Service Design Show

Imagine a world where you can simply look at your journey model and ask it why... Why, for example, is our customer churn spiking this quarter? How close are we to that reality?I invited my good friend ​Jochem van der Veer​, CEO of TheyDo, back onto the show to find out. It’s become a bit of a tradition to start the year with Jochem, looking back at our past predictions and setting the stage for what’s next in the world of Journey Management.Not so long ago, "Journey Management" was really just an emerging term. Fast forward to today, and I think it's fair to say that the conversation has shifted entirely. We're seeing organizations big and small adopt this practice as a framework that drives real business decisions. In last year's episode, Jochem predicted that by now we’d be able to ask our journeys "Why?" and get instant (and meaningful) answers. In this conversation, we discuss how the technology has arrived and why "Journey Anarchy" is the new hurdle we have to clear.Next, we play a round of "Objection Bingo" where we address the most common roadblocks we hear every day that stand in the way of wider adoption of journey management. From "we don't have the data" to the classic "It’s too expensive". And of course, Jochem shares some practical strategies to help you overcome these roadblocks when you encounter them.Finally, Jochem makes some spicy predictions for 2026. Like the emergence of a completely new role in the CX space. So, if you want to stay one step ahead and hear where our field is heading, this is the conversation for you.I would love to know: how do you feel about the state of journey management heading into 2026? A) Mostly "meh" B) Excited! C) Something else...Leave a comment (if you're on Spotify).Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 24505:30 Revisiting 2025 Predictions10:00 The One Question Most Marketers Forget to Ask12:45 Role of Human Judgment vs. AI Clues14:30 4-Step Journey Framework for 202617:00 Why Journey Mapping is "Dead"21:15 #1 Reason Companies Fail at Implementation24:45 The "Journey Anarchy" Crisis28:00 improving decision making31:00 How Siloed Teams Kill Revenue38:30:00 Another Objection: "It's Too Expensive"42:30 Objection Bingo: Flipping the Script on Stakeholder Pushback46:15 Wildcard: AI Agents vs. Simple Chatbowildcard: AI48:45 Credit Card/Budget Reality Check53:00 Predictions for 202654:15 Shift from Efficiency Cuts to Innovation Growth57:00 Why "Operationalizing Empathy" is the New Competitive Edge58:00 Other Challenges to Watch for in 202659:30 Near Real-Time Journey Monitoring1:03:00 The 10 Million Dollar Problem1:05:00 Connect with Jochem --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveerThe Experience Edge Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/4M2BsaT4jC5Oz54eyek0SZhttps://www.theydo.com/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-snipd

Sorry, but I have to say it...We are optimizing our way to boredom.Measure everything, test every variation, and optimize the customer journey until it’s "perfect". That seems to be the mantra of modern business today.But in this first episode of 2026, our guest ​Kendra Shimmell​ throws a big wrench in this machinery.Kendra argues that while things like A/B testing validate what works right now, they often come at a steep cost. Because if we rely solely on reacting to quantitative data to make small, incremental improvements, we eventually, you guessed it, optimize our way to mediocrity and boredom.We lose the soul in our services.Kendra shares a painful example of this phenomenon in action: social media algorithms. You click on a cool backpack once, and the system thinks it has you figured out. Suddenly, your entire feed is just backpacks. A lot of backpacks.The algorithm is "optimized," sure. But it has stripped away all the serendipity, turning a place of discovery into a repetitive, boring experience. As Kendra put it, just because you can keep a user clicking doesn't mean you aren't exhausting them. So, the question is: Why do organizations default to this? Why are we so focused on squeezing out efficiency rather than exploring new avenues?When I asked Kendra, her answer was blunt: "Greed, Fear, and Confusion." Ouch.The greed to squeeze out the last 1% of revenue. The fear that if they try something new, they won't find product-market fit again. And the confusion that comes from ignoring the fact that humans are wildly irrational beings driven by feelings, not spreadsheets.This conversation is a wake-up call to stop treating our customers like subjects in a scientific experiment and start treating them as people to co-create with.And if your organization isn't ready to hear that? Well, Kendra has some advice on how to be a little "sneaky" to get the work done anyway!The conversation ends with a question that pairs perfectly with a long walk, somewhere where you can let a little serendipity back into your day: "When, where, and how is it most important to be human?".Happy New Year and keep making a positive impact!Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 24404:30 Why We Need Co-Creation Over Experimentation08:30 The Twitch Lesson 14:30 Why Excessive Optimization Leads to "Beige"16:03 Social Media & the Algorithm23:45 Backpack Rabbit Hole25:30 3 Forces of Stagnation32:30 Funding Analogous Thinking35:00 Creating Space for Change38:30 The Compliance Pilot Strategy44:15 MVW (Minimum Viable Working Model)45:45 Permission vs. Action48:45 Moments of irrationality: taxes vs buying52:45 Doing Things Better vs. Doing Better Things56:15 Living Inside the Algorithm58:15 Why We Must Learn to be Bored Again1:01:45 The Role of the "Human in the Loop" in the Age of AI1:04:15 Case Study: Designing for Distance1:06:15 Question to ponder --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendrashimmell/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/244-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/244-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/244-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/244-snipd

We need to talk about the "intern" sitting on your desktop...Come on, you know the one. Sure, they are fast, very eager to please, and can process data at lightning speeds. But they also have a bad habit of hallucinating facts and making things up just to make you happy.Of course, I’m talking about AI.It is fair to say that we are past the initial "wow" phase of generative AI. Now, for us service design professionals, the real question is: How do we actually hire, train, and trust this new digital colleague?That is the focus of this episode of our Inside Service Design series.We sit down for a chat with two brilliant professionals: Jessica Dugan and Judith Buhmann.They share a grounded, hype-free look at how they are integrating AI into their own existing workflows. Not as a replacement for our work, but as a "Junior Associate" who needs some (sometimes a lot) management.To make this real, Jess walks us through the framework she uses for building her own custom AI agents. She explains how to define their "persona," scope their tasks, and curate their knowledge base so they can actually be useful (and safe).And Judith shares a critical perspective on why we can’t fully trust AI yet. We explore why we need to treat AI as an "unreliable narrator" especially when working with vulnerable groups.So if you are feeling a bit somewhat by the pressure to "use AI" but aren't sure how to do it responsibly, this conversation has some key insights you don't want to miss.Here's a question: If you had to give your current AI tools a "performance" review, what rating would you give them? A) Employee of the month B) Promising intern (needs supervision) C) Chaos agent (fires random info at me). Let me know, I’m really curious where we are all at!Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to the November Round Up04:00 Jess's journey into service desig09:45 Judith's challenge12:30 Designing for the employee experience and internal systems14:00 The "Pros" of in-house service design15:30 The necessity of patience and deep knowledge for in-house success18:30 Judith topic19:00 Jess topic: Building (and trusting) your own AI agent23:00 Why we cannot fully trust any AI27:00 Scoping the AI agent's role and understanding user need29:00 Designing the "Human" side: Setting personality and tone for your agent33:45 Accessibility: Is it actually hard to build your own agent?35:30 Human-in-the-loop: Regulation and ensuring data accuracy40:00 Why transparency matters more than just "trust" 47:00 Getting organizational buy-in for AI tools54:45 Markers of success: How service blueprints live on after the workshop56:30 Closing thoughts and Question to Ponder --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithbuhmann/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-dugan/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-08-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-08-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-08-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-08-snipd

Sure, design might be going through a tough period...But as the saying goes, "never waste a good crisis."So this moment of uncertainty, where everyone is wondering if (or rather when) AI will take over their job, might actually be our biggest opportunity to rise up.It is a unique chance to reclaim our core focus of designing services that genuinely improve people's lives, rather than just extracting value to maximize shareholder returns.Of course to discuss an existential topic like this we had to find someone who's been around the block for some time. And boy did we find someone!For this episode we sit down with the legendary Dan Saffer to chat about what we can learn from the last two decades of design evolution.We try to wrap our heads around what caused the erosion of strategic design from its heyday, which, frankly, wasn't even that long ago.We look into how we somehow got identified with the outputs, like running workshops or creating interfaces in Figma, rather than the outcomes. And more importantly, what we can do to prevent that from happening again, whether that’s with journey management or crafting smart prompts.And finally we also tackle the big question of why design isn't having a greater influence on the current wave of AI, and how we can change that.So bring your cassette player for this one, because we're going back in time for some nostalgia and a healthy dose of hope.Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 24303:00 Why Design Has Failed the Enterprise07:15 Defining a 'Well-Designed Service'11:00 4 Stages of Design Maturity13:45 The Critical Challenge of Design at Scale16:30 Debunking the Myth being Design as a 'Luxury'19:30 Is Service Design an Attitude or a Practice?20:45 Impact of Cloud & Mobile on Design Challenges23:15 Designing for the 'Cloud Age' 29:00 Service Design vs. Interaction Design31:45 Focus on the System, Not Just the Artifact35:00 The Challenge of Hiring True System-Level Designers37:30 Moving Design from Extractive to Generative44:45 Only Way to Win Is to Not Play the Game48:15 Driving Organizational Change Through Design Culture52:45 Why Designers Burn Out56:45 How to Measure the Impact of Generative Design1:00:00 Why AI is a People Problem1:03:15 What Makes a Great Design Leader?1:06:15 The Essential Mindset Shift for Modern Design Leadership1:09:15 The Great Opportunity of AI in Service Design1:13:45 Final Takeaway1:14:15 Question to Ponder --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dansaffer/Blue Sky - https://blueskydirectory.com/profiles/odannyboy.bsky.socialMedium - https://medium.com/ui-for-ai/welcome-to-ui-for-ai-eb22aef8d26c --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/243-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/243-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/243-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/243-snipd

Here is a hot take, empathy is becoming "theater"...I mean, it's that feeling you get when you receive a "hyper-personalized" yet clearly automated email saying "We are so deeply sorry to see you go".To me, it just feels insincere. Actually, it even feels manipulative. Instead of a genuine connection, it’s a performance designed to "manage" me, not help me.As every business out there is in a race to automate and integrate AI, the actual human connection is often the first thing to get outsourced.And when we try to paste humanity back onto technology, we often end up in a digital uncanny valley.So, how do we push back? How do we remain "stubbornly human" when the systems around us only care about efficiency?That is the battle we explore in the latest episode of our Inside Service Design series.In this conversation, I sit down with two service design professionals from very different worlds: ​Jeff​, who works in the highly digital fintech space, and ​Emilie​, an Innovation Partner at a faith-based nonprofit.Despite their different contexts, they share some great insights on keeping the "human" in human-centered design.Jeff breaks down the concept of Empathy Theater and challenges us to spot when a friendly tone in a digital interface crosses the line into manipulation. And Emilie walks us through a future scenario where VR headsets are the default for education, forcing us to ask: how do we design for belonging when we are physically apart?So, if you are tired of seeing the human element get optimized out of existence, this conversation will give you some strong arguments you need to stand your ground.Quick question: Have you received an email recently that felt like "Empathy Theater"? If yes, send me a quick reply with "Guilty" (bonus points if you can share the example)!I'm trying to get a sense of how widespread this is becoming.Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact.Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to October Round Up05:00 Emilie's Service Design Journey07:30 Jeff from Interior Design to FinTech12:30 Jeff's Biggest In-House Design Challenge15:00 Challenges in Non-Profit Design18:00 Emilie's True Measure of Success20:00 How Jeff Measures Success in Long-Term Projects25:00 Emilie's topic: Education in 203829:00 Jeff's topic: Keep Things 'Stubbornly Human' 33:45 The Circle Reacts to Insincere Digital Tone36:45 How Emilie's group responded39:00 Emilie's Hopeful Reflection on the Future of Design40:00 The Practical Tweak Jeff Made43:00 Emilie's #1 Hard-Won Career Lesson45:30 Jeff's Hard-Won Lesson in Service Design46:30 When Jeff Stopped Focusing on Deliverables51:00 Why Beautiful Artifacts Don't Impress Executives53:00 How to Stop the Treadmill54:30 Emilie's Question to the Audience55:30 Jeff Answers the Question He Wants to Ask57:30 Emilie Answers Her Own Deep Question59:00 Final words of wisdom --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilie-moravechttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhoekwater --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-07-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-07-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-07-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-07-snipd