How to get design out of the box it's been put in and unlock its true potential / James Helms / Episode #190

Service Design Show

Design has failed... There's a growing narrative that design has fallen short, failing to tackle important business challenges and truly impact customers' lives.

But let's dive deeper. Was this a predictable narrative from the start? In recent years, design often found itself working within confined parameters, struggling to fit into an agile, time-boxed, and predictable fashion. Trying to responsibly and get in line with the rest of the business.

I've seen many talented service design professionals work their *ss off, still trying to deliver the best work within these boundaries. But the odds were always against them.

Perhaps it's our optimism or the sheer challenge that leads us to believe we can reshape design to fit within these constraints. We tried, and to some extent, we succeeded.

But when we're honest, the result often resembles a watered-down, marginalized version of what design is truly capable of. So, it's not surprising to come across critiques regarding the impact of design.

The question is, how do we get ourselves out of this messy situation? Our guest in this episode, James Helms, offers some intriguing insights.

One key aspect is to reconnect with design's superpower: crafting solutions that resonate with people on an emotional level. Additionally, we must find ways to get our executive leaders along this journey. Helping them see how it contributes to the bottom line.

We can and should also take more responsibility for the work we deliver. If that's not living up to our standards, we need to voice concerns. And when those concerns go unheard, sometimes, we must bravely decide to seek a more supportive environment.

If you also sense the potential for design to tackle bigger and more meaningful challenges but struggle with the practicalities, this conversation will give you some food for thought.

The conversation with James got me thinking again about the ever-present balance between a business's quest for predictability and the way design works. How predictable can our work be before it loses its magic?

Enjoy the episode, and keep making a positive impact!

~ Marc

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 190

05:30 Who is James

08:30 How James came across Service Design

11:00 Lightning Round

13:00 Design's current state

17:15 Design's value at the expense

19:15 The agile process

25:30 Design core values success stories

31:15 How to maintain the status quo?

32:00 Domino Effect

40:00 The Dilemma

50:00 Anecdotal evidence and stories

54:00 Is it our fault?

55:15 What's a better strategy?

1:03:00 Piece of advice

1:08:30 Three tech poles of a great creative

1:10:00 What James is doing now

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshelmsad/

--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle