Service Design YAP – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Service Design Global Conference (SDGC)  is heading our way at pace and its now only a month until the mass ranks of over 1,000 service designers make their way to Finland for three days talk, studio visits and sauna.

In this bonus episode SDN's David Russo  gives us a guided tour of the venue,  keynote speakers and SDN sauna etiquette (towels on vs. towels off*).

This year SDGC will focus on Designing for Impact: "Strategic Leadership with Service Design”. Focusing on outcomes over output, we use our tools to move the needle for organisations, leading to real, recognised value.

Over the next weeks we'll be launching a series of #SDGC24 bonus episodes to fan the flames of excitement as we ramp up to conference frenzy. 

We look forward to seeing you all in Helsinki.
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If you've yet to book your ticket to the conference click here.

Service Design YAP listeners get a 5% discount code.

SDYAPVIRTUAL5

This code works for virtual and in-person tickets. Enter the code as you check out.  A box will appear top right!

Want to win a virtual ticket?  Go to the SDN UK Instagram site and repost your favourite YAP episode to be entered into a draw to win a €350 ticket.  

*Please note the XXXL SDYAP Sauna Towels have now all sold out. 

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

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To kick off Service Design YAP's second series  we knew that we needed to tackle a heavy weight issue. Having collaborated with the UK charity Scope, and Deloitte Digital earlier in the year we knew that Inclusive Design would be a great topic to focus on.

In this episode we talk with Deloitte's Elle Beange, who has worked in the area of inclusive  and accessible design for all of her career.  We talk about the difference between universal design and inclusive design and Elle provides some great examples of companies walking the walk when it comes to inclusive design.

We also talk about designing a more inclusive hiring approach for designers. How can we assure equity in the interview process and what tactics can employers put into play to assure that everyone gets the opportunity to shine?


Further Reading

Microsoft's Inclusive Design site is a fantastic resource if you're looking to learn more about the subject.

The Purple Pound: Scope's article about understanding the value of  customers with disabilities.

The Navilens project: Enabling  blind and partially sighted people through tech.

Global Disability Innovation Hub: Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) is an Academic Research and Practice Centre accelerating disability innovation for a more just world.

The Newman Holiday Trust: One of Elle's favourite jobs, the trust provides children with disabilities with unforgettable holidays.

Its not that Radical, by Mikaela Loach looking at what real climate activism needs to look like today.

99% Invisible podcast episode about curb cuts and disability activism in the US.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

At the Service Design Global Conference in Berlin, we talked to 9 designers at the beginning of their professional journeys.  Each told a different story about what brought them to the discipline and what their hopes and aspirations were. 

Thanks for sharing your stories.

• Polina
• Valentina
• Andrea
• Oona 
• Amanda 
• Annu
• Felipe
• Tetyana
• Jaidon

The YAP team for this episode were:

• Elmer Zinkhann
• Jean Watanya
• Mandana Dilmaghani
• Stepen Wood.

Special thanks to the folks from the Service Design Podcast for lending us their recording kit when ours "went missing" on a flight.
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Resources mentioned in the podcast.

Polina

• Step into ecology of mind
• Politics of everyday
• The Reflective Practitioner (by Donald Schön)

Jaidon

• Alex Hormuzi

Felipe

• The machine stops

Valentine

• Good Services by Lou Downe

Andrea

• Visualising Complexity

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

On October 5th-6th Service Designers from across the world will come together in Berlin for the Service Design Global Conference

They'll talk about the challenges facing the industry,  catch up with old friends, meet new friends and hear inspiring talks.

They'll also argue about the availability of good coffee in Berlin.  It's just what designers do. 

In this bonus pico-podcast, we talk to SDN's David Russo,  about:

•  the conferences overarching theme, 
• the most interesting speakers
•  how to play the AI drinking game,  and 
• what's going to be expected at the Service Design Afterparty (imagine Coachella + Burning Man for the Design Community). 

You can get your tickets here and, for a limited time,  use the code ALLSDGTENPERCENT to get your Service Design YAP listener discount. 

We'll also be recording a YAP Student episode at the event tapping into the world of our next-gen designers (and rewarding them with exclusive swag). Watch out for our roving reporters.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

What can a cat on a Roomba (called Helga*) tell us about how AI will reshape the  creative industry?

How do you introduce design into a bank that's never been "design led"?

How do you break into a profession when employers look at your CV with a narrow mind?

Find out the answer to these questions and so much more as YAP talks to JP Morgan's VP of design, Amy Blackwell, in a conversation that's often irreverent, but never irrelevant

Thanks also to Silpa Jayasurya from Ulster University, where she's recently graduated with an MA in UX and Service Design.

Amy Blackwell is an Experience Designer at JP Morgan. With a Masters in Product Design, she has spent the last 13 years conducting user research and designing delightful products and services at agencies and in-house. Amy lives in Poole with her husband, cat and tortoise.

*the Roomba is Helga.... the cat remains anonymous.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

How can Design help society to tackle the climate crisis?  Find out in this episode featuring Aurelie Lionet, one of the founders of Design Declares .

Aurelie shares the 8 Acts that we should all sign up to if we're going to make a difference to the fate of the planet and also shares stories that include how she wound up spending time in a UK jail (as part of a design research initiative, obviously).

In the podcast, Aurelie also mentions the work of Muhammad Yunus, who she credits with encouraging her to pursue a purposeful design path. He's well worth looking into.

She also states that Project Drawdown  is one of her favourite sources. This comprehensive site provides a great list of climate friendly solutions from alternative concrete through to peatland protection and rewetting. 

Thanks also to our next gen designer, Ada Maymó Costa for asking Aurelie about the key to starting a purposeful movement.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

Katinka Schaaf is a seasoned Service Designer who's career has focussed on designing for the future.  She's currently leading  Service Design at Admiral Pioneer,  the insurance giant's innovation incubator.

Katinka tells us about her career story and we spend time exploring how design research can be tailored to tackle taboo topics. Katinka's teams work focused on the menopause shows the tools and techniques that can be applied to identify real opportunities associated with a topic that many find difficult to talk about.

This episode's student question comes from Ebby Lai, who is currently studying on the Innovation and Service Design  Masters course at Glasgow School of Art.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

WHY LISTEN?
In our launch episode we talk with Tobias Revell,  who leads the Future's practice at   Arup. 

Tobias is a fantastic storyteller, with deep experience in multidisciplinary design and  our conversation covers topics ranging from  how to establish and grow a successful speculative design team, to  top tips for new designers looking to network,  (via corporate greenwashing and Billie Eilish).

The Next Generation Service Designer question in this episode comes from  Amrutta Supate, Juliee Ingle and Yalena Sun.  The designers are currently studying Service Design at the RCA and found time to come up with a great (and taxing) question about positioning a speculative exploration of solar energy in low income communities. 

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

Ever wondered how society-driven design can spark profound social change? Join us as we sit down with Judah Armani, an inspiring educator who shares his unique journey from studying design at St. Martin's to cleaning industrial bean-pots for Heinz, and how these experiences shaped his passion for creating meaningful dialogues that lead to material change.

Judah takes us through the importance of moving beyond quick-fix methods, explaining how a balance between data-driven design and visionary insights can lead to transformative ideas that resonate deeply with communities.

Judah's two decades of experience reveal the necessity of being open to personal change before facilitating broader societal transformations.

We dive into the nuances of designing conversations that foster genuine collaboration and trust, stressing that these processes can't be rushed. From building trust within historically let-down communities to creating authentic, impactful solutions, Judah's insights illuminate the critical role of empathetic engagement in driving sustained social change.

But the conversation doesn't stop there. We also explore In House Records, an innovative approach to prison education, where music becomes a powerful tool for learning and rehabilitation. Judah introduces the concept of a record label as a dynamic learning environment, merging numeracy, literacy, and business skills in captivating ways. This chapter not only showcases the enthusiastic response from inmates but also critically examines the limitations of traditional education models. Through compelling narratives and personal anecdotes, we uncover the transformative potential of aligning educational methods with individual interests, ultimately paving the way for reduced re-offending rates and successful rehabilitation.

Judah's book, Society Driven Design  was published in May and is available from small independent bookshops (and the big, corporate ones too).


About Judah:
 
Judah Armani is an educator, frequent maker and occasional writer.He is a partner at The Royal College of Art where he heads up the Social Impact Studio within the Service Design M.A. programme. He is an visitong professor of Service Design at the Musashino Art College in Tokyo, Japan, and a visiting fellow at the Rhode Island School of Design’s strategic studio; The Center for Complexity in Providence, USA.Judah is also a visiting lecturer at Elisava school of design in Barcelona, Spain and Köln international school of design in Cologne, Germany.Judah is the founder of Public Service Design Practice, co-creating award winning initiatives that have been provid

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Send us a text

In this episode we meet designer Emma Parnell and talk about working out when its time to move on.    In

Many of our episodes focus on finding your idea job, but knowing when it time to go is equally, if not more important.  Emma talks about the leading indicators that should nudge us to to consider finding our next role, even when we're working in a great role with people we love.

We also have a great student question from Carin Effendy,  from the University of Bath, who's asks about evaluating the real values of a new employer.

One of Emma's favourite sources is Lou Downe's Good Services. Its a classic.

About Emma

Emma Parnell has 15 years experience as a designer. This is split between strategic brand development and user centred design for products and services. Emma has supported a wide range of organisations to design services that work for the people who use and deliver them including Tesco, NHS Digital, Cancer Research UK and many other public and third sector organisations.
Building connection is at the heart of Emma’s work. She is passionate about the relational aspect of service design because ultimately services are delivered by people, for people. Emma is a champion for inclusive design and equity of access for all - especially in the gender diversity space.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya