Have you ever been curious about where service design comes from? What it is? Why it relates to so many other fields so well? Or why it makes just so much sense?

With so much growing interest in the Service Design discipline, our DC chapter summer event, focused on introducing the roots of Service Design.

The DC Service Design Chapter’s summer event in August was Service Design Roots. It set out to discuss where service design comes from, what it is, why it relates to so many fields, and why it makes sense to use. John Gray Parker, a Service Designer from Booz Allen, led a discussion that spanned service design history, background and theory; from Lynn Shostack and Birgit Mager, to Patti Moore and Service dominant logic. The group intersected with questions, thoughts, and critiques, as we engaged in a very meaningful dialogue about what service design is, what it's primary influences are and have been, as well as where it is going. A few questions that stirred up conversation were; “Is Service Design replacing market research?” and “Should Service Design incorporate quantitative research?” The group explored each question for a short time, but the group consensus was these questions could be explored and debated for hours. We all look forward to mulling these over in future meetings. 

The second half of the evening was led by Jamie Bowerman, a Service Design lead at Booz Allen, who facilitated an interactive workshop exploring the acceptance of chaos, shifting perspective, empathy building, and the ideation of a new service. Participants went through the activities in small groups of 4-5 allowing for great opportunity to intimately connect with fellow creatives and get a taste of what Service Design is, the basic tools involved, and how it proves to be a valuable methodology for service innovation.

This was the first part of a 3 part series. We have planned follow up events that discuss the intersections of Service Design with UX and CX, so stay tuned!



Related Headlines

SDN Chapters Meet, Mingle & Make an Impact – See You at SDGC25!

Meet, Mingle & Make an Impact – See You at SDGC25!

Join us at SDGC25 in Dallas and online, this October 15–17. In-person and virtual tickets are available now—your invitation to connect, share ideas, and explore service design's impact on business.

Continue reading
SDN Chapters Highlights from the webinar "Community and Service Design" with Birgit Mager

Highlights from the webinar "Community and Service Design" with Birgit Mager

We are excited to share the entire recording and transcript of this event with president and co-founder of the Service Design Network Birgit Mager.

Continue reading
SDN Chapters Highlights from the webinar "Service Design meets Stakeholder Needs" with Julia Borkenhagen

Highlights from the webinar "Service Design meets Stakeholder Needs" with Julia Borkenhagen

We are excited to share the entire recording and transcript of this event with co-founder of Whitespace and Design Leader Julia Borkenhagen.

Continue reading
SDN Global News Call for Volunteers -  Play a Role in the Creation of SDGC25

Call for Volunteers - Play a Role in the Creation of SDGC25

Want to take part in the most important event the service design community attends all year? We need you!

Continue reading