In todays class we looked at what service design is, and how it is integrated in UX design. Service design is how we help somebody do something, and this can be something as simple as getting lunch. Service design covers the whole service, not just the digital solution. When doing service design, we must think about all of the different parts that bring the whole piece together.
UX design covers the digital interactions that the user has, whereas service design thinks about all of the digital and physical interactions that the user has in the process of getting a task done. UX design is one of the many touchpoints that the user will have with the product, and this is part of a more holistic and orchastrated process. Service design is important to ensure that the whole user journey is consistent and a better experience. Service design is so important, because if one interaction is poor then it can affect the whole service. Attention to detail is a big part of this, and thinking through every situation and interaction.
At the start of class we went out in groups to a cafe in the university. We had to observe how things were ordered, what was most popular, whether people stayed and chatted, how the food is laid out, and everything else that can be seen and interacted with from a customer. We visited Aromaroma, and here are the notes that I took from 15 minutes of observation.
A service blueprint allows us to look at the customer journey and the business journey, combining them into one. Touch points are how the customer interacts with the business, which may be signage, a staff member, a card machine, or a digital product. Front stage are what directly interacts with the user, whereas backstage is what is unseen to the user but essential for the service. A service blueprint helps us identify the touch points that are causing pain points, and how we can find a solution to solve it.
The next part of the class was when we put what we learnt into practise and created our own service blueprints. We were given 5 different scenarios that we have all experienced, and choosing one we had to create a service blueprint for it. Our group chose taking public transport, and we thought through every area of the process of taking the bus from my house to university. Thinking first of the actions, which is each step we take to get the task done. Next up we looked at the front stage, which is all the touch points that we interact with in the process. This include the people we interact with, and also the technology/physical things we use. Next was the back stage, which is the work/processes that are going on behind the scenes that we don’t see, but is still necessary for the service to run smoothly. For a bus journey this could be a payment process from the bank, or someone who fuels the bus beforehand. It was eye-opening to see how much is needed to be considered when delivering a service for a user, and the scope of every single interaction.