Lisa Lindström is Managing Director at the design consultancy Doberman in Stockholm. At NEXT Service Design she will give a keynote speech about „The Design in Service Design“. Just Before the conference, we seized the opportunity for a short interview with her:

Why does Service Design matter for digital agencies?

Lisa Lindström: We’ve reached a point where digital products and services are fully integrated into practically every organization at every level, both externally and internally. But integration also means dependency. The value of digital touch points is dependent on how well the complete eco-system of processes, people, products and interactions play together as one team. This makes Service Design crucial for digital agencies that want to provide true value.

In your opinion, what’s the best example for excellent Service Design?

Lisa Lindström: I like to highlight services that provide memorable moments instead of just the most convenient experiences (at the end, simplicity is just a hygiene factor). For example, try buying a carpet in Marrakech. Finding that small boutique in the hot, dusty, narrow alley. The overwhelming smell of leather, tobacco and incense. The mystical store clerk suddenly drags you to another boutique down the labyrinth streets to find that ‘perfect carpet’. Drinking sweet tea with the owner and mixing life philosophy discussions with price bargaining. Two hours later you not only believe you have made the deal of your life, you have got yourself a great memory for life. A story worth telling to your friends. That is a truly competitive Service Experience.

What are the biggest challenges companies are confronted with when designing digital services?

Lisa Lindström: Creating brilliant on-stage experiences demands that you dare to allocate resources to the organizational challenges behind the scenes. The culture that should deliver the services must be nourished with the same state-of-mind as the actual customer experience is designed. This is often trivialized.

Thank you for the interview, Lisa!