Mind the Gap
Reflections on the SDN Global Conference in Madrid
by Dennis Hambeukers. Published originally in Touchpoint Vol. 9 No. 3 — Service Design at Scale
When I look back at the Service Design Global Conference in Madrid, the theme that sticks with me is the gap between design and business. If we want to scale service design, connecting design thinking and doing to the reality of business is crucial.
The service design skills we developed and the designs we produce are useless if they end up in a drawer. If the service we designed is not implemented and delivered by the organisation, our designs are useless. Service design can spark interest and enthusiasm, but the delivery is where the real value lies.
Most organisations today have a dominant logic that is based on scientific and economic models. They feel the need to innovate, and they even recognise the value of design in accomplishing that. But they struggle to incorporate the design approach. On the other hand, designers are having difficulty getting past the initial enthusiasm for their designs and really driving change. This applies for both external agencies and in-house design teams. Modern businesses require planning and control, clear governance, returns on investment, business cases and good scores on their key performance indicators. These things are often difficult to reconcile with the intuitive, explorative, messy way of working of design. When design acts on the fringes of business, this is not such an issue. But with service design, we are touching core aspects of business — the way people work and organise themselves.
Designers should play a role in bridging this gap. If we aim for maximum impact and value of design for business, we must own this gap. We have to step outside the design bubble and acquire new knowledge and skills. Service designers are in a great starting position: We are able to connect silos, trigger new mind-sets and create solutions that add value for users. But to really drive change, we have to embed ourselves deeper into the core of business thinking. The question is, how? It seems logical to dive deep into the needs and context of business, just like we do with the users. If we see design as a service, not only to the users but also to the business, how would we design that service? What is the job to be done for which you should hire a service designer? Can design contribute to governance goals such as risk reduction, value creation, performance and the business case? Can design help make work more engaging, more human?
When we think about the value of design for business, the ‘why’ is clear to most. Design has qualities business is missing, and that is becoming more and more apparent. The ‘what’ is also evident. We have to do user research, draw journey maps, prototype and create blueprints. But the ‘how’ is the question that matters most now. How can we make sure that the things that service designers do contribute to the reason we are hired?
