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Mindspins uses the design methods and techniques from the field of Service Design during the creation of many of its projects. This way of working is about designing for and by people. In Service Design projects, we look at the organization through the eyes of the customer so that the designed strategy perfectly matches the needs and expectations as well as those of the customer.

Moreover, this method has a holistic approach. This means that the interests and ideas of employees (who work behind a counter, for example), management and other parties are also intensively involved in the design project. This creates refreshing ideas that are widely supported within the organization and that customers get excited about.

Lean Service Design is a variant of Service Design often used by Mindspins. The value of the Lean Startup, Agile methodology and Design Thinking is to work from an MVP (Minimal Viable Product), testing ideas throughout the process using prototypes with users and stakeholders.

Human Centered

It sounds simple and logical: putting people at the center of your organization and services. After all, without your customers and without your employees, your organization would not exist. But how well do you know your customers? Do you feel the problems they face daily? Or better yet, do you know the latent needs of your customers?

Our projects involve customers and employees. This is not a snapshot like a survey, but an ongoing discussion so there is always direct contact. To answer the above questions, research plays a major role in Service Design. This research was itself creatively designed to arrive at the right answers. The techniques used for this, such as Contextual Interviews, Culturally Intrusive Personas, provide a large amount of rich information about your customers (including photos, videos).

Integral

A service is an organized combination of people, materials and information. Services also consist of different contact moments (touchpoints) that succeed each other over time. All the cogs of a service must fit together correctly and at the right time to be successful. Within Service Design, therefore, the entire service and its context are always included in the development. The goal is to make the service “good,” and that is often in the smallest details. An integrated approach also ensures that services add more value in many areas.

Co-creation

Unfortunately, the following still happens far too often. The management of an organization comes up with a new service, works it out completely, and then orders the employees on the shop floor to start delivering the service. Result: little commitment, no motivation and no connection to daily reality.

In Service Design projects, therefore, services are always designed together with customers and employees. This allows all perspectives to be explored and creative solutions to emerge. This approach puts people first and gets employees and other stakeholders excited about “their” services.

Design

Design is hot! The success of companies like Apple with innovative products and services has made many organizations aware of the importance of good design. Skills such as empathy for the context of a problem, creativity and analytical ability appear to be critical for innovation in a variety of disciplines.

At its core, design is creative, but it is structured creativity. While designing, there is a balance between methodical work and the freedom to achieve a creative spark. This way of thinking (designthinking) can be highly trained and is essential in all Service Design projects.

Four phases*

1. Insight and strategy

Empathize, define, discover and improve

2. Developing ideas and evolving

Ideate, prototype, test and evolve

3. Create and implement

Design, refine and develop

4. Validation and progress

Validate, deliver, market and manage.

* It is important to note that the phases mentioned are not always linear and sequential – they do not have to follow a specific order, they often occur in parallel and are frequently iteratively repeated. As such, phases should be understood as different components that contribute to a project, not just as sequential steps. However, the useful thing about this four-phase model is that it represents the four expected phases of a (problem-solving) project. Each project involves activities specific to the product being developed, but the central idea behind each phase remains the same.

1. Insight and strategy

In the first phase, we focus on “insight and strategy,” using our expertise to empathize with our clients’ needs, discover new opportunities and chart a clear path for the future. We work closely with our clients to develop a comprehensive strategy that serves as the basis for the entire project.

Empathize

Define

Discover

Improve

2. Developing ideas and evolving

In the second phase, “developing and evolving ideas,” we take a more creative approach, brainstorming new ideas and exploring possibilities through ideation, prototyping, testing and evolving. We strive to push the boundaries of all possibilities without losing sight of our clients’ goals.

Ideate

Protypes

Test

Evolve

3. Create and implement

In the third stage, “create and implement,” we turn our ideas into action by designing, refining and developing products and services that meet our customers’ needs. We strive to create solutions that are not only effective, but also beautiful and user-friendly.

Designs

Refine

Develop

4. Validation and progress

Finally, in the “validate and progress” phase, we validate, deliver, commercialize and manage the products and services we have created. We are committed to the success of our customers and are always looking for ways to improve and develop our offerings. With our help, our clients can achieve their goals and take their brands to the next level.

Validate

Deliver

Market

Manage

Its success is attributed to a team of seasoned professionals and freelancers, who together bring centuries of experience. By working closely with this diverse group, we are able to consistently provide innovative solutions that meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.