The SDN Accreditation Programme is an independent certification confirming that you have met established criteria and competencies within the field of service design.
Our goal is to establish a recognised level of expertise for service designers working in the industry. ➝ Review our competency checklist for each accreditation level here.
Self-assess your accreditation level here
Through the accreditation process, the SDN recognises your achievements and positions you at the forefront of innovation.
Get accredited as a Service Design Professional
You have advanced knowledge and practical experience in performing service design at a consistently high level. You also have the capacity to teach fundamental service design concepts and principles. You are actively engaged within the service design community.
Pre-requisites:
- 2+ years of experience
- Completion of 2+ service design projects
- Meet core competencies as a service design professional
Get accredited as a Service Design Master
You have extensive knowledge, refined skills and prolonged experience in carrying out service design at the highest standards. You also have the capacity to provide advanced service design training and consultation to others in the application of service design within organisations. You are actively engaged with, and demonstrate thought leadership within, the service design community.
Pre-requisites:
- 4+ years of experience
- Completion of 5+ service design projects
- Meet core competencies as a service design master
The Accreditation Process for Service Design Professionals and Masters
STEP 1. REGISTRATION
Login as an SDN member or create your free SDN Community Follower account to start your application.
STEP 2. APPLICATION
Complete your self-assessment, upload a case study and training example that best represents your skills, add a testimonial and submit your application for review. An application fee of €180 will be billed when you submit your application for review.
STEP 3. INTERVIEW
Qualified applicants will be invited to a virtual interview within a four-week time frame. Take part in your 30-45 min in-depth virtual interview with two members of the SDN Accreditation Committee to validate your skills and accomplishments.
Within two weeks of the interview, you will receive the evaluation by the SDN Accreditation Committee which will lead to either your official accreditation or further recommendations for your future accreditation. Once you receive the confirmation of your successful accreditation, the remaining accreditation fee for two years will be billed.
➝ Learn more about the accreditation process on our FAQ page.
“I love the idea, the process, the challenge and the feeling of being accredited. I am extremely proud of everything I have achieved and this process helped me to recognise that properly.” – Katie Murrie, SDN Accredited Master
Investment
Your Professional or Master accreditation costs in total:
- For existing SDN members: from €180 to €1,000 (incl. VAT)
- For non-members: from €200 to €1,200 (incl. VAT)
The accreditation fee includes: the review of your application by the SDN, your access to the accreditation process and interview by the SDN Accreditation Committee, the provision of your SDN accreditation benefits for 24 months and a two-year SDN Professional Membership with all connected benefits.
PRICING STRUCTURE
Our financially inclusive pricing structure considers the global disparity in currency value. Using the World Bank's country income index as a guiding framework, the accreditation fees are based on where you live and fall into one of the following economic categories, as termed by the World Bank:
| |
Practitioner |
Professional/Master Member |
Professional/Master Non-Member |
| High-income |
460€ |
1,000€ |
1,200€ |
| Upper middle income |
305€ |
540€ |
600€ |
| Lower middle income |
150€ |
360€ |
400€ |
| Low income |
100€ |
180€ |
200€ |
*To learn more about where your country falls within the World Bank’s country designations, please click here. Please note that a supplemental list can be found here for countries not registered within this index due to being territories of other countries or smaller independent nations.
PAYMENT METHOD
The accreditation fee can be paid via credit card on our website. A non-refundable application fee of €180 (incl. VAT) will be billed to your provided credit card when you submit your application for review. The remaining accreditation fee will be billed to the same credit card only after the completion of the accreditation process and if you are successfully accredited by the SDN.
If your company is seeking to secure accreditation for three or more individuals, please feel free to contact us to discuss a group-rate discount and other payment methods.
RE-ACCREDITATION FEE
At the end of your two-year accreditation period, you will be invited to extend or upgrade your accreditation at a 50% reduced rate by taking part in a simplified re-accreditation process. The re-accreditation fee also includes a two-year SDN Professional Membership.
Earn your SDN accredited status that validates your competency in service design and showcases your commitment to excellence while bringing transparency and an established standard to the practice of service design.
EXCELLENCE
Become a member of an esteemed group of SDN accredited service designers. Be recognised as an outstanding actor within the service design industry and a champion of strengthening the impact service design has on both the public and the private sector.
BELONGING
Receive your two-year SDN accreditation certificate that demonstrates you have successfully completed an industry-recognised accreditation process. Hang your accreditation certificate on the wall, include it on your website and be sure to reference it on your LinkedIn profile.
CREDIBILITY
Receive the official SDN accreditation badge to promote your SDN accredited status on your business cards, website, social media channels, brochures and any other promotional materials, thus increasing your value within the marketplace.
RECOGNITION
Gain prominent visibility with your SDN accredited status, badge and profile page featured on the SDN website, a platform that welcomes over 200,000 visitors per year, 51% of those being new visitors every day.
VISIBILITY
Be spotlighted to over 95,000 followers across SDN social media channels and mailing lists as an SDN Accredited service designer. In addition, get your activities (i.e. training sessions, workshops, talks, etc.) promoted across our channels to help you spread the word throughout the community.
PROMOTION
Showcase who you are, your best projects and your contact details on your SDN accreditation profile page, so potential clients, employers and customers can easily reach out to you. Your profile page also displays your accreditation badge and a downloadable version of your self-assessment as proof of your achievements.
SPACE TO SHOWCASE YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK
Gain access to exclusive virtual peer group supervision sessions organised twice a year to discuss professional issues, share your experiences and learn from other SDN Accredited Professionals and Masters.
PEER GROUP SUPERVISION SESSIONS
Gain access to an experienced online community of SDN Accredited Professionals and Masters on Linkedin, enabling you to connect globally and engage in meaningful conversations with your peers.
DEDICATED COMMUNITY
Receive exclusive discounts to use on tickets for our annual Service Design Global Conference (SDGC), SDN Academy courses, bulk purchases of SDN publications and other products/services from us and our partners in order to stay up-to-date on the latest insights from the industry while further developing your skills and knowledge.
DISCOUNTS FOR YOU
Tap into even more discounts that can be shared with members of the organisations you work with, as well as the attendees of your training session. Show your appreciation and get them even more involved with the service design community through this advantage.
DISCOUNTS TO SHARE
Receive a two-year SDN Professional Membership including all member benefits. Gain access to our network, events and valuable resources like the Touchpoint Journal and the Case Study Library, which features over 70 service design cases.
SDN MEMBERSHIP
Receive the endorsement to award SDN co-branded certificates of completion to the attendees of your training sessions. Recommend them to apply for the Practitioner accreditation or to become an SDN member with a 20% off discount.
SDN AFFILIATION
Partner with the SDN Academy to develop and deliver online, on-demand and on-site certified training courses. Promotion via the SDN Academy website, social media and digital mailings ensures your training gets noticed.
SDN ACADEMY
Get invited as a thought leader to take on honorary roles within SDN Chapters, boards & editorial teams, task forces and committees to further develop your professional skills, attain visibility within the SDN community and help shape the future of the service design practice and the Service Design Network.
SDN HONORARY ROLES
Get invited as an industry expert to participate in content and knowledge development. Share your projects in the SDN Case Study Library, publish articles in the Touchpoint Journal, co-create the service design glossary, or be a speaker or workshop facilitator at one of our local, national and global events.
SDN KNOWLEDGE-BASE
Be recognised as an ambassador for service design and the Service Design Network in your region, city and country, showing your commitment to global growth, development and innovation within the practice of service design.
AMBASSADOR FOR SERVICE DESIGN AND FOR THE SDN
