#39 | Ben Reason | Driving sustainable service design

“Design is an activity you do in response to some information about thinking what you might do next, and it’s almost like a pause in between some data and a need or a problem and an action, that allows people to consider a range of different options.” - Ben Reason In episode #39 we talk with Ben Reason, Founding Partner at Livework, a service design & innovation consultancy. Ben and Livework where one of the very early adaptors and drivers of the “service design” discipline, bringing a new approach to designing experiences. Livework has three studios located in London, Rotterdam, and São Paulo, and has clients across a multitude of sectors, including: BBC, NHS, Experian, Fiat, WWF, Gucci, JPMorgan, Vodafone, Johnson & Johnson, Lufthansa, public sector bodies and government departments. In this episode, Ben talks about the evolution and future of service design, as well as the link between design and sustainability – the evolution of human-centric design to design that also takes into account the environment around us. Ben discusses his early days in service design, including a few stories of brands Livework has worked with, such as London Underground and Streetcar. A unique element of service design is the frequent crossover to non-design related disciplines. Most of Ben’s work is more related to those working in different disciplines, such as in healthcare when they work with clinicians. Livework facilitates the service design process, helping clients then use the new framework to do things differently. We also discuss the impact design has on business. As design becomes more prominent for a business, designers need to have a seat on the table in order to know the objectives and metrics they are designing around. Thanks for your time Ben and IxDA Milan and Interaction20 where the episode was recorded for the support! About Interaction 20: Interaction 20 is the annual Interaction Design conference organized by IxDA - the largest community dedicated to interaction design - and in 2020 hosted by the IxDA Milan & Turin local group. Interaction Week 2020 brought together the brightest minds in design, as well as science, philosophy, psychology and business. Interaction 2021 will happen fully online. You can get more details here: https://interaction21.ixda.org