What’s the difference between Graphic Design and Service Design?

What’s the difference between Graphic Design and Service Design?

Graphic Design and Service Design are two very different fields of the design world.

In Graphic Design, we shape how communication looks, whether it's on paper, in a book, on signage, on a website, or in a presentation. On the other side, the goal of Service Design is to create lovely experiences and interactions between organisations and the people they serve or work with. These interactions can happen via a phone call on a hotline, through a contract, in a shop, etc.

Graphic design is often used within Service Design, as communication is always an important part of creating lovely experiences.

Many of the skills and methods that service designers use are the same skills as graphic designers. For example, many graphic designers use ideation technics and prototype multiple ideas before committing to one, as any service designer would do too.

So, even if these two fields are very different, they use similar ways of working and are very complementary.

Q&A: Comparing Service Design to other fields

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Difference between Service Design and X

  • What's the difference between Service Design and Design Thinking or XYZ?
  • How does Service Design differ from Product Design?
  • What’s the difference between Graphic Design and Service Design?
  • ▶️ What's the interplay between business and Service Design?
  • ▶️ What's the difference between a service designer, a product designer and a product manager?
  • ▶️ What is the difference between ITIL Service Design and that championed by the Service Design Network?
  • What’s the benefit of learning Service Design for a UX designer?

What is better, Service Design or X?

  • ▶️ Should we replace Service Design by System Thinking?
  • ▶️ What is better UX, UI or Service Design?
  • What should I pursue, service design or UX design?