Service design on the edge
Jinfo Blog

By Joanna Ptolomey

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Last year I went to a Patient Opinion conference where I was very much focused on conversations that lead somewhere.  People have stories, opinions and conversations and that can start a great narrative or debate, but I was questioning whether it really made services any better.  It was at this event that I started to hear more about "service design’"– design innovation in the public and private sector.

At the Edge2011 Conference Lauren Currie from SNOOK service design was the speaker for me that stood out as having something different to say about how we design services for people.  Perhaps it was more designing services with the people.  At the heart of service design is storytelling and journey mapping – ahh there we go, conversations again.

An important part of service design is in garnering the knowledge of the people in a community – not users, not customers but people.  It very much reminds me of libraries and information services.  We are always looking to develop the most appropriate service for our users (our people) in order that we can prove we add value.  But how often has a service been developed by imposing what we as service providers think or expect our users will want.  Is it any wonder that there is gap between what we as information professionals think is a good service and what our users think?

OK I hear you – you will never please all users.  And yes, people make service design complicated as they have an individual voice.  Other complications include budget cuts (not savings), working out what services work and what don’t, and how we can take control of service delivery from large rollout public services to an information service supporting private sector enterprise.

It has started me thinking quite differently about how I have approached service delivery projects in the past.  Services are not just policies, procedures and processes – they can be complex emotional stories that make a difference to businesses and everyday life.  Getting service producers and consumers together, it can be tricky to co-create and facilitate a new service.  But not only have I seen it, I have also been part of it.

In the next month or so an article will appear in FUMSI Share about the ALISS project by Andy Hyde – Access to Local Information to Support Self-management.  This project has been a co-created service designed project by health information producers and consumers of health information.  This project is essentially an information/knowledge project but librarians, health professionals, service delivery managers, consumers of health, voluntary sector health and social care providers, have all contributed and co-created.

Service design is an interesting area and I think we as information professionals and providers could possibly explore this area more.  There is a useful starter for understanding more about service design in the Guardian.

In my opinion I think libraries could benefit greatly from more service design principles.  I will be interviewing Lauren Currie from SNOOK for FUMSI USE to find out more about service design and how we in libraries can possibly benefit.

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