5 things I Learned While Working as a Service Designer in a Non-profit Start-up
When I started working at a non-profit start-up as a service designer, I will admit it took me a while to settle in. I had previously only worked in much larger organisations that had a clear hierarchical structure. In addition, I had only recently launched my own service design business, so many things were new to me. So I was struck by many things after taking on this project. Here are the 5 most interesting ones:
1. Things move fast!
I had actually applied for a job posting but that had gone to someone else even before the closing date. While this experience in itself was new to me, the fact that they still wanted to chat with me as my profile was very interesting for them, surprised me even more. I waited a couple of days after talking face-to-face with one person and then spoke to the CEO and I was offered a project pretty much on the spot. That level of trust that the CEO has in their employees is fantastic to experience and the speed at which they can shift directions, or even add a new direction (and see potential) is inspiring.
2. You will be asked to be more than a service designer
I had been offered the project as a service designer and I certainly was doing that job. But there were related tasks that popped up here and there and since I was there and I had some expertise in those too, I was able to pitch in with many different jobs. Like helping to create website copy and design or sharing tips gathered from a workshop I attended on improving ppt presentations. I actually enjoy this kind of variety in my work, so it suited me well.
3. Initiative is necessary
The entire structure is open to ideas. This was pretty new to me. You could discuss informally with anyone an idea that you had even if it wasn’t the specific area you were working in. They would let you know if it had been tried before or what the resources were for such an idea (mostly with no budget but if you could dream it, you could do it). But always, someone tried to help you to make it happen. “Sounds good”, “let’s try that”, “do you want to lead on that?”…this is what I heard on a daily basis. Makes a great change from some of the more rigid structures I have been a part of before. This was great also for me as a service designer. Being able to suggest changes based on the insights I had gathered from interviews and then be able to gather further feedback after the implementation was a great opportunity. This is an unusual situation for a service designer to be in. There is a discussion now happening in the service design field about what role a service designer has in the implementation phase. I was able to not only experience that but to also able to use my expertise to deliver value personally to the user and wait to see if it actually added value.
4. Trying is rewarded- not only successes
In such an agile environment, ideas are welcomed and action is celebrated. Many ideas are trialled and those that are successful continue. But there is no shame in something that doesn’t work — fail fast, fail forward. Not everything people try will be a hit, but you never know until you do it. That is what is happening right now regarding the entire programme that I helped to re-design. It is in its 5th iteration at the moment and we will see how the changes implemented after the service design process have been successful on this next, larger, group of individuals. As long as you are trying out ideas that have come from some insight you have gathered, it is worth a try.
5. Sharing your knowledge is encouraged
Once a week 45 mins is set aside in the calendar for someone…anyone…in the community to share their knowledge on a subject. Not everyone is interested, not everyone has the time to come to each one, but there are always some interested people who are able to reserve the time to listen. Connections are made and some interesting collaborations come out of these sessions. Some of my previous work places did not make time for community building or for showcasing skills. But at this organisation, showcasing your skills was pretty much a pre-requisite. This kind of organisation relies on community contributions and community involvement therefore any value you can bring to the table is encouraged to be shared. I was able to talk about service design and what it means to businesses and organisations today, how it was being used to re-design one of the services they delivered, and to explain what it was that I was doing (for those who did not quite understand what my role was). I was also encouraged to extend my participation into areas that were not related at all to my work.
Working at a non-profit start-up was a first for me. It may seem like a bit of an oxymoron but having them both at the same time provided a great starting point for learning. Working with people who were passionate about what they do and are driven by a mission was very inspiring. I will be taking all these lessons forward with me.
Pamela Spokes is a service designer with her own company called Discover Design Do — discoverdesigndo.com. She has recently co-founded a new project called Creative Pause which provides facilitated workshops for people who need some guidance for designing a life they love.
Pamela designed The Shortcut’s Catalyst Programme, which has a new intake about every 2 months. Join the coming up info session dedicated to the next programme by registering right here! You can also follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.
