Service Design YAP

Send us a Text Message.Ever wondered how society-driven design can spark profound social change? Join us as we sit down with Judah Armani, an inspiring educator who shares his unique journey from studying design at St. Martin's to cleaning industrial bean-pots for Heinz, and how these experiences shaped his passion for creating meaningful dialogues that lead to material change.Judah takes us through the importance of moving beyond quick-fix methods, explaining how a balance between data-driven design and visionary insights can lead to transformative ideas that resonate deeply with communities.Judah's two decades of experience reveal the necessity of being open to personal change before facilitating broader societal transformations. We dive into the nuances of designing conversations that foster genuine collaboration and trust, stressing that these processes can't be rushed. From building trust within historically let-down communities to creating authentic, impactful solutions, Judah's insights illuminate the critical role of empathetic engagement in driving sustained social change.But the conversation doesn't stop there. We also explore In House Records, an innovative approach to prison education, where music becomes a powerful tool for learning and rehabilitation. Judah introduces the concept of a record label as a dynamic learning environment, merging numeracy, literacy, and business skills in captivating ways. This chapter not only showcases the enthusiastic response from inmates but also critically examines the limitations of traditional education models. Through compelling narratives and personal anecdotes, we uncover the transformative potential of aligning educational methods with individual interests, ultimately paving the way for reduced re-offending rates and successful rehabilitation.Judah's book, Society Driven Design  was published in May and is available from small independent bookshops (and the big, corporate ones too).About Judah: Judah Armani is an educator, frequent maker and occasional writer.He is a partner at The Royal College of Art where he heads up the Social Impact Studio within the Service Design M.A. programme. He is an visitong professor of Service Design at the Musashino Art College in Tokyo, Japan, and a visiting fellow at the Rhode Island School of Design’s strategic studio; The Center for Complexity in Providence, USA.Judah is also a visiting lecturer at Elisava school of design in Barcelona, Spain and Köln international school of design in Cologne, Germany.Judah is the founder of Public Service Design Practice, co-creating award winning initiatives that have beService Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.In this episode we meet designer Emma Parnell and talk about working out when its time to move on.    InMany of our episodes focus on finding your idea job, but knowing when it time to go is equally, if not more important.  Emma talks about the leading indicators that should nudge us to to consider finding our next role, even when we're working in a great role with people we love. We also have a great student question from Carin Effendy,  from the University of Bath, who's asks about evaluating the real values of a new employer. One of Emma's favourite sources is Lou Downe's Good Services. Its a classic.About EmmaEmma Parnell has 15 years experience as a designer. This is split between strategic brand development and user centred design for products and services. Emma has supported a wide range of organisations to design services that work for the people who use and deliver them including Tesco, NHS Digital, Cancer Research UK and many other public and third sector organisations.Building connection is at the heart of Emma’s work. She is passionate about the relational aspect of service design because ultimately services are delivered by people, for people. Emma is a champion for inclusive design and equity of access for all - especially in the gender diversity space.Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.Many of us started are career as business consultants before finding Service Design, however, few of us can claim that the lure of a free Friday fish and chip lunch started their design career journeys.  Daniel Tuitt's career journey  has given him a great perspective about portfolio careers, where commercial and pro bono projects can be balanced to "pay the bills and feed the  soul".  Portfolio careers are not for everyone, but, for the right designers, they can provide vital autonomy when it comes to taking work that's aligned to your values. Daniel also sets out some ground rules about working with and for under-represented groups.  He talks about how vital it is to avoid positioning designers as saviours and how engaging stakeholders in community co-design projects involved balancing listening, respecting input and paying participants. Thanks to Ruchi Lockande, who recently graduated from Brunel Uni for this episode's student question. About DanielDaniel is an Accredited Service Designer master trainer with Global Service Design Network with over 12 year experience in innovation strategy, business and service design. Through his portfolio career, he has helped large international organisations, startups, and social impact organisations navigate complex challenges while challenging them to think about WHY and HOW they create new value. He works with brands, including Nike, Lloyds Bank, Ministry of Justice, Samsung, BT, Lego, and Vodafone, to identify challenges that stop growth. He helps businesses discover & leverage new technologies, business models, service opportunities, systems thinking & co-innovation as a lead service designer. Daniel is obsessed with the intersection between building communities, unrepresented startups and creating new value worldwide.Links from this episode.The Wheel of Privilege Climate Labs UKOpen IDEOJustice: What's the Right Thing to Do? By Michael Sandel Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.In this episode we talk with Clive Grinyer. He's not only one of the most universally respected members of the UK service design community, but also a fantastic storyteller, as evidence by the podcast which flows between the Aristotelian version of love and Taylor's version (yes, that Taylor).  We talk about  the relationships between love, trust and a healthy bottom line and how more companies need to take the value of  “customer love”, ubiquitous in mission statements, and bake these into customer journeys.Clive's new project , Project Love,   considers how designers can design with love and design to foster the conditions that promote love between human beings.  And this could not have come at a better time.   For a world that's seemingly obsessed with "Love Island", the daily news  indicates that love is definitely not all around at the moment. References in the podcastHow Korean smart crossings are helping mobile fixated citizens to cross roads.   Wired article here.The Speed of Trust  video here ... or book (please consider buying a preloved version).Clive's book Redesigning Thinking  will be published in 2025.  Clive's BioClive Grinyer is an advisor and trainer in service, digital and transformation design. He is a strategic advisor to Bosch and has delivered executive training in design to companies including Honda, Panasonic, the Dorchester Hotel chain, UK Fire and Rescue services and the Bank of England.Clive has led design and innovation teams for Barclays Bank and Cisco, set up design studios for Samsung and telecoms company Orange and was Director of Design and Innovation for the UK Design Council. He started his career with innovation consultancy IDEO in the US and was the founder of the design consultancy Tangerine along with Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive. Clive was Head of Service Design at the Royal College of Art (RCA) from 2019 to 2023.Creative review placed Clive in their Top 50 and described him as “a passionate advocate for the transformational potential of design for some three decades. Today’s focus on the value of digital product design and on design’s value in leading customer experience in the UK is, in large part, due to his work." Clive speaks at international conferences and is the author of the book “Smart Design”, on design and technology, and is writing his next book “Redesigning Thinking” on how to use design methods to make better decisions. He hasbeen a trustee of the Royal Society of Arts and Chair of the Design Business Association Design Effectiveness AwardService Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.Kris Kelly-Frère is a singular individual.  When we first met at a design event, the room was filled with austere design folk in cookie-cutter black t-shirt and black jeans. Kris was the only person wearing a kimono.   You just knew that he'd have something interesting to say. It turned out that Kris has a lot to say about the concept of Play . Especially how fostering the conditions for play helps groups to collaboratively design better and bolder solutions that are relevant for them and their stakeholders. He's passionate about taking concepts developed for encouraging autonomous and intrinsically  motivated play in kids and applying this to service design engagements.  This very different approach, has yielded very different outcomes with materially better impact.There are two things to note in the podcast.  First, although we started out with the intention of following our  YAP interview framework, Kris' "natural talent for storytelling" meant that we  departed from the framework before we'd really started... and the episode is all the better for it.  At one point a woman dresses as a bee and rides a penny farthing.  Sometimes you have to give in and go with it.  Second, this is the first time that we've used AI to edit the episode. The results were interesting, rather than time saving. I'm sure that things will improve.About KrisAs Creative Practice Lead for J5 Design, Kristofer Kelly-Frere makes magic serious business and wants to help you explore the edges of what seems possible. J5 is a design studio dedicated to creating a kinder, more beautiful future together in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.With more than 15 years of experience in senior design roles, Kristofer has worked across a range of public, private, and government institutions to craft experiences, lead deep engagement, found design labs, and deliver ground-breaking social impact projects. Kristofer led the team responsible for “Braver Training Grounds” - a project with Red Deer Housing Authority that won the 2022 Global Service Design Award. Success like this is the result of his love for playing in the mud of ambiguity in order to move innovative dreams across the threshold into reality.Links & Peeps  that Kris mentioned in our podcast: The Land.  A short film about adventure play in England/North America.  Kris said that he's  intrigued by the kinds of questions it asks if you start thinking about comparing the dynamics between the play workers and kids vs. designers and clients. And for me lets us think about the magic and messy space between design (solutions) and art (questions) that we might call play.In the episode Kris mention some incredible folks who have influenced his  practice. Erin Dumenko, Lisa Latouche (https://lnkd.in/gKqsjrfB), Meghan Durieux, Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.In this episode we have a frank and fresh talk with Jenny Winfield about Trauma Informed Design Research. We discuss Jenny's route into the profession and she provides a clear and concise overview of Trauma Informed Design, and its four pillars:SafetyTrust/TransparencyAgency &Hope Jenny also shows how these have been applied in her favourite projects - who knew that death doulas existed?Links to references in the podcast:This is HCD.  A great intro to Trauma Informed Design.Practicing without a licence.  An academic paper that looks at negative impact of  design research turns into therapy, by Tad Hirsch To learn more about  Chayn, a charity supporting those experiencing gender-based violence,  (or to support them with a donation) click here.Jenny's site: www.jennywinfield.co.uService Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.In our last episode of 2023 we meet Jeanette Clement, a seasoned service design leader who helps organisations meet the needs of users through evidence-based decisions, collaborative design and problem solving strategies.Jeanette currently working as the Head of Service Design at BT and EE, where she is leading a user-centred transformation within the organisation. Under Jeanette’s guidance,  the User Research team and now the Service Design team have blossomed, delivering value through  user-centered approaches and agile methodologies.In the episode Jeanette talks about how design has been championed at BT by  its Design Director, Connor Ward and the ground-breaking Design Apprenticeship Scheme, set up recently by Richard Chong, who sadly passed away this year. Donations can be made to Richard's charities here.Jeanette also mentions the  inspirational work of Kate Tarling,   and specifically her work around the Service Organisation. Jeanette previously held the position of Head of Design and User Research at Parliament Digital Services. Here, Jeanette established multidisciplinary teams, fostering an agile and lean approach to design and development.BT Design's blog can be found here.Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.In this episode we meet the multi disciplinary designer, Scott Shaw and hear his four tactics for designing experiences that engage humans.   He also shares tips about how he made his relationship with his "design husband" work, and how pervasive experience branding is ruining the game of cricket.Scott  has held various design leadership roles both in house and in agency. Having cut his teeth at R/GA and Huge, he’s gained experience across the board on projects ranging from storytelling platforms for the visually impaired to full scale plant management software.References from the show: Universal Everything.  Fantastic any hypnotic AI generated walking figures.... prepare to lose an hour watching and guessing what's next. Super Mario Bros Designing On-Boarding  Elegant. Engaging. Does not feel like on-boarding. Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.At the Service Design Global Conference in Berlin, we talked to 9 designers at the beginning of their professional journeys.  Each told a different story about what brought them to the discipline and what their hopes and aspirations were. Thanks for sharing your stories.PolinaValentinaAndreaOona Amanda AnnuFelipeTetyanaJaidonThe YAP team for this episode were:Elmer ZinkhannJean WatanyaMandana DilmaghaniStepen Wood.Special thanks to the folks from the Service Design Podcast for lending us their recording kit when ours "went missing" on a flight.----------------------------------------------------------------------Resources mentioned in the podcast.PolinaStep into ecology of mindPolitics of everydayThe Reflective Practitioner (by Donald Schön)JaidonAlex HormuziFelipeThe machine stopsValentineGood Services by Lou DowneAndreaVisualising ComplexityService Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a Text Message.On October 5th-6th Service Designers from across the world will come together in Berlin for the Service Design Global ConferenceThey'll talk about the challenges facing the industry,  catch up with old friends, meet new friends and hear inspiring talks. They'll also argue about the availability of good coffee in Berlin.  It's just what designers do.  In this bonus pico-podcast, we talk to SDN's David Russo,  about: the conferences overarching theme, the most interesting speakers how to play the AI drinking game,  and what's going to be expected at the Service Design Afterparty (imagine Coachella + Burning Man for the Design Community). You can get your tickets here and, for a limited time,  use the code ALLSDGTENPERCENT to get your Service Design YAP listener discount. We'll also be recording a YAP Student episode at the event tapping into the world of our next-gen designers (and rewarding them with exclusive swag). Watch out for our roving reporters.Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community. Episode Host: Stephen Wood Production Assistance: Jean Watanya