Partner Article

Service Design means business

When digital services became mainstream at the beginning of the millennium, enormous opportunities for innovation were created. It also became painfully evident to customers how organisations struggle to deliver consistent experiences across web sites, mobile, call centres and other channels. This is one of the key reasons that Livework was formed in 2001 . There was clearly a need to design services that were consistently useful, usable and delightful to customers, where the needs of customers, the business and the organisation would exist in harmony

Deceptively simple solutions to complex problems

As the first ‘service design’ firm in the world, Livework pioneered a new, practical and concrete approach to designing a customer’s experience across all channels, developing tools to deliver a new, practical and concrete approach to designing a customer’s experience across all channels. It quickly turned out that bringing an outside-in approach to improvement and innovation created value both for businesses and public services. The art and science lies in the ability to imagine simple solutions to complex problems.

Customers – users – humans at the heart of it all

The key to simplicity is to focus on humans and their real-life needs and expectations when they deal with the organisation. When companies really understand what their customers need, it becomes easier to navigate the intricacies of technology, systems and processes. Ultimately, a clear view of the human experience makes it easier to make good decisions and succeed in a competitive environment.

Service experience & brand experience

Branding a service with ‘service provided by’ statements does not create a better service experience. Promising and delivering excellent service affects customers’ brand perception. Inserting the brand in specific, high value services can create a situation where customers get to experience the brand and its values. Actively and visibly supporting customers on a social media platform makes a strong brand statement. Designing services that customers value can create a brand experience and ultimately build brand equity.

The proof is in the real world

In the past 13 years Livework developed a range of tried and tested tools that help organisations deliver more value to customers. Through hundreds of projects in different sectors ranging from UN security services to mobile payment, a powerful knowledge base of inventive solutions to frequent problems has been established. Most importantly, the approach has brought about tangible results for some of the most respected companies in the world.

Enable meaningful change

Digging deep into customers’ lives helps organisations focus and imagine great experiences, but it’s not enough to bring about real change. Over the years more research and insight into the mechanics of how silos within organisations work together have become necessary, and ways of design systems and processes that can deliver on ambitious visions with customers have been developed. An ability to identify where the greatest benefit can be made for a business, and create solutions that make a difference that can be evidenced, has given Service Design added impact.

Customers’ experience facilitates internal alignment

Organisations trying to close the gaps between departments by introducing or changing processes struggle in what to address and where to start. A strong focus on delivering customers the best possible experience can help organisations in mapping internal and external customer-facing activities. Aligning business processes and departments with the customer lifecycle creates a smoother experience for customers and staff alike.

Connect customers with the business

Today, the skill set needed to design for great experiences goes beyond understanding customer’ needs and wants. It includes understanding principles of behavioural psychology, and how to apply them to meet economic goals. This makes it possible to imagine great design concepts for customers and connect them directly to the potential for business impact.

Connect customers to the organisation

In the past, customer experience design was heavily concerned with crafting how customers meet the organisation through different touch-points. Today, the attention has moved on to resolving issues that frequently prevent organisations from satisfying customers. Challenges with underlying systems, processes, policies and how people are enabled to deliver services. This dramatically increases the chances that great ideas are implemented and brought to market successfully.

Design for customers, the organisation and for the business

Service design has proved to be a powerful tool beyond crafting experiences that make customers’ lives simpler and more enjoyable. When organisations engage in creative processes with customers as the focal point, it can drive extraordinary transformation. Coupled with a strong understanding of which actions will make the greatest difference for business impact, service design has come of age as a seriously smart instrument for business managers to achieve results.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ben Reason .