27 May

Design research in times of coronavirus

Together with Philips Experience Design, IBM and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Service Design Days is co-organising the Student Service Design Challenge. Here is an article based on input from all the final 20 student design teams after facing and dealing with corona restrictions.

No books or lessons had prepared them how to anticipate and perform in current circumstances. How did these design students recognise potential and transform it into inspiration in times of coronavirus? How did 20 suddenly remotely working design teams do research and collaborate? What creative ways did they find to jump over the hurdles? What can we learn from them? Get inspired by the creative solutions found by a new generation of designers!

Read the article here.

04 May

A service design reflection on the future – part 2

With the corona pandemic, we are in a unique situation, namely that the whole world is facing the same problem affecting every part of society, from politics and government to the environment and economics. Design for positive change has never been more crucial in its capacity to impact how the world can or must look like and move forward.

In this shortened article you’ll find a summary of the 2nd Service Design Days *) live streaming panel discussion with panelists – Rosana Ardila, Shaun Frankson, Kieron Leppard, Cat Drew and Jim Kalbach – and participants, moderated by our hosts, Niklas Mortensen. Read More →

30 Apr

A service design reflection on the future – part 1

In light of our current public health situation, it is definitely the time for designers and innovators everywhere to connect and talk about a future horizon. Human behaviour may shift into a new paradigm that may have a lasting impact on how we consume, behave and interact. As designers and innovators, how can we have a positive role in that?

In this article you’ll find a summary of the first Service Design Days live streaming panel discussion with panelists – Oscar Garcia-Pañella, Helen Job, Erik Roscam Abbing, Phillippa Rose and Joyce Yee – and participants, moderated by our host, Niklas Mortensen. Read More →

23 Jul

Looking back on an inspiring summit

We are grateful to have been able to co-organise the summit on ‘rethinking well-being’ together with the Barcelona Design Centre in their Design Hub during the Barcelona Design Week. In this article we look back at the three days with input and experiences from our speakers, participants, masterclass leaders and all others involved.

We carefully selected the theme, knowing that well-being and quality of life are key success factors for a growing number of organisations. Giving users the sense of well-being, empowerment, and personal fulfillment are the basis for many successful services designs. Read More →

06 Jan

Why innovation requires staying close to your customers (part 1)

Does innovation drive the markets and create demand? Or do continuously changing customers’ needs push companies to adapt their services and products to changed circumstances? Innovation is not the goal, but the ultimate way to stay relevant and valuable and meaningful to your customers.

Nowadays companies can only survive if they have the ability to innovate adequately and to anticipate to changing needs. This is easier said than done. Especially for large, established product and service leaders. These ‘oil tankers’ follow the same path, just as they have done for years, and are having a hard time to change direction. Read More →

04 Nov

Service Design Days 2018

Friday and Saturday, October 5 and 6, over 300 design and business experts met at Barcelona’s Design Center to join the 3rd edition of the Service Design Days.

The theme of the Service Design Days 2018 was ‘adapting to change’. Change is here to stay. A growing number of new service concepts are entering traditional markets. Customers are more demanding and their needs and habits change rapidly. Climate change and scarce natural resources are heavily impacting the daily life of individuals, businesses and societies. And new technologies require different skills from employees.