This post was originally written a wee while ago, during my student days. I think it shows a good representation of the inside of an almost-graduating design student’s head – looking to their future, imagining their place within it and then applying themselves to work towards it.

This post follows a series of conversations and thoughts I was sharing with classmates and tutors surrounding my final project: pre:design.

Transcript of my letter to myself:

“This diagram is nice, pretty. It is obvious, it will work. But it is hinged on several details, points and opinions which I have not got pinned down. I need to know about the relationship between the organisation and the designer. What is being asked of the designer – what does the organisation expect of them – working with/against their preconceptions of design. What is it that the organisation want from the collaboration? What do they see the benefit of  Service Design as being – and why have they chosen to take on Service Design rather than a traditional marketing expert?

In addition I need to show, through the process that I will add, the value of the designer. So that at the end of my ‘process’ the organisation/business  can leave with an idea of how creative solutions can modify their business, but also what the designer can do to provide more depth, variety and end results. Essentially, that the organisation sees the benefit of employing the designer.
Designers tend to enter a project with a preconception of what the organisation wants from them – is there a way to specify and narrow the seemingly huge description of service design to make it a. easier for the company to digest, b. obvious to them what the benefit for them will be, transferring positive outputs into potential future ventures.
Designers are often very comfortable in our own language. The design vocabulary and the business one are sometimes similar but predominantly different. The designer needs to speak and deliver in translatable terms. To show what they do – by showing, inviting in, there is generally no problem with non-design savvy/design literate professionals being able to see your process and your value. It can be as simple as that. But how to show it? We need to step back from the jargon – and identify the kernels of knowledge/skill which our clients need us for. What we deliver.
I need to know what clients expect of designers? What attracts them to Service Designers rather than other agencies? Build tools around these needs.
Quote of the date: “the key to explaining Service Design is not to mention Service Design.” Alex Allen    28.4.10