Summary
This session examines design interactions beyond screens -- supermarkets, train stations and kiosks alike -- to examine the ways we've grafted the digital world into everyday life without bringing along the users of these tools and technologies. We'll explore the ways that friction causes bottlenecks in the delivery of government services and how designers can use research and collaboration to uncover these pitfalls before they're too hard to fix.
Key Insights
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Every problem in service design is fundamentally a research problem requiring continuous iteration and questioning.
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Failures in public service often stem from designing for average users rather than addressing diverse real-world needs.
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Good friction exists to protect user privacy and security, but friction can also be weaponized as guilt to retain users.
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Consequence design captures the backstage orchestration of services that hold experiences together but are mostly invisible to users.
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Service design in the US is uniquely challenging due to profit-driven mindsets and limited empathy for public services.
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Trust is the cornerstone of successful service design and must be built by designing with communities as equal partners.
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Participatory research that compensates people for their time builds deeper trust and more relevant design outcomes.
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Service experiences can dramatically differ by location and context, such as urban versus rural divides.
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Learning from countries like Norway reveals how stronger public service commitment eases service design and delivery.
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Small concrete improvements (like providing coats for kids) can have outsized, tangible impacts compared to chasing big systemic fixes.
Notable Quotes
"That friends is service experience in the 21st century."
"Every problem is a research problem, not just a design problem."
"If you’re designing only for average use cases, you’re missing 20% or more of your users."
"Good friction can protect privacy, but too much friction or guilt friction can harm the user experience."
"The orchestra behind the scenes is instrumental in gluing the entire service experience together."
"In the US, we think people should earn their keep, which complicates holistic public service design."
"We’re designing with people, not just designing for people."
"Trust is less about interaction and more about integrity in the experience."
"You might be surprised when government digital services simply work as intended."
"Sometimes the best thing is just to get the kid a coat and not worry about fixing everything."
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