Crafting services that define identity / Claire Dennington / Episode #177
Channel: Service Design Show
Date: 2023-06-08

Which do you prefer? A service that simply gets the job done.

Or... a service that not only gets the job done but also helps you express your values and identity.

If you choose the second option, you're in for a treat. This week's episode is all about decoding the design of meaningful services.

But first, let's take a moment to acknowledge that the things we buy often reflect our values. 

Some of the most successful products allow us to express our identity through them, like driving a Tesla, wearing Havaianas, or collecting Pokémon cards.

These products go beyond functionality, becoming iconic symbols of pop culture. They attract passionate fans and loyal ambassadors.

Now, when it comes to services, it's much harder to find those with the same pop culture status. Why is that?

Our guest, Claire Dennington, has extensively studied this topic and reveals the key: trends. Yes, trends can be a design material for creating services that add meaning and joy to people's lives.

So if you want to learn how trends can be harnessed to design services that people want to use and associate themselves with, make sure you don't miss this conversation!

I admit when I first heard about using trends in services, I was concerned about their sustainability. But in my conversation with Claire, she explains how trends can actually encourage sustainable behavior, particularly in the realm of services.

Enjoy the episode and keep making a positive impact.

- Marc

[ 1. GUIDE 📺 ]

00:00 Welcome to episode 177
04:00 Who is Claire
04:45 Lightning round
07:30 How it all started
08:30 What is pop culture
11:00 Culture vs. pop culture
13:30 Iconic examples
15:15 Where's the opportunity
17:15 Recognizing meaning
20:30 What's the advantage
23:30 How sustainable is this
26:00 Material properties of trends
28:00 What shapes what
29:30 From sub to pop culture
32:00 Traditional services
33:15 Evolution of trends
36:45 How to start
40:15 Picking the trend
42:00 Relationship to branding
44:00 What excites you
47:00 Developing service concepts
49:30 Closing thoughts

[ 2. LINKS 🔗 ]
* https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-dennington-a61871b/
* https://aho.no/en/calendar/doctoral-thesis-defence-claire-dennington

[ 3. NEXT STEP 💪 ]
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