Insights from the Service Design Days in Barcelona
So we went to Barcelona last week. We ignored the Sagrada Familia, we forgot about Gaudi and we left the beach aside. We didn’t even go to the Ramblas because we went to the… wait for it… Service Design Days!
Together with over 200 Art Directors, UX designers, Service Designers, Brand Managers, Marketeers, Business Consultants and Whatsoevers we listened to as much as 12 keynotes and participated in 2 masterclasses. We learned that theatre and service design are not so different, how context is the most critical variable of them all, how to do customer research by becoming one of them, why you should get out of your building, why first drafts must be shitty and last but not least, how to use sticky notes in a proper way.
So here’s what I remember after one week:
1. If you want a coffee in the morning, you better get up early.
Yes the cue was long and I think someone seriously overestimated the work capacity of the Barista. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not find another downside to the whole event. The location was amazing, the conference was well organized, the artwork well designed, the food was great and the keynotes insightful. But most of all: the people were awesome!
2. There are many ways to use a sticky note but only one is right.
After more than 15 years of intensive use, someone finally explained how to tear off sticky notes in a way they don’t curl up. What do you know? Apart from this clever insight Patrick van der Pijl had us working on the Context Canvas. We have been using the Business Model Canvas for years, but this approach is very refreshing. It’s the missing link between everyday reality and coming up with a new business idea. We’re also very happy with the book. Thank you for that.
3. I have been looking at customer research the wrong way.
Asier) taught us that beards are still a very important accessory in the community. It also helps if you know what you’re talking about and Asier sure does. His experimental approach to customer research was eye-opening. He reminded me of my classes in anthropology back in the day. I kept wondering why I forgot all these things, Asier makes them seem so obvious. And yet when I usually think of user research, there’s always lots of technology and statistics involved. This keynote was an interesting reminder that it’s all about empathy. It’s about taking a seat at your customer’s table. If you weren’t at SDDBCN, you should definitely check out the website at www.dowayo.net.
4. Estrella is a decent beer.
And we should know. After all, we spend our days in another old brewery in Belgium. You know the small brewer AB-InBev? This is were it all started. And coincidence or not, they brew Stella. Which is slightly better than Estrella. What did you expect?
5. Forget about complicated prototyping tools. Just play it.
But play it seriously. That’s what we learned from Adam StJohn Lawrence. I did not expect to be yelling through an imaginary phone because of an even so imaginary alarm system. But Adam really did create a safe space for innovation. His masterclass was my personal favourite because of two things. Firstly, Adam addresses a real-life problem I am faced with every single time I run a workshop. Secondly, he showed us how you can prototype a complete service without so much as a pen. Here we are using tools to create clickable wireframes and sketches, when you can play the whole thing just as easily. But play it like you mean it. And whatever you do, whatever happens, always respect the rules of rehearsal. Whoooo!
5. IDEO does great stuff.
They should be banned from the conference because they make the rest of us feel like amateurs. Which we probably are. No seriously: great cases, great storytelling. Way ahead of where we are standing and very, very interesting. So thank you Barbara Franz (IDEO) for showing us the power of prototyping with real people. You really hit my sweet spot with your inspiring cases and you set the bar for the whole industry. To my boss who’s probably reading: this is not an application. To IDEO: this wasn’t a pipe either.
6. It’s not about the steak, it’s about the sizzle!
Edenspiekermann showed us once again that it’s not just what you do, it’s the way that you do it. Let’s face it, being almost last in the program is not a treat. Then again, having a title like ‘Under the Skin’ is. Joost Holthuis and Jonne Kuyt took the floor in the late afternoon and they know how to deliver a line. Surely, they had great cases and even a ten-step framework, but my main takeaway from their keynote is that it’s not about the steak, it’s about the sizzle. They were quite confident we would remember them next year. So far, so good.
If someone asks me about the Service Design Days, I just smile and tell them that I’m gonna be there next year. Definitely.
