I recently had the privilege to front a pitch for a combined piece of service design and web development work that has helped sharpen my thinking about the way this stuff can be structured to make a difference. The prospective client was a small, local, public sector organisation with a limited budget. We offered them … Continue reading Thinking about a service model: associate, participate and iterate
SD Leeds co-organiser Kathryn Grace and I were joined by 15 jammers in Leeds as part of the biggest ever Global Service Jam, taking place simultaneously in more than 120 cities around the world. Thanks to Simon Zimmerman of Hebe Media, Leeds Council's Leeds Inspired programme and James and Laura of Duke Studios for making it an absolute pleasure. The … Continue reading Room to grow^ – 48 hours of the Global Service Jam
On Valentine's Day 1997, I left my job as a newspaper journalist to work with the small, smart team who were building a pioneering news service for the web in a squat, Leeds-look, edge-of-centre office block. "You can always come back," said my editor, "if this Internet thing doesn't work out." For a long time … Continue reading Week 790: Leaving Orange
We made a walkshop! At sunset on Tuesday, undeterred by George Osborne, high winds and torrential rain, 17 of Yorkshire's finest designers, technologists and geographers gathered to walk and talk, to see Leeds in a new light. The inspiration came from Adam Greenfield and Nurri Kim’s booklet “Systems/Layers”: “A walkshop is a new kind of … Continue reading #walkshopping (winter edition)
We're fortunate to have three great presenters for the next Service Design Thinks Leeds on Tuesday 25 October. (It's our seventh event, but we're calling it SD Thinks Leeds | 04.) In part 1, we'll have perspectives on service design in health from Jane Wood and Daniela Sangiorgi. In part 2, Rory Hamilton will show … Continue reading Let’s talk service design in Leeds. And one more thing
We have three great presenters for the next Service Design Thinks Leeds on Tuesday 1 February 2011. Simon East, of Drivegain, on "Designing a new eco-driving service" Jean Mutton, Student Experience Project Manager, University of Derby, on "Designing the Enrolment experience" Lauren Currie, Snook, Glasgow, (by Skype link) on "How Snook do Service Design in … Continue reading New year, new thinks
So, narrative capital. The social scientist has it like this... ... the power [research participants] have to tell the stories of their lives. This ‘narrative capital’ is then located in the ‘field’ of social science research and Sen’s capability approach is introduced to prompt the question: What real opportunities do research participants have to tell … Continue reading Who wants to be a story millionaire? Some thoughts on the value of Patient Opinion
There are lots of reasons to come along to Leeds Service Design Thinks on Tuesday 14 September. So many that it's hard to know where to start. I could begin with the chance to meet and chat with some of the smart and passionate service designers who made it to our first Service Design Drinks … Continue reading Service Design Leeds, from Drinks to Thinks
I think there's a coherent narrative to be woven between all of the following, but for now, I offer them to you as a puzzle of jumbled bullet points. Fuller posts on some of them may follow. 1. It's been a few weeks since my colleagues and I at Orange moved offices from Holbeck to … Continue reading Around the city, joining the dots
Over the last few days I've had a chance to reflect on the relationship between the mobile web and service design. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the two are tied together, in a way that was not the case with either the PC-based web or pre-internet mobile services. Why? Well … Continue reading A tale of attention and abundance: Why service design matters on the new mobile web
Businesses and organisations the world over are seizing the chance to re-imagine the way we do everyday things, to make them more accessible, enjoyable and productive for everyone. The tools and techniques they're using vary widely, but some of the best fall under the umbrella of service design, and its flashier cousin design thinking. This growing … Continue reading Announcing the first Service Design Drinks in Leeds
Matt Edgar writes here 