What are some of the best tools and resources for service design practitioners and learners?

One of my favourite resources for Service Design is the Service Design Principles series of books by Daniele Catalanotto. Currently, there are three volumes with 100 practical, tested, and refined principles in each, sourced from the experiences of the author and the growing service design community.

If you are interested in how to combine your Service Design and HCD skills with AI-driven products and services, I recommend reading Pontus W?rnest?l’s book “Designing AI-powered Services.” It provides an excellent foundational understanding of what to consider when designing AI services, explained in a way that non-technical users can grasp. Additionally, it includes numerous design principles based on real-world examples to help you design and review AI-driven services from a human and user perspective.

In addition to the great resources mentioned here, I’ll throw in “An Introduction to Service Design: Designing the Invisible” by Lara Penin as another great resource with case studies. And not to forget Marc Fonteijn’s awesome podcast “The service design show” on YouTube and other podcast streaming services.

The following three books are must-read for every Service Designer: This is Service Design Thinking: Basics, Tools, Cases by Marc Stickdorn and Jakob Schneider This Is Service Design Doing: Applying Service Design Thinking in the Real World by Marc Stickdorn , Markus Hormess, et al. This Is Service Design Methods: A Companion to This Is Service Design Doing by Marc Stickdorn , Markus Hormess, et al.

For a more specific viewpoint on how strategic solutions are implemented in Businesses whilst also implementing empathy at its core by keeping the user at the center; 'The Human Side of Innovation' by Mauro Porcini is a wonderful read and you too might become a fan just like me!

For those thinking about further education in Service Design consider exploring universities in Sweden and other EU countries. Many courses are conducted in English, eliminating the language barrier. Additionally, if you're an EU citizen, you might be exempt from tuition fees, as numerous EU universities don't charge their citizens or those from the EU/EEA.

What I find extremely helpful is using Figma alongside Figjam. The platform is so functional that it allows you to have all processes from design thinking to prototyping in one place, easily shareable and collaborative within a team. By linking or visualizing the Journey Map, it becomes much easier to highlight and address pain points. Of course, there's also the option to quickly present to stakeholders. I would recommend anyone in the Service Design team to have Figma in their toolkit.

There are various tools and template available on various design platforms but it's important to stick to few and master them. Here are few from my tool kit: 1. Business Model Canvas 2. Rose, Thorn & Bud 3. Lotus Blossom technique

I was introduced to Notion recently, and I am head over heels in love and obsessed with it. It scratches an itch in my ADHD brain, and helps me keep track of the journey/progress when it comes time to present

The Service Design Network (SDN) offers professionals a global platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and professional development in service design. Through events, resources, and certification programs, SDN fosters collaboration, thought leadership, and community engagement, driving excellence and innovation in the field. They have an excellent magazine too called 'Touchpoints'. Worth a look!

Each city has their own community & events. These might not be labeled as 'Service Design' events. A good way to find some is to talk to companies around you that have a good history of hiring service designers, these companies usually create a list for their own community engagement & PR.

I might be a little biased, but I co-host a podcast called "Service Design Principles" with one of the top Service Design Practitioners in Europe, Daniele Catalanotto. The podcast looks at a service design principle every episode, as seen in Daniele's book "Service Design Principles 1-100" and is a great conversation about where the principle comes from, and how it can be applied. I'd recommend a listen!

Podcasts have kept me updated about the evolving methods used to tackle modern problems. Many wonderful speakers have been inspiration for the longest time! * I highly recommend Ep#204 of the 'Service Design Show' titled 'Exploring The Materials of Service Design' ft Mr. Simon Clatworthy. This episode has been extremely thought provoking. * Moreover to diversify your learning; 'Hidden Brain' is an absolute gem to understand the human behavior. * Always keep in touch with daily news podcasts be in general day-to-day news, Economic, Poltical , Tech etc can really help understanding emerging trends. 'Daily Tech News Show' 'Morning Brew Daily' "The Morning Brief (by Economic Times, India)' are a few suggestions.

Service Design Network's bi-yearly publication - Touchpoint has been a great read. It covers topics from Employee Journey to Design Leadership to AI by design. You can order a PDF or a physical copy through their website.

While it is important to look out for online courses and content but nothing beats the on-job learning and peer-to-peer learning. Ensure you have identified someone in your team (or wider organisation) to reach out to and have regular conversations to upskill yourself!

In my experience, the most effective way to learn service design (or any design discipline) is to replicate and analyse an existing one! Read case studies and understand what, why and how the experienced folks did what they did; then find a similar service, real or hypothetical, and design your own solution. Break it down into smaller ecosystems, analyse everything and then build your blueprints. Remember, practice helps you learn and retain a lot more than theory!