#serv216 winter2015

"Snapchat's long-awaited news tool, Discover, is finally here, enabling media outlets to post bite-sized content on the app..."

From day one, Snapchat has planned to maintain and develop an app a user could use for more than just sending silly pictures to friends for specific amounts of time... From ventures like "snapcash" where one could send money with a picture, to the ever-evolving "snap story" that operates similarly to posting updates on any social media service, the innovators of Snapchat are always on their toes looking for the next new thing to continue to open up their market of users. Venturing into the business of news updates is perhaps one of the better ideas they have had, as it generates a steady revenue through partnerships and sponsors while also offering popular content that anyone could arguably enjoy. These days, the average person seems to think of death, destruction, and politics when the word "news" is presented to them. This is why alternate news sources are much more popular (with younger demographics especially) like the Daily Show on Comedy Central because it is friendly, fun, and most importantly: SHORT. There are so many news sources constantly flooding us with information that it all becomes very overwhelming and no one has time to sit down and sort through any of it to find the information they'd actually like to process. So, now, Snapchat has taken the initiative to do it for us lazy users by providing daily news bits (anything from fun recipes with the food network to serious updates from around the world with CNN and human interest stories from National Geographic) that change on a 24 hour cycle to keep things fresh while also reeling users in to keep coming back... A very smart move in terms of designing services because this opportunity shows potential for extreme growth while also providing the funds and means necessary to do so. 

As Izzy Lapowsky of Wired.com summarizes: 

The ultimate goal of a service is to get customers/guests to purchase the product and create brand loyalty through an outstanding experience.

Many businesses lack effective wayfinding and signage that could take their service level from good to great.

For example, take Coffee Fox located on Broughton Street in Savannah, GA. A new and fresh coffee provider in the city. With freshly handcrafted pastries and quiches this coffee shop provides a unique friendly atmosphere for guest but lack appropriate signage.

On a recent visit to the shop I (a first time visitor) was left with questions as to what to do next in the "store experience'. After ordering I was unsure where to wait to pick up my order. And once I received my coffee and snack I was unsure what to do with my dishes.

These little problems take away from the quality product I received and could be solved by simple signage. Signage as to where to wait for my order and where to put my dishes away.

I have been using stakeholder maps in an independent project of mine, and discovered that there are many other ways of interpreting them. A traditional stakeholder map identifies a service’s stakeholders, which effect the service both directly and indirectly. However, the current model seems to fall short, because it does not identify what part each stakeholder has. For example - is a service affecting a stakeholder, or being effected by one? Let’s take my independent project, for example. I have found that identifying effect/affect is very helpful when working with digital services. I am working on redesigning the user experience of the parking process, using apps like Parker. In this case, we will assume that the user of a parking application is driving, and therefore, being affected by traffic. As we all know, being affected by traffic is often a negative experience.Now, with the help of a parking app, the user can quickly find a parking spot. This indirectly frees up the flow of traffic.So, ultimately, the user is being affected by traffic. The app is effecting traffic. And the app is also being affected by traffic. This forms a bit of a symbiotic relationship. But, once we understand how a service is being influenced by different factions, then we can begin to more effectively discover pain points in a service offering.

It is human to create stereotypes and one of the strongest ones is to be creative. In our minds, creative has a strong link with artistic and added to that, the fact that one is 'born' with creativity genes. This read written by David and Tom Kelley (founder and partner of IDEO) proves the exact opposite to that. It awakes the creative potential in everyone who reads it. 

The brothers narrate very rich experiences when co-creating with clients like P&G and G&E. Some have to be taught how to change the chip of thought, while others have very successful stories applying design thinking. Besides reading through many explorations, insights and experiences with clients in IDEO, the brothers also write about student revelations. Students from Standford with business, economics and other backgrounds that went to de d.School and discovered a new world of creativity were they actually could apply (and were pretty successful) their knowledge. 

We all know that service design is about co-creation and collaboration of multidisciplinary teams to develop amazing experiences. So don't be shy to refer this book it in a client meeting or even suggest it as a "must-read" before starting to co-create. If you believe yourself as creative, this book will help you lead corporate people that are not used to work in such environment. If you believe yourself as a business/academic/not-creative person you will definitively learn a lot about how to think with a different twist and unleash your creative potential to problem solve. 

The Benefit kiosk serves as a vending machine that provides travelers with any kind of make-up or beauty product needed! This service, which originally began in JFK Airport in New York City is now offered at the Savannah Airport and 25 others nation wide. The pink and girly carts can be spotted from gates away and the service itself only takes about a minute... so long as you know which products you want to buy! The cosmetics are great prices and provide for the perfect last minute pre or post boarding touch-up. 

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