Business as unusual has become business as usual

Although the theme of the conference was business as unusual, most talks were about the ever wider acceptance of Service Design as a key methodology in creating value and helping business grow. I still remember the 2013 conference in Cardiff, where it was still merely a meet-up for Service Design geeks that felt misunderstood. This year that sentiment had evaporated and most talks were about the quick expansion of the field.

Service Design has become a magical word for companies that want to innovate and words like customer journey, experience and personas do not need explanation anymore. It has become a powerful approach for all kinds of companies to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive market.

Less talking, more doing. And show results!

The best presentations showed a “Niet lullen maar poetsen” mentality. A typical Dutch saying that means something like “Don’t talk shit, do something!” (and please, don’t Google translate it). Service Design has come of age and so have the number of cases that proof the results of the method. Large companies have accepted Service Design as a solid approach for innovation and were joining the conference to show their outcomes of Service Design projects.

They showed a recurring mantra: ‘think big, start small, scale fast’. This approach suited well with the growing group of business attendees; aim high, show results and create support.

The word has spread beyond traditional service industries

Service Design is not narrowed down to cater just commercial service suppliers anymore. This is something we experienced ourselves over the last years as well, welcoming some large governmental, healthcare and non-profit clients into our client portfolio.

During the SDGC we learned that Saudi Arabia assigned a minister of happiness in order to become the worlds most service-oriented government in 2020. Developmental aid organisation TwoBillionEyes developed a concept providing budget eyeglasses to the poorest regions of the world. What we could learn from them?

“I hope every country in the world is a developing country. Sometimes, what we experience as comfort and luxury, can hold us back. Fear of loss is holding us back the most in developing further. We have to learn to step over things, let go of things we deem important”

From solutions to strategic partnerships

Finding a Service Design agency to solve a single innovation challenge is often no longer enough. Companies that strive for innovation need to develop Service Design capability and should train their staff in the required skills.

Many large international corporations are discovering the value of an integrated Service Design approach throughout their entire organisation. They are partnering up with Service Design Agencies for large-scale organisational change programs that focus on increasing the pace of innovation together.

Enjoy the perks of a home game

Last but not least we enjoyed the perks of hosting this conference at our home town Amsterdam. We helped with the organisation, welcomed many visitors in our office, caught up with befriended agencies and – as one of the sponsors – organised a great boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam with a lovely group of Service Design practitioners. We’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get inspired by many international colleagues and even set up partnerships with other international agencies to embark on a journey to explore Service Design opportunities beyond our own borders.

Want to continue the talk about SDGC?

Did you spot anything interesting and do you want to continue the conversation? Just contact us! Interested in more service design events? In the beginning of 2017, we will be hosting our own Service Design event: the Service Design Experience 2017!

Are you looking for summaries of the different presentations? Check out this blog with quite an elaborate report on the different talks.