I’m a believer in the importance of getting designers together to share knowledge. Here’s my advice on how you can make that happen.
Service Designers Connect is a meet-up we have co-run with Nottingham Trent University (NTU) since 2023.
Its mission is to create a community for people in the East Midlands who are interested in Service Design to make connections, learn from each other, share best practice and raise the profile of the profession.
In this post I'll share insights into how it was created, the value it's delivered, and top tips for replicating our success.
The problem we wanted to solve
Back in November 2022, NTU was in the process of making their student services more people focused.
We met to discuss how we could help, but the conversation quickly turned to the demise of local meetups since the end of the pandemic.
Both teams missed having spaces where design and tech enthusiasts could meet in person and share their experiences.
There was a feeling that London, Manchester and Leeds had vibrant design communities, but this was lacking in the East Midlands.
And although some of NTU courses covered traditional design subjects, none focused purely on Service Design.
We ended up asking ourselves “If a community doesn’t exist, what's to stop us creating one?”
Why we need design communities
Design communities are a platform for learning and human connection. They help practitioners collaborate, share tacit knowledge, experience, and best practice.
Creating a supportive environment where people can share common problems and new ideas provides individuals with continuous development opportunities and moral support.
Over time communities can also help create a collective intelligence that helps people in the community solve problems better, and faster.
Getting away from our day-to-day and out into shared spaces with people who share our passions and can be energising for everyone involved.
Starting a design community
With the support of Amanda Neylon, Director of Digital Technologies at NTU, and Lisa Mountford, BJSS’s Head of Delivery for Nottingham, we planned our first session.
The aims were to:
- create a safe space
- enable people to connect
- capture ideas for future sessions
- leave everyone energised and inspired
On 26 January 2023 we held our first Service Designers Connect meet-up at the Dryden Enterprise Centre, NTU’s space for entrepreneurs, founders, SMEs and start-ups.
The session was split into two parts.
First, a lightweight introduction to design thinking, using Sparck’s ‘Say “Hello” to Design Thinking’ workshop.
This practical activity helped participants grasp the fundamental principles of design thinking as a human-centred, non-linear, iterative process for creative problem-solving.
Secondly, participants were split into groups and presented with a challenge of co-creating the “most awesome Service Design community" using a pizza-based metaphor. (As we all know, the best meet-ups always include pizza.)
They were encouraged to choose their perfect ingredients for a meet-up and explore the following questions:
- Why should this community exist?
- Who are the users and what are their needs?
- How might we meet user needs and goals?
- What benefits could this community achieve?
- How will we know if we're successful?
The purpose of this activity was to encourage discussion, generate ideas and aspirations in a co-creative and playful way, which would then shape the direction of future sessions.
The event was a great success, with more than 40 people from diverse industry backgrounds, as well as academics and students from NTU and other universities across the East Midlands.
Attendees shared great feedback and the energy in the room confirmed our initial assumptions about a need for the community.
We knew at that point that this was an experiment worth pursuing.
Growing a community
Using what we'd learned during the first session we planned our approach for future meetups.
Taking inspiration from Emily Webber’s book Building Successful Communities of Practice we aimed to use a mixture of formal and informal workshops and talks to give the group opportunities to connect, learn from each other, and from industry experts.
In the first 12 months we had 18 speakers or facilitators covering a diverse range of service design related topics to engage and inspire the community.
These included:
- accelerating IT delivery using service design
- accessibility and digital inclusion (to celebrate Global Accessibility Day)
- breaking down silos
- Lego Serious Play
- liberating structures
- speed networking
- sustainability
- The .GOV Services Standard
- workshops and facilitation
We also managed to meet one of our initial aims of giving something back to the local community when Chris Common, Carbon Neutral Policy Manager at Nottingham City Council, joined us in November 2023 for a session focused on supporting the city's ambition to become carbon neutral by 2028.
Impact of a community
Over the last 2 years, Service Designers Connect has made a significant impact in the East Midlands by boosting the visibility of service design both within NTU, and across the wider design community.
It has sparked interest and enthusiasm for service design mindsets, methods and processes.
It’s opened new opportunities for students to engage with major industry events like the annual Global Service Design Jam.
And it’s strengthened NTU's connections with industry partners and other higher education institutions.
For the community it has become a valuable resource for personal and professional growth, facilitating connections between individuals from different industries and enabling a rich exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge.
It has also supported students with research and has enabled them to find a roles within the industry.
Creating your own community
Building a community takes time and effort, but with the right approach and a committed team, it is a rewarding experience.
Here are some tips to get you started.
1. Use your networks
One of the first challenges is letting people know your community exists.
We used our local connections to help get the word out and contacted other meet-up groups in areas of UX, tech and agile delivery ahead of the event to attract anyone curious about service design.
2. Find a sponsor
You don’t need much to get started, but you will need somewhere to meet and a small budget for catering. Having an enthusiastic sponsor will really help you get up and running – and keep you going if things get tricky.
3. Create a safe space
Key to the success of Service Designers Connect has been a culture of inclusivity, trust and open communication where members feel welcomed, valued and respected.
We aim to make every session inclusive and welcoming, and everyone is encouraged to share their experience and ask questions without fear of judgement.
During sessions the facilitators share ground rules for respectful communication and ensure everyone is given a chance to participate.
4. Co-create community with the community
Right from the start the aim was for the sessions to be accessible to all.
We looked to create opportunities for members to easily contribute, whether through discussions, talks, workshops, creating outputs or sharing resources.
We also seek regular feedback and use that to inform future events.
5. Design learn-by-doing experiences
One of our initial aims was for people to leave sessions feeling energised and inspired.
To achieve this, we provided opportunities for members to develop new skills and knowledge in engaging and playful ways.
Most sessions include activities that require active participation, discussion, group work and problem solving to encourage collaboration and a deeper understanding of the topics being covered.
To complement this, we also brought in industry expertise to share best practice, give practical examples and answer questions from the community to learn how these skills can be applied in practice.
This combination has helped ensure the community members engage with each other, share ideas, learn through enquiry, explore new possibilities and solve problems.
6. Choose the right digital platform to stay connected
To help people stay connected after the event we established a LinkedIn group. This gave the attendees an easy way to stay in touch online after the events and share useful information with the group.
Join our community
If you're passionate about sticky notes (pull, don’t peel), bewitched by blueprints, or just want to connect with other like-minded creatives, we’ve now got Service Designers Connect Communities in both Nottingham and Manchester.
To find out how you can get involved, join 500+ other people on our LinkedIn group page to keep up to date.
Or you could join us for the next Service Designers Connect in Nottingham on 30 January.
Amy Lynch a Service Designer from the Bank of England will be joining us to introduce an ‘AI capability design pack’ – a framework to help identify and assess opportunities where AI can make a real difference.
I’d love to see you there.
