The customer experience, service design and organisational design diagram

September 4, 2012 Customer experience, Service design By Iain Barker

A while back I worked closely with Kimberley Crofts to create a diagram to visually contextualise the work we do and the impact it can have on customer experience, staff experience and organisations in general.

service design model

Over the last 18 months I’ve used the diagram in a variety of different contexts to explain the outside-in work we do at Meld, service design, cross-channel customer experience, the importance of staff experience, etc.

I think it is about time that I/we let go of the diagram and see if it has a life of its own. So I offer it up for you to download and use under Creative Commons. You are free to use the diagram, but it must be attributed to Meld Studios.

Download now

Service design diagram (PDF)

A bit about the diagram

I firmly believe that the experience an organisation delivers to customers is a reflection of the organisation itself. Silo-ed organisations deliver disjointed experiences. Organisations with poor internal communication communicate poorly to customers, etc, etc. Yes an organisation can temporarily mask customers from their worst inefficiencies, but it is my firm belief that this masquerade never lasts for long.

Hence solving only the customer experience is just a temporary fix. Long term solutions require organisations to reflect on the processes, systems and cultures within their organisation. Only by looking at the broader eco-system, can long term change be made.

I am interested in any feedback you may have. Feel free to contact me at iain@meldstudios.com.au.

1 Comment

  • Iain

    September 6, 2012 at 10:52 am Reply

    Some technical glitch meant that comments haven’t been working on this post. I think it is all fixed now, the following is a comment I received by email from Eric Folger – he was happy for me to share…

    “Just came across your service design diagram on the site. I think it’s great that you are giving this to the greater community. There is an real need for more cross-pollination, as it were, with the understanding and importance of service design as a whole.

    I like the flow of your approach, and it is of course, visually stunning. As it is currently laid out, my interpretation is that the customer focus of service design is on the touch points. Is there an opportunity to expand this diagram to be inclusive of a customer’s experience from enticement all the way through to extension?

    I think the promise of service design is that it considers the entire system. The complexity of the whole is understood and designed to in a way that anticipates and extends our customers experience and engagement.

    Not sure how I would adjust this to accommodate that, as it could create a rat’s nest of information that is no longer helpful. And you may well have made a conscious decision to create a very clear and simple dynamic that can be understood by a wide audience.

    Anyway, my two cents. Appreciate your commitment to the community.”

    – Eric

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