A couple of years ago we decided that our vision at Optimal Usability was to help transform New Zealand organisations into providers of world- class customer experiences. We quickly came to the conclusion that world- class experience is almost always across channels, and while we had done lots of projects with different channels, very few were about researching and designing the end-to- end experience. This was about the same time that service design was gaining some currency as an umbrella term for cross-channel customer experience. We figured that we really needed to bone up on what service design was, and how it applied to what we did. The resulting journey took us 3 years and we discovered a lot about how to “learn service design”. Some innovative approaches included spending 3 months doing service design on ourselves, interviewing CEOs of service design companies and conducting internal knowledge sharing sessions. In this presentation I'll share our journey, our lessons and our mistakes; and give you some ideas that you can try.

1. How we taught
ourselves
service design
Service Design 2012
5 May 2012
Sydney, Australia
Trent Mankelow
Optimal Usability

2. 2003:Usability
Focus on a single screen

3. 2004:User Experience
Focus on a single touchpoint
2003:Usability
Focus on a single screen

4. 2008:???
Focus on all of the touchpoints
that make the entire
experience
2004:User Experience
Focus on a single touchpoint
2003:Usability
Focus on a single screen

6. This is the same
stuff we are
thinking about!

7. But Where to
start?

8. How do we
learn?

9. Experiential Learning Theory – David A. Kolb
1.
Experience
2. Observe
4. Test ideas
and reflect
3. Develop
ideas
Kolb. D. A. and Fry, R. (1975) Toward an applied theory of experiential learning. in C. Cooper (ed.) Theories of Group Process, London: John Wiley

10. Step 1. Experience

11. Step 2. Observe and reflect

12. Step 3. Develop ideas
Version 1:
Too much
detail on
one slide
Version 2:
Split into
two slides

13. Step 4. Test ideas

14. Step 5. Start over again at Step 1…
1.
Experience
2. Observe
4. Test ideas
and reflect
3. Develop
ideas

15. 1. Experience
2. Observe
4. Test ideas
and reflect
3. Develop
ideas

16. In April 2010 we ran a 3-month service design project on
ourselves

17. We used a blog to document the learnings…
[Screenshot of blog -
http://ouservicedesign.wordp
ress.com/]
17

18. …together with video diaries

19. The project resulted in lots of interesting artefacts…

20. ..and led to concrete change in the our own client experience
[Screenshot of Hello book]

21. It even influenced how we went about our recent office refit

22. Step 1. Concrete
experience
taught us...

23. 1. It’s crucial to keep iterations short and the scope narrow

24. 2. We had to give ourselves license to fail

25. 3. Don’t underestimate the need to sell internally

26. 1. Experience
Observe
– Read
– Interview 2. Observe
4. Test ideas
Reflect and reflect
– Present
– Write
3. Develop
ideas

27. There is a lot to read, but it can get a bit repetitive
27

28. Interviewing luminaries was very interesting
[Scan of page in small black
notebook from Ben Reason,
notes from Peter Morville]
28

29. [Venn diagram from small
black notebook]
29

30. If you want to learn…teach. We started with a friendly client…

31. …Then we ran a ‘breakfast briefing’ – here’s our first in 2006
[Photo of Donna presenting at
a breakfast briefing]
31

32. Introduction to Service Design breakfast briefing - Feb 2010
[Email invite to Wellington
session, Sold out sign]
32

33. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXitPLqQDxc

34. We then presented to in-house teams and industry groups

35. We also blogged about service design on our website
[Show screen shots of blogs
from
http://www.optimalusability.c
om/category/service-design-
2/]
35

36. Step 2. Observing
and reflecting
taught us...

37. 4. Comfort – we could do this!

38. 5. It helped to have existing platforms: YouTube, Slideshare, etc

39. 1. Experience
2. Observe
4. Test ideas
and reflect
3. Develop
ideas

40. Knowledge Club (c. 2007) 2 hours every fortnight
[Pic of Thea running her
comics Knowledge Club]
40

41. How can we use Knowledge Clubs to learn service design?

42. Service Design Knowledge Clubs
1. An introductory ‘whistle stop’ tour of 3
papers
2. Service Design Circus: 22 techniques in
120 minutes
3. In-depth on 4 of the most useful
techniques

44. • 22 service design techniques in 120 minutes
• 5Ws + H
• References
• Examples

45. We voted on the most interesting / useful techniques…
[Round 1 voting.xlsx]
45

46. …And ran in-depth sessions on the 4 that were most voted for
[Exploding trousers from
storytelling.ppt]

47. Some of the sessions were run by guest speakers
Lucha Libre poster from http://rderudooficial.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/nueva-gran-temporada-en-la-lopez-mateos.html

48. Step 3.
Developing ideas
taught us...

49. 6. It was important to have a safe place to experiment
Photo of wrestling gym from http://www.pueblacapital.gob.mx/work/sites/deporte/resources/LocalContent/181/1/08_img.jpg

50. 7. Sometimes it’s good to be “forced” to learn
Photo from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/jXJGlFDC4Zn/Mexican+Wrestlers+Lucha+Libre+Prepare+London

51. 8. To develop our service design muscles we had to ‘‘get in the
ring”
Photo from http://www.crackajack.de/2012/02/21/colin-delfosses-congolese-wrestlers/

52. 9. We had to develop our own “fighting style”
Photo from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/jXJGlFDC4Zn/Mexican+Wrestlers+Lucha+Libre+Prepare+London

53. 1. Experience
2. Observe
4. Test ideas
and reflect
3. Develop
ideas

56. 261,700
New Zealanders had falls in their
own homes in 2010

57. The societal and economic cost
of all falls in New Zealand is
$1,840,000,000
p.a

58. ACC asked us to help.
What would you do?

59. 1. We started by designing the approach, together with ACC,
for one of New Zealand’s largest ever co-design projects

60. 2. We ran 3 forums across NZ with approx. 100 staff

61. The agenda looked like this
SHAPE OF THE DAY
Our task: Big, bold ideas to significantly reduce 9AM
impact from falls in the home
ACC executive welcome
Dr Lou address
Who is falling?
What would Apple do?
Top 5 ideas
Road to reality
Wrap up
4PM

62. We provided context to get the juices flowing…

63. …Including info on where and how people are falling

64. We used a ‘What would Apple do?’ exercise to solicit ideas

65. 3. Ran 3 public forums, which included roleplaying …
IMAGE PLACEHOLDER

66. …and lots of sketching

67. 4. We also ran an ideas competition at www.ideanation.co.nz

68. The programme is still running, so watch this space
It gave me such pride in New
Zealand to hear this message.
The initiative is fantastic, and
if it can be a catalyst for
solutions at home, and then
abroad, then that's
tremendous. I'm so excited
to hear what comes out of
Idea Nation.
Top new zealand scientist

69. Step 4. Testing
our ideas taught
us...

70. 10. We don't "own" service design

71. 11. Clients say "customer experience" not "service design"

72. 12. We need to back ourselves
Photo from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/jXJGlFDC4Zn/Mexican+Wrestlers+Lucha+Libre+Prepare+London

73. In conclusion
Photo from http://picturepedaler.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/new-miss-lavender-blue.html

74. A few tips
1. Give yourself license to fail
2. Don’t underestimate the need to sell internally
3. Use existing platforms, like blogs and networking drinks, to
help “observe and reflect”
4. Create a safe place to experiment, and keep iterations short
and the scope narrow
5. Sometimes it’s good to be “forced” to learn. To develop
your service design muscles you need to get in the ring
6. Don’t be afraid of backing yourself, and developing your
own “fighting style”
7. None of us "own" service design – it’s too big for that

75. But if you do nothing
else to learn service
design...

76. 1. Do real projects

77. 2. Be an active part of the community

78. 3. Be patient

79. 1. Experience
2. Observe
4. Test ideas
and reflect
3. Develop
ideas

80. Thanks!
Trent Mankelow
Optimal Usability
trent@optimalusability.com
Photo from http://hispaniclondon.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/shiro-pose-by-siboni.jpg