What a service designer does

Service Design is a design practice that connects all aspects of a service cross-channel and cross-platform. This may be in the form of on paper, digitally, via telephony or assisted digital routes. This is done to make sure we create a closed loop service that will run smoothly and efficiently across multiple aspects of the business. They will work with Technical Architects, Product Owners, Delivery Managers and other members of the UCD team to steer the project in terms of strategy, efficiency, technology, policy and process.

Service designers are responsible for:

• service blueprints of the overall service
• strategic direction of design within the project for the product/ service
• advising on best practice with process, efficiencies and technologies, alongside other disciplines
• advise and orchestrate end to end service transformation alongside other disciplines

Service designers do not:

• code prototypes
• create user journeys
• create content for both online and offline journeys
• advise on best practice code or web based design

Expectations of a Service Designer

Expectations of ALL Service Designers

• to have an understanding of Interaction Design best practice with prototypes, toolkits and service manuals
• to have an understanding of Content Design best practice with the service standard and cross-gov best practice
• to know how to create and maintain a service blueprint for a service, to work with and identify when needed relevant disciplines to input into the service blueprint
• work to GOV / NHS design standards for digital services
• ensure that all design across any channel online or offline is done in line with accessibility guidelines
• collaborate and share work with other designers across NHS, not just within the NHSBSA
• collaborate and work alongside other professions
• contribute to, and write UCD Logs detailing decisions to change a service
• take part in service reviews and have an understanding of how other disciplines such as Technical Architecture, Product Ownership and Delivery management interact with a service to deliver it to standard, addressing both business and user need, policy, process and efficiencies
• be an engaged and active member within the NHSBSA design community

Expectations of Junior Designers

• can explain design decisions
• work collaboratively
• has a responsibility as part of a service
• can work independently after being given direction by more senior designers
• should be able to independently identify user issues and important needs

Expectations of Midweight Service Designers

• to know how to create and maintain a service blueprint for a service, to work with and identify when needed relevant disciplines to input into the service blueprint
• to understand policy and process across different channels within the business and to be able to suggest improvements on how policy, process, business and user need, and technologies could be improved based on user research
• confident and competent in mapping full service designs based on evidence
• can be trusted to make good decisions based on research and evidence and explain the rationale to others
• can recognise when to ask for further guidance and support
• contribute to the development of services and service transformation, recognising when a service has failure points or room for improvement
• should be able to interpret evidence-based research and incorporate this into their advisories for a service

Expectations of Senior Service Designers

• to know how to create, advise on best practice, and maintain a service blueprint for a service, to work with and identify when needed relevant disciplines to input into the service blueprint
• to advise on and orchestrate transformational changes within policy and process across different channels within the business and to be able to implement improvements on how policy, process, business and user need, and technologies could be improved based on user research
• work with minimal support and can influence, can mentor, coach and support others across UCD when needed
• will work with Lead Delivery Managers and Programme Directors to develop service concepts based off user research / business objectives, technology and process and influence change where necessary
• will have responsibility across complex services
• will help set direction and embed good practice within teams
• will make important decisions for the service and can implement changes based on solid rationale factoring in both UCD and business strategy within a project

View Service Designer skills matrix

Skills matrix

Skill level	Junior Designer	Midweight Service Designer	Senior Service Designer
Agile working	Awareness	Working	Practitioner
Communicating information	Working	Practitioner	Practitioner
Community collaboration	Working	Practitioner	Practitioner
Digital perspective	Working	Working	Practitioner
Evidence and context-based design	Working	Practitioner	Expert
Experience of working with constraints	Awareness	Working	Working
Facilitating risks and decisions	Awareness	Practitioner	Practitioner
Leadership and guidance	Awareness	Working	Practitioner
Prototyping in code	Working	Working	Practitioner
Prototyping	Working	Practitioner	Expert
Strategic thinking	Awareness	Practitioner	Expert
User focus	Working	Practitioner	Expert

What does each skill level mean?

Service design principles

Generic Design principles for all design disciplines: government design principles

1. Be human-centred

• consider the experience of all the people affected by the service.
• services should be designed based on creating value for users and customers and to be as efficient as possible.
• services should always be designed with input from all users of the service

2. Collaborate

• services can and should be prototyped in conjunction with an Interaction Designer and tested by a User Researcher before being developed
• services must be designed in conjunction with business need, public policy and available technologies with documented risk and outcomes based on Product Ownership vision for best delivery of the service
• services should be designed and delivered in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders (both external and internal)

3. Iterate

• service design is an adaptive approach, iterating toward implementation.
• services should be developed with minimum viable products (MVPs) in mind for delivery and then deployed. They should then be iterated and improved to add additional value based on user feedback and service data.

4. Be sequential

• the service should be visualised and orchestrated as a sequence of interrelated actions.
• services should be designed to deliver a unified and efficient system rather than component-by-component which can lead to poor overall service performance.

5. Address real needs

• needs should be researched in reality, ideas tested in reality.
• always consider equally, people, policy, assets and culture when looking at service transformation and always iterate or adapt based on research and data to help achieve business strategy and goals, documenting how any change would impact all four aspects of the service with risk and outcomes clearly explained.

6. Have a holistic approach for an overall design strategy

• services should sustainably address the needs of all stakeholders through the entire service and across the business.
• services should be designed based on a genuine comprehension of the purpose of the service, the demand for the service and the ability of the service provider to deliver that service.
• services should be designed on the understanding that special events (those that cause variation in general processes) will be treated as common events (and processes should be designed to accommodate them)
• all service transformation and adaptation or review should be recommended based on the full service ecosystem and not just one aspect

Sources

• The principles of service design thinking building better services
• What we mean by service design
• Service design

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