The Idea Lab
The Idea Lab is an information resource for service designers, where we share knowledge, including models and tools. By helping to grow and nurture service design through ideas, we hope to bolster the field of service design and careers of service designers.
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Service Design News and Ideas
Why Services Fail: Not Customer Service!
Improving customer service will rescue a failing service, some argue. Not true. Even though this notion fuels an entire industry around customer service, it is not based on solid ground. Friendliness, responsiveness . . . are all problems for HR, not designers....
Got an Idea for a Service? Here’s How to Evaluate its Merit
It is so much easier to dismiss a new idea than explore its merit. Many organizations are risk-adverse and executives simply find it easier to say “no” to avoid disruption. That thinking, however, results in missed opportunities. Quickly evaluating new ideas helps...
How to Create a Service Recovery Program, or Not?
Myth busting: Satisfying disgruntled users doesn’t always lead to loyalists.
Calling on Service Designers: Playing at a Theater Near You
The the cinema house industry is prime for service designers to make their impact—with one service entrepreneur already causing disruption, Mitch Lowe co-founder of Netflix.
Exceed User Expectations at your Peril
Its plainly impractical to exceed user expectations, it sets up providers for failure when their services can no longer meet user expectations.
The “Error” in Trial and Error – The Need For Service Design Techniques
For years Capital One has been attempting to transfer its consumer banking services to digital user experiences. Its latest move has been to open several Capital One Cafés, part WeWork concept and part Starbucks concept, without the look and feel of a traditional...
Prototyping Services Case Study: Storm Rescue Operations
As Dorian moves its way up the U.S. coast, I’m reminded of our prototyping exercises for FEMA, our crisis communications team hunkered down for two weeks, devising plans for how FEMA would respond and operate its communications for future disasters
Smart Cities: Opportunities for Service Designers
(Part of an ongoing series of potential service design opportunities. International Service Design Institute) I am continually on a search for emerging opportunities for service designers. So far I’ve discovered service designers will be called upon to solve some of...
Steve Jobs – A Service Design Pioneer
Steve Jobs, hoping to heighten shopper experiences, began experimenting with touchpoints early on in the evolution of Apple, according to his biographer. His first attempt was a cyber café, an idea built around demonstrating Apple products. But that proved unworkable...
Comprehensive Foundation Published for the Field of Service Design
ISDI issues the Second Book of Knowledge (BoK) for the field of Service Design. The Bok Established a Standard that Service Designers and Employers Can Use for Assessments, Certification, Training, and Reference.
With Service Design Prototyping, Patience is Key
Henry Ford and James Dyson share in common that they only realized success after multiple prototypes over the course of a decade or more, with the Model T and the Dyson cyclonic vacuum. Henry Ford explored at least nineteen designs prior to coming up with the iconic...
Healthcare Delivered on Your Terms – Patient Experiences Through Service Design
There is a critical role for service designers in healthcare to help transform the sector from treating illnesses to preventing them, implementing tailored approaches to individual healthcare needs. The new healthcare experience will be different, hospital...
