On 31 July 2024, the SDN Netherlands Chapter hosted an in-person event on the topic of service design and AI. This was in conjunction with the recent publication of the SDN journal Touchpoint on this topic: 'Service Design at the Dawn of AI'.

The application of AI within the context of service design is becoming more and more widespread. Not just in the delivery of the services we design, but in assisting us as we design those services. However critical discussions are also taking place, highlighting the risks posed by this technology, as well as the new opportunities it affords.

During this event we heard from three speakers who shared different perspectives on AI. After a lively discussions with our participants we closed the event with networking.

A full recording of the event can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBbqTHiO4cU

AI-lchemy for Design Innovation in Emerging Industries (Tanishqa Bobde)

Tanishqa has explored the magical synergy between AI and human creativity, illustrating how this partnership can act as a modern-day alchemist to transform the design innovation approach in emerging industries. Her talk is based on an article she wrote in Touchpoint.

Tanishqa Bobde drives end-to-end value proposition design at Arcadis' Global Innovation Studio in Amsterdam, aiming to achieve planet-positive impacts in areas like renewable energy and new mobility.

AI by Design: A Framework for Developing Human-Centered AI (Serena Westra)

In this talk, Serena shared a 6-step approach for building human-centred AI solutions that combines Design Thinking with AI and ML. The framework is explained with practical examples from working in the AI innovation team of OLX group, a collection of prominent marketplaces.

Serena Westra is a senior Business Designer at IKEA Digital, where she works on circularity and innovation.

The Potential Impact of Generative AI in the Service Design Process (Luc Verduijn)

Luc just completed his master thesis research on how Generative AI can impact the service design process. During an interactive session, we reflected on statements about the usage of AI and explored how designers using generative AI experienced its application during the design process.

Luc Verduijn is a freshly graduated service designer and AI enthusiast interested in sharing his insights on the usage of generative AI in the design process.

Special thanks to Franklin Heijnen and Tommaso Sarri from Deloitte Digital for hosting this event.

Photos by Franklin Heijnen