• Free

Free Course: What is Service Design?

  • Course
  • 80 Lessons

Discover what Service Design and why it is powerful to enhance the customer experience

Sneak peek

What you'll learn in this free Service Design course

This course is made of 7 chapters that will give you an overview of what Service Design is. You'll discover:

Introduction

🛑 This is a beta version
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    What you'll learn in this course
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      Why I created this course
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        1. What is Service Design

        Introduction
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          1.1 What is a Service?
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            1.2 Why are services important?
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              1.4 Recommend tool: Services and value added (% of GDP)
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                1.3 What is Design?
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                  1.4 So, what the fuck is Service Design?
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                    1.5 Three definitions of Service Design
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                      1.6 Recommended reading: The online debate about what service design is
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                        Recommended fun moment: What is service design? – Cartoon

                          2. Where does Service Design come from?

                          Introduction
                            2.1 The mothers of Service Design
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                              2.2 Recommended reading: Designing Services That Deliver by Lynn Shostack
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                                2.3 The Service Design family
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                                  2.4 Design Thinking, the grandpa
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                                    2.5 User Experience Design, the digital brother
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                                      2.6 Experience Design, the Service Design twin
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                                        2.7 Customer Experience, the brother of Service Design
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                                          2.8 Many members, one purpose
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                                            2.9 Five important Service Design dates
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                                              2.10 Recommended Book: A tiny Service Design History
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                                                3. What do Service Designers do?

                                                Introduction
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                                                  3.1 Research: Understand what people want or need
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                                                    3.2 Sense-Making: Summarize what they have learned
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                                                      3.3 Ideation: Come up with 100 new fancy solutions
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                                                        3.4 Prototyping and testing: Build new solutions for testing
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                                                          3.5 Recommended course: What is the Service Design Process

                                                            4. The impact of Service Design

                                                            Introduction
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                                                              4.1 Double your sales with Service Design
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                                                                4.2 90% shorter processing times
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                                                                  4.3 30% more young clients
                                                                    4.4. Recommended reading: 40+ case studies on the impact of Service Design
                                                                      4.5 Case studies from the Service Design Network

                                                                        5. The tools and methods of Service Designers

                                                                        Introduction
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                                                                          📌 5.1 Tools for the research task
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                                                                            Interviews
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                                                                              Mystery Shopping
                                                                                Observation
                                                                                  Shadowing
                                                                                    📌 5.2 Tools for the sense-making task
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                                                                                      The five why
                                                                                        Affinity sorting
                                                                                          Service Blueprint
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                                                                                            📌 5.3 Tools for the ideation task
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                                                                                              Crazy 8
                                                                                                The Fast Idea Generator
                                                                                                  Silent Brainstorming
                                                                                                    📌 5.4 Tools for the prototyping and testing tasks:
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                                                                                                      Paper prototypes
                                                                                                        Wizard of Oz Prototypes
                                                                                                          5.5 Recommended website: Service Design Tools
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                                                                                                            6. The terminology that Service Designers use

                                                                                                            Introduction
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                                                                                                              6.1 What is a user?
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                                                                                                                6.2 What is a stakeholder?
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                                                                                                                  6.3 What is a Channel?
                                                                                                                    6.4 What is a Touchpoint?
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                                                                                                                      6.5 What is an Experience?
                                                                                                                        6.6 What is a Customer Journey?
                                                                                                                          6.7 What are the front and back ends/stages of a service?
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                                                                                                                            6.8 What is a Nudge?
                                                                                                                              6.9 What is a rational override?
                                                                                                                                6.10 Recommended tool: 400+ definitions of Service Design terms

                                                                                                                                  7. Who does Service Design?

                                                                                                                                  Introduction
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                                                                                                                                    7.1 Three smart service designers to know
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                                                                                                                                      7.2 Recommended tools: Map of Service Design practitioners
                                                                                                                                        7.3 Recommended tools: List of the Service Design Network Members
                                                                                                                                          7.4 Three service design agencies to know
                                                                                                                                            7.5 Recommended tool: Map of Service Design companies
                                                                                                                                              7.6 Recommended tool: List of the Service Design Network Organizations
                                                                                                                                                7.7 Three service design schools to know about
                                                                                                                                                  7.8 Three Service Design communities to know
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                                                                                                                                                    7.9. Recommended website

                                                                                                                                                      Going further

                                                                                                                                                      Bravo!
                                                                                                                                                        Service Design Magazine
                                                                                                                                                          Service Design Books
                                                                                                                                                            Your next online course with a 🎁
                                                                                                                                                              A little thank you note
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                                                                                                                                                                Licence
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                                                                                                                                                                  Testimonials

                                                                                                                                                                  4600+ people already got value from this free Service Design course

                                                                                                                                                                  Sohpie P.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you so much for this amazing course. I have just switched careers to move into Service Design and this has been so useful and inspiring! I love the way you explain things, you do it so clearly and you cut through all the academic jargon that can really put people off. Fantastic! 

                                                                                                                                                                  Loukia C.

                                                                                                                                                                  As someone who wants to get into Service Design, you have turned my initial interest into something huge. Finished this in a day and was fully invested! Cannot thank you enough for creating this amazing course, packed with invaluable resources and crystal clear (and user friendly ;) ) explanations of the concepts! Keep up the excellent job, you really are an inspiration

                                                                                                                                                                  Thais M.

                                                                                                                                                                  I just can't even say how thankful i am for this course you created. I had just a clue of what SD was and this course that you created has been exactly what i needed! Clarified many doubts and you have a way of teaching things that is very easy to get... and well, no doubt you have a looot of knowledge to share.

                                                                                                                                                                  Helen W.

                                                                                                                                                                  What a fab course thank you very much Daniele! This was my first introduction into Service Design and I found it incredibly useful with all the resources and links etc. I definitely feel motivated to continue learning more about this field and who knows, maybe one day I will be able to join the growing community!

                                                                                                                                                                  Monica S.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you so much for your generosity, not just in this course but in the others on this website. Your references that allow for more in depth knowledge and clarity of explanations without the need to sound smart. You exemplify what we all say that we are trying to achieve, making the knowledge as accessible to everyone as possible to start this movement and empower everyone.

                                                                                                                                                                  I truly appreciate it, as I am sure do many.

                                                                                                                                                                  Alam S.

                                                                                                                                                                  Great collection of useful and easy to grasp information. I was just starting to understand the service design field. Few weeks ago, I didn't it was a thing. It's very broad and interesting. I just might end up working in it. 

                                                                                                                                                                  Emilia R.

                                                                                                                                                                  I feel so proud I finished the free course. It gives me lots of new tools and concepts to work with experience design and service design. 

                                                                                                                                                                  Jiamei G.

                                                                                                                                                                  Wow, this platform is so helpful and brilliant for a beginner who also has so deep love in service design!

                                                                                                                                                                  Hind Q.

                                                                                                                                                                  Amazing course Daniele, you are an inspiration! thank you so much.

                                                                                                                                                                  Kerry B.

                                                                                                                                                                  Super grateful to you for the course! I’m inspired and ready to learn more.

                                                                                                                                                                  Rhituja S.

                                                                                                                                                                  This was a concise, to the point introduction to the field of Service Design.

                                                                                                                                                                  Lauren W.

                                                                                                                                                                  I really love this format— it’s been my nightly reading. Incredible work and so grateful for this! 

                                                                                                                                                                  Noelle M.

                                                                                                                                                                  I love how you have structured this course and thank you for providing it for free. Huge Appreciation!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                  Cybele W.

                                                                                                                                                                  I am thoroughly enjoying it. You have made it very easy to understand and go through.

                                                                                                                                                                  Selina S.

                                                                                                                                                                  I am so appreciative of this! Thank you, Daniele! 

                                                                                                                                                                  Felipe X.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thanks for all this hard work on this topic; amazing content!

                                                                                                                                                                  Zivile P.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you so much, Daniele, for the course and resources. I find it really easy to read and digest. I love your writing style as well.

                                                                                                                                                                  Barbara I.

                                                                                                                                                                   It's really the clearest and simple (but not simplified) introduction to service design I've ever read.

                                                                                                                                                                  Julia T.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thanks for curating this course and I love your sense of humor - definitely learning a lot new things!

                                                                                                                                                                  Maria P.

                                                                                                                                                                  Wonderful content. Thanks so much for your time and generosity in sharing this! 

                                                                                                                                                                  Maria S

                                                                                                                                                                  The content length is so appropriate it doesn't feel like it's going on and on. I love how a lot of information is given in a few words

                                                                                                                                                                  Aeesha M.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you so much, Daniele, for this course. The content is easy to follow without lacking depth and robustness. Before starting the course, I was only contemplating transitioning to service design. Now I'm more convinced and determined to pull through!

                                                                                                                                                                  Michelle J.

                                                                                                                                                                  This course has been fantastic so far as an intro! Thank you :) I loved this course! :)

                                                                                                                                                                  Bryan T.

                                                                                                                                                                  This is a really nice introduction to Service Design. I especially enjoy the conversational tone of your writing. I've created my own resource kit from this course, so I appreciate you and how you've generously shared your work and your knowledge. I'm really looking forward to my personal journey in service design now that I have this baseline of knowledge and ... a million questions. Thanks Daniele.

                                                                                                                                                                  Maria P.

                                                                                                                                                                  I am so in love with this course I like to read a tiny bit, so I really interiorise everything. So Grateful.

                                                                                                                                                                  Josefina A.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you Daniele for your time and motivation to do all of this!!
                                                                                                                                                                  I enjoyed it a lot and it's very well-organized and satisfying to read. I will definitely recommend my colleagues to follow your work, best of lucks! 

                                                                                                                                                                  Fransisco M.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you for explaining all these concepts in a simple and fun manner. I always had trouble understanding it, but you make it less confusing.

                                                                                                                                                                  Samin E.

                                                                                                                                                                  I just wanted to drop you a quick note to express my heartfelt thanks for all the time and effort you've dedicated to the service design course. As a designer, I've always been curious about the role service designers play in projects, and I'm thrilled that I discovered this course online. Your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed, and it's greatly enriched the course experience for me. Thank you.

                                                                                                                                                                  Danny M

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you so much for this thoroughly entertaining and informative course!

                                                                                                                                                                  I have just started in the service design team for my local government and your course has provided me with some valuable insight!

                                                                                                                                                                  Jinnono X.

                                                                                                                                                                  Website

                                                                                                                                                                  This is the best course for beginners ever!!! Thanks Daniele for your work here. As a student who wants to change major, this is an absolutely useful and systematic course for me.

                                                                                                                                                                  Mathew F

                                                                                                                                                                  "Well written and bull-shit free, it's a great resource that I am recommending to everyone who wants to understand service design."

                                                                                                                                                                  Pamela C.

                                                                                                                                                                  "This was a fantastic course and much appreciated. I'm currently in marketing and wish to change careers to service design. It appeals to my inner project manager and, having completed the Mindset course too, I can understand why :-)"

                                                                                                                                                                  David K.

                                                                                                                                                                  This is awesome. I stumbled upon Service Design reading on service marketing. Service marketing literature has been inadequate in solving organizational challenges . I love the approach of service design and l believe it will be easier to implement in service organizations. Thanks for the free lessons.

                                                                                                                                                                  Lux L.

                                                                                                                                                                  Thanks again Dan, for your bite-sized content, straight to the point and easy to process🤩🤩

                                                                                                                                                                  Juan E.

                                                                                                                                                                  Real Person

                                                                                                                                                                  Hi Daniele, thank you for this course. The way you teach is super engaging and fun, I loved it

                                                                                                                                                                  Fatemeh E.

                                                                                                                                                                  I was interested in service design and I had done a few small projects. This course is a very coherent course that explained the contents of this field. The examples were very comprehensive and I learned the entire contents with great enthusiasm. Thank you.

                                                                                                                                                                  Paulina K.

                                                                                                                                                                  I want to thank you for taking the time and making these courses possible. I find them easy to understand, interesting to continue reading, and logical behind its fun scene.

                                                                                                                                                                  Vanesa E.

                                                                                                                                                                  I only have to say THANK YOU. I've been looking for years where my passions come together, a couple of months ago I came across the concept of ‘service design’ and I'm passionate about it. With that came the frustration of: I don't really know what it is and I know I've done some of it, but how to show it.

                                                                                                                                                                  At my peak of frustration I found this course, it literally came as a gift. I will take it as such and I know that the passion you put into its creation is part of the spark of energy I was looking for to start (or maybe rename my experience). Again: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

                                                                                                                                                                  Tereza E.

                                                                                                                                                                  You are doing something amazing, people like you are truly inspiring. I feel 100x more motivated to continue growing in the Service Design field and spread the love for what our goal is and why it's so important for people and companies to apply service design approaches and thinking to what they do!

                                                                                                                                                                  Thank you so much!

                                                                                                                                                                  Meet the creator

                                                                                                                                                                  I'm Daniele an Innovation Coach and Service Designer from Switzerland.

                                                                                                                                                                  I worked with clients from all over the world to help them find innovative solutions to their problem. I've been blessed to be able to learn a lot. 
                                                                                                                                                                  Today I want to share  these learnings back with the community. That's why I've built the Swiss Innovation Academy.