_{Service Design & Organizational Activation}

_{This lecture series combines best practices of service design with aspects of creating change in an organization. Service design focuses on the alignment and design of multiple brand touchpoints in a customer’s journey, including environments, interactions, media, and products. The results are more effective and more enjoyable customer experiences. In a world that is growing more and more connected and complex, designers are facing a diverse set of challenges and have to interact with an even more diverse group of stakeholders. Equipping students with a toolset to navigate these waters successfully, this course consists of lectures, workshops, simulations, and discussions.}

_{1 Introduction and Overview (1 Module)}

_{This course will run as an ‘enhanced lecture series’. While there is no overall course project, participants are required to create their own service design management & organizational activation toolset of best practices. Each lecture will cover the core principles for creating a basic section in the book, and students will find that some supporting research will greatly improve the personal usefulness. This book is due at the end of the course (with several checkpoints throughout), and we’ll publish all work as PDFs under a Creative Commons license.  We’ll also share core insights during a poster session.}

_{1.1 Lecture: Introduction (45 min) - January 9th}

_{This lecture will give a course overview and give participants the chance to co-design the course so it caters to their personal needs. Connections between the course content and relevance for other courses and projects throughout the semester will be investigated. The talk also sets a baseline language and aligned understanding of a standardized design process.} 

_{Jumping right in, we’ll use several design tools to identify our personal working and thinking styles. We’ll then translate them into needs and constraints – essentially a self-created design brief for the creation of our own course notes.} 

_{1.1.2 Briefing: Individual Toolbox (15 min)
1.1.3 Session 2.3.1 Briefing: Design Management Book (5 min)
1.1.4 Course Overview and Materials (15 min)}

_{2 Goal Setting (4 Modules)}

_{During this crucial phase in any design process, any person managing a design process is required to interface with a large group of stakeholders (this is true for consultancies as well as in-house teams). Any mistakes and misaligned expectations at this stage can result in costly failures and re-work at a later stage in the design process. The lectures and interactive units cover base strategies and tactics for success.}

_{2.1 Lecture: Service Design, a primer (30 min) - January 23rd}

_{This lecture investigates the dramatic shift from selling products to offering services, and how rethinking experiences from a user’s perspective results in sound purchasing decisions and long-term brand loyalty. Service design offers a pathway to creating memorable, relevant experiences. Starting with designing the blueprint of the service, the service designer is equipped to facilitate the design of a series of touchpoints - all together forming a memorable experience for the user.}

_{2.1.1 Handout: Customer Journey Map (10 min)}

_{The framework of pre-service, service, and post-service period is the foundation for service design thinking.}

_{2.1.2 Handout: Expectation Map (10 min)}

_{2.1.3 Handout: Service Safaris (10 min)}

_{2.1.4 Shared Experience: Looking through the eyes of Service (90 min)}

_{Starting with a short excursion, the group will explore how our perception shifts once we have a sensibility for designing services. We will share and investigate the services experienced.}

_{2.1.5 Shared Experience: Debrief (30 min)}

_{2.1.6 DUE: Needs and constraints emailed}

_{2.2    Lecture: Design Management (Organizational Activation), a primer (45 min) - Feb 2nd (rescheduled)}

_{Navigating client or corporate waters environments in pursuit of a successful design project is a science and an art at the same time. This lecture will cover core concepts, tactics and strategies.}

_{2.2.1 (OLD 2.3.1) Group presentations & discussions: “The Fundamentals of Design Management” – applied case studies (80 min, 20 min per person)}

_{This book is required reading. At the beginning our the course, we will have formed work teams to take different sections of the book, deconstruct them and illustrate them with new case studies and insights. During this session, we’ll present our findings.}

_{2.2.2 Due: Review of Layouts for 1.1.2 (20 min)}

_{Review of layouts: relevance of information? clarity of information? answering design brief?}

_{2.3 Lecture: From Object to User, Service, and Object Networks (30 min) - Feb 6th}

_{What is true value today? Design is less and less frequently the source of true innovation. Line extensions, yearly updates, planned obsolescence, etc. have all contributed to designing on a superficial level. A shift is occurring in the business community. Short-lived revenue goals are replaced with a responsible look at sustainable consumption.
This lecture covers key trends, concepts, and tools shifting the conversation from market share to user needs.
On the other hand, M2M-communication enables autonomous decision making and context-aware objects - large questions are being raised. Many aspects of the future of interactions and experiences are the hands of designers, the challenge is to act responsible and to create meaningful interactions. The keen focus on the user offers a powerful framework to accomplish that.}

_{2.3.1 Workshop: Identifying User Needs (30 min)}

_{2.3.2 Workshop: Communicating User Needs (30 min)}

_{2.3.3 Briefing: Positioning Paper User/ Service/ Object Network (10 min)}

_{2.4 Lecture: The Design Brief (30min) – Feb 6th}

 Products and services are more and more interconnected. The complexity of any design project or intervention is consistently raising – responding to that, the driver of any design process has to keep many, many parameters in mind. Starting with the basic identification of needs and constraints, this lecture will cover how a comprehensive project brief can be created, to assure alignment and success throughout the development process. 

_{2.4.1 Simulation: The project brief (30 min)}

_{2.4.2 Check-in: Toolbox (20 min)}

_{3 Planning and Process (4 Modules)}

_{As the design field is gaining worldwide traction and respect in the value chain, the need to interface with business stakeholders and decision makers in a meaningful way is consistently growing. During the phase of planning, business objectives need to be understood and/or created. This module covers this very interesting intersection of design and business thinkers.}

_{3.1 Lecture: Design Thinking for Strategy Generation (45 min) – Feb 13th}

_{“Design Thinking” has captured a key evolution of the practice of design: a shift of focus from outcome to process and system awareness. This lecture will cover key concepts of design thinking, as publicized by Tim Brown and others – it will then show how design thinking can be applied to the generation of strategy deliverables and insights.} 

_{3.1.1 Discussion: “Design Thinking” benefits and reflections (45 min)}

_{This discussion will seek to draw a line between the semantics of design thinking and the actual meaning behind it. Also, the community and media focus of the last years has opened a perceived gap between “design thinking”  and “design doing”. As some declare Design Thinking a trend that is on it’s way out, see bit.ly/txK7c0, we’ll discuss where it’s lasting values are, and which aspects are more short-lived.}

_{3.1.2 Handout: Co-Designing (10 min)}

_{Co-designing is a powerful approach to design with a wide variety of stakeholders. It bridges the gap between designer and client in a practical way. We’ll discuss the tool and try it on.}

_{3.2 Lecture: The Language of Design and Corporate Stakeholders (45 min) – Feb 20th}

_{A 100% common language among all participants of the value chain is as likely as there being one world language. While designers and design managers don’t have to have full MBA’s to successfully interface with business professionals, there needs to be a common language and understanding. Organizations like DMI, and publications like Business Week and Fast company have greatly contributed to the creation of such common ground. The lecture covers: communication frameworks, assessment tools, case studies.}

_{3.2.1 Simulation: The Executive Meeting (45 min)}

_{Using the results from [2.1.1 Simulation: Identifying & Communicating User Needs], we’ll go into simulation mode: wearing the hats of CEOs, CMOs, CXOs. CIOs, COOs and the like, we’ll go through a design briefing board meeting.} 

_{3.2.2 Handout: Activating Success in Corporate Environments (20 min)
3.3 Lecture: Decision Making Tools (30 min) - Feb 27th}

_{Good design is a series of good and informed decisions. Making the right decisions can sometimes be overwhelming and daunting – especially under the time and personality constraints of a multi-stakeholder project. Decision making tools are consistently emerging from the business and the design communities. This lecture explores some key tools and related case studies.}

_{3.3.1 Workshop: Using Decision Making Tools (60 min)
3.4 Lecture: The Business Model Canvas (45 min) – March 5th}

_{Any product or service lives in the context of a basic business model. Designers equipped with a baseline understanding and language of a business model will be better project partners to anybody involved. Alex Osterwalder’s business model foundry has made great contributions to make the world of business models more accessible and tangible. This lecture goes through the basic elements of any business model. It also takes a look at how interpretations and exploration of the business model canvas can be used to drive the design process.}

_{3.4.1 Workshop: Creating Business Models (45 min)}

_{In teams, we’ll create real or fictitious business models. We’ll then present to the other groups and go through a critical evaluation process.} 

_{4 Facilitation and Execution (5 Modules)}

_{Design is not just an outcome, it is a process. Depending on the subject matter, there is not one single, universal process – there is a requirement for nimble customization and adoption with any new problem solving situation throughout the process.  A responsible design practitioner will find the need for effective facilitation and planning everywhere in the practice.} 

_{4.1 Lecture: The Stakeholder Map, Customer Journey Canvas, Service Blueprint (45 min) – March 12th}

_{Three of the core service design tools. This lecture will define best practices, and share case studies.} 

_{4.1.1 Workshop: Creating & Presenting Service Design Deliverables (90 min)}

_{Applying the above content to real-life situations, we’ll go through a decision making, designing, illustrating and sharing at an expedited pace.} 

_{4.1.2 Handout: Service Blueprint (15 min)
4.1.3 Handout: Stakeholder Map (15 min)
4.2 Lecture: The power of co-designing (45 min) – March 26th}

_{Artists can create in solitude, designers and design managers are dependent on interaction with a wide group of project partners. The traditional paradigm of taking a design brief, running off to create concepts and then come back and present is dangerous when multiple project stakeholders are involved. As designers understand their roles as facilitators of a process, they can more easily and nimbly integrate a wider group of contributors: allowing users and client stakeholders to contribute to the solution can make it more relevant, more user-focused, and can cut down on overall development time.} 

_{4.2.1 Simulation: Facilitation of a co-designing session (2x30 min)}

_{There are 2 simulations: co-designing with users, and co-designing with corporate stake holders.} 

_{4.2.2 Check-In: Toolbox (30 min)
4.3 Lecture: Service in Beta and Business Intelligence (45 min) – April 2nd}

_{The beauty of service design is the relative nimbleness of any solution created – the ability to continuously improve. “Service in Beta” captures this notion beautiful. When “Service in Beta” meets “Business Intelligence”, decisions can be made quickly and fact-driven. Corporate decision making is mainly driven by numbers. BI and associated dashboards allow to measure the success and health of systems and solutions through their useful lives. This presentation gives an overview of BI-related terminology and strategies. The lecture lays out a framework for success applying this system.}

_{4.3.1 Workshop: From Dashboard to Decision (60 min)}

_{Applying the above content to real-life situations, we’ll go through a decision making, designing, illustrating and sharing at an expedited pace.} 

_{4.3.2 Group Discussion: Format of final presentation (20 minutes)}

_{A goal of this course to share our learnings with the rest of the department and academic community. We will jointly decide the best format for this.}

_{4.4 Lecture (optional): Measuring Success (30 min) – April 9th}

_{If time allows, this lecture will be investigating ways to measure and communicate success after a deployment of a solution.}

_{4.5 Project Management: Agile and Waterfall (45 min) - April 9th}

_{Any initiative involving multiple collaborators involves a certain level of coordination and planning. This lecture portraits, contrasts, and compares the two leading schools of project management. It also covers some of the key project management tools and best practices.} 

_{4.5.1 Workshop: GANTT charting (45 min)
4.5.2 Simulation: Stand-up huddles (45 min)}

 5 Integration and Continued Relevance (2 Modules)

_{This module is designed to make the lecture experiences personal. Realizing that there is a wide variety of different personal and professional backgrounds among the student body, it is imperative to take the general course learnings onto a personal level.}

_{5.1 Toolbox review, personal goal-setting, poster topic – April 16th}

_{A series of individual meetings with students. Goal is to review course notes, and have individual discussions on future professional careers. During the session, we’ll also identify a subject to be translated into a poster format for a final presentation.}

_{5.1.1 Due: Toolbox - 90% complete
5.2 Poster review - April 23rd (last day of course)}

_{An evening reception with poster presentations, inviting industry professionals and representatives from the academic community. Students will be equipped to share and discuss their posters.} 

_{5.2.1 Due: Toolbox
5.2.2 Due: Presentation or Poster}

_{6 Recommended Reading}

_{The lecture series itself is designed to create a solid baseline understanding of design management and service design. The nature and duration of the course, however, makes it challenging to go deep enough in certain areas. The motivated student will find the need to investigate further, adopting and supporting the course presentations. This book list is intended to provide these materials.} 

_{http://www.florianvollmer.com/design-books}