Service is an experience that occurs during interaction between customers and employees (co-experience) or between customer and any self service technologies.Therefore service design is about designing experiences. The outcome of an experience is an emotion. So the field of service design is about designing experiences that facilitate the creation of positive emotions when a customer use a services. The reality is that most of the time when you use a service (bank, airlines, telecommunication…) you experience routine or negative experiences. (see the result American customer satisfaction index and the comparison between services and goods)….this is why we need service designers!!!

Like many designers, for years I used a tried-and-true tactic to hoist my way up the respect ladder, a technique I will here call Problem Definition Escalation … The client asks you to design a business card. You respond that the problem is really the client’s logo. The client asks you to design a logo. You say the problem is the entire identity system. The client asks you to design the identity. You say that the problem is the client’s business plan. And so forth. One or two steps later, you can claim whole industries and vast historical forces as your purview. The problem isn’t making something look pretty, you fool, it’s world hunger! Link.

It’s worth mentioning that our service mindset must be complemented by an appropriate communication strategy. “Making something look pretty” is problem that we’re often hired to solve; the question is: How do we appropriately communicate (a strategy, an outline of the bigger problem, etc) to our clients while performing the work of diligent, focused craftspeople?

“To make a significant impact, we must look at entire ecosystems vs. isolated problems.”

- I like it. It sounds like holistic medicine for organizations.