss this one!

One key takeaway from my discussion with Scott is that we should hold firmly to our principles and not doubt the value we bring to the table.

We can be both brave and humble.

~ Marc

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00:00 Welcome to Episode 187

05:45 Who is Scott

09:00 Lightning Round

10:30 Designers seeking respect

16:30 Respect revered

18:30 How to earn the respect

26:00 Valuing what designers put into the table

30:15 What it means to be an equal partner

36:30 Making  a positive impression

39:45 The status quo

44:30 Bragging rights in your favor

47:00 Lessons learned

56:00 It's a bet

59:15 What's next for Scott

1:04:30 Final takeaway

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