How play encourages bolder outcomes in collaborative service design, with Kris Kelly-Frère

Kris Kelly-Frère is a singular individual.  When we first met at a design event, the room was filled with austere design folk in cookie-cutter black t-shirt and black jeans. Kris was the only person wearing a kimono.   You just knew that he'd have something interesting to say.

It turned out that Kris has a lot to say about the concept of Play . Especially how fostering the conditions for play helps groups to collaboratively design better and bolder solutions that are relevant for them and their stakeholders.

He's passionate about taking concepts developed for encouraging autonomous and intrinsically  motivated play in kids and applying this to service design engagements.  This very different approach, has yielded very different outcomes with materially better impact.

There are two things to note in the podcast. 

First, although we started out with the intention of following our  YAP interview framework, Kris' "natural talent for storytelling" meant that we  departed from the framework before we'd really started... and the episode is all the better for it. 

At one point a woman dresses as a bee and rides a penny farthing.  Sometimes you have to give in and go with it. 

Second, this is the first time that we've used AI to edit the episode. The results were interesting, rather than time saving. I'm sure that things will improve.

About Kris

As Creative Practice Lead for J5 Design, Kristofer Kelly-Frere makes magic serious business and wants to help you explore the edges of what seems possible. J5 is a design studio dedicated to creating a kinder, more beautiful future together in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

With more than 15 years of experience in senior design roles, Kristofer has worked across a range of public, private, and government institutions to craft experiences, lead deep engagement, found design labs, and deliver ground-breaking social impact projects. Kristofer led the team responsible for “Braver Training Grounds” - a project with Red Deer Housing Authority that won the 2022 Global Service Design Award. Success like this is the result of his love for playing in the mud of ambiguity in order to move innovative dreams across the threshold into reality.

Links & Peeps  that Kris mentioned in our podcast:

The Land.  A short film about adventure play in England/North America.  Kris said that he's  intrigued by the kinds of questions it asks if you start thinking about comparing the dynamics between the play workers and kids vs. designers and clients. And for me lets us think about the magic and messy space between design (solutions) and art (questions) that we might call play.

In the episode Kris mention some incredible folks who have influenced his  practice.

Erin Dumenko, Lisa Latouche (https://lnkd.in/gKqsjrfB), Meghan Durieux, Moraig McCabe 

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

In this episode we have a frank and fresh talk with Jenny Winfield about Trauma Informed Design Research. We discuss Jenny's route into the profession and she provides a clear and concise overview of Trauma Informed Design, and its four pillars:

• Safety
• Trust/Transparency
• Agency &
• Hope 

Jenny also shows how these have been applied in her favourite projects - who knew that death doulas existed?

Links to references in the podcast:

This is HCD.  A great intro to Trauma Informed Design.
Practicing without a licence.  An academic paper that looks at negative impact of  design research turns into therapy, by Tad Hirsch

To learn more about  Chayn, a charity supporting those experiencing gender-based violence,  (or to support them with a donation) click here.

Jenny's site: www.jennywinfield.co.u

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

In our last episode of 2023 we meet Jeanette Clement, a seasoned service design leader who helps organisations meet the needs of users through evidence-based decisions, collaborative design and problem solving strategies.

Jeanette currently working as the Head of Service Design at BT and EE, where she is leading a user-centred transformation within the organisation.

Under Jeanette’s guidance,  the User Research team and now the Service Design team have blossomed, delivering value through  user-centered approaches and agile methodologies.

In the episode Jeanette talks about how design has been championed at BT by  its Design Director, Connor Ward and the ground-breaking Design Apprenticeship Scheme, set up recently by Richard Chong, who sadly passed away this year. Donations can be made to Richard's charities here.

Jeanette also mentions the  inspirational work of Kate Tarling,   and specifically her work around the Service Organisation.

 Jeanette previously held the position of Head of Design and User Research at Parliament Digital Services. Here, Jeanette established multidisciplinary teams, fostering an agile and lean approach to design and development.

BT Design's blog can be found here.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

In this episode we meet the multi disciplinary designer, Scott Shaw and hear his four tactics for designing experiences that engage humans.   

He also shares tips about how he made his relationship with his "design husband" work, and how pervasive experience branding is ruining the game of cricket.

Scott  has held various design leadership roles both in house and in agency. Having cut his teeth at R/GA and Huge, he’s gained experience across the board on projects ranging from storytelling platforms for the visually impaired to full scale plant management software.

References from the show:

Universal Everything.  Fantastic any hypnotic AI generated walking figures.... prepare to lose an hour watching and guessing what's next.

Super Mario Bros Designing On-Boarding  Elegant. Engaging. Does not feel like on-boarding. 

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

At the Service Design Global Conference in Berlin, we talked to 9 designers at the beginning of their professional journeys.  Each told a different story about what brought them to the discipline and what their hopes and aspirations were. 

Thanks for sharing your stories.

• Polina
• Valentina
• Andrea
• Oona 
• Amanda 
• Annu
• Felipe
• Tetyana
• Jaidon

The YAP team for this episode were:

• Elmer Zinkhann
• Jean Watanya
• Mandana Dilmaghani
• Stepen Wood.

Special thanks to the folks from the Service Design Podcast for lending us their recording kit when ours "went missing" on a flight.
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Resources mentioned in the podcast.

Polina

• Step into ecology of mind
• Politics of everyday
• The Reflective Practitioner (by Donald Schön)

Jaidon

• Alex Hormuzi

Felipe

• The machine stops

Valentine

• Good Services by Lou Downe

Andrea

• Visualising Complexity

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

On October 5th-6th Service Designers from across the world will come together in Berlin for the Service Design Global Conference

They'll talk about the challenges facing the industry,  catch up with old friends, meet new friends and hear inspiring talks.

They'll also argue about the availability of good coffee in Berlin.  It's just what designers do. 

In this bonus pico-podcast, we talk to SDN's David Russo,  about:

•  the conferences overarching theme, 
• the most interesting speakers
•  how to play the AI drinking game,  and 
• what's going to be expected at the Service Design Afterparty (imagine Coachella + Burning Man for the Design Community). 

You can get your tickets here and, for a limited time,  use the code ALLSDGTENPERCENT to get your Service Design YAP listener discount. 

We'll also be recording a YAP Student episode at the event tapping into the world of our next-gen designers (and rewarding them with exclusive swag). Watch out for our roving reporters.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

What can a cat on a Roomba (called Helga*) tell us about how AI will reshape the  creative industry?

How do you introduce design into a bank that's never been "design led"?

How do you break into a profession when employers look at your CV with a narrow mind?

Find out the answer to these questions and so much more as YAP talks to JP Morgan's VP of design, Amy Blackwell, in a conversation that's often irreverent, but never irrelevant

Thanks also to Silpa Jayasurya from Ulster University, where she's recently graduated with an MA in UX and Service Design.

Amy Blackwell is an Experience Designer at JP Morgan. With a Masters in Product Design, she has spent the last 13 years conducting user research and designing delightful products and services at agencies and in-house. Amy lives in Poole with her husband, cat and tortoise.

*the Roomba is Helga.... the cat remains anonymous.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

How can Design help society to tackle the climate crisis?  Find out in this episode featuring Aurelie Lionet, one of the founders of Design Declares .

Aurelie shares the 8 Acts that we should all sign up to if we're going to make a difference to the fate of the planet and also shares stories that include how she wound up spending time in a UK jail (as part of a design research initiative, obviously).

In the podcast, Aurelie also mentions the work of Muhammad Yunus, who she credits with encouraging her to pursue a purposeful design path. He's well worth looking into.

She also states that Project Drawdown  is one of her favourite sources. This comprehensive site provides a great list of climate friendly solutions from alternative concrete through to peatland protection and rewetting. 

Thanks also to our next gen designer, Ada Maymó Costa for asking Aurelie about the key to starting a purposeful movement.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

Katinka Schaaf is a seasoned Service Designer who's career has focussed on designing for the future.  She's currently leading  Service Design at Admiral Pioneer,  the insurance giant's innovation incubator.

Katinka tells us about her career story and we spend time exploring how design research can be tailored to tackle taboo topics. Katinka's teams work focused on the menopause shows the tools and techniques that can be applied to identify real opportunities associated with a topic that many find difficult to talk about.

This episode's student question comes from Ebby Lai, who is currently studying on the Innovation and Service Design  Masters course at Glasgow School of Art.

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya

WHY LISTEN?
In our launch episode we talk with Tobias Revell,  who leads the Future's practice at   Arup. 

Tobias is a fantastic storyteller, with deep experience in multidisciplinary design and  our conversation covers topics ranging from  how to establish and grow a successful speculative design team, to  top tips for new designers looking to network,  (via corporate greenwashing and Billie Eilish).

The Next Generation Service Designer question in this episode comes from  Amrutta Supate, Juliee Ingle and Yalena Sun.  The designers are currently studying Service Design at the RCA and found time to come up with a great (and taxing) question about positioning a speculative exploration of solar energy in low income communities. 

Service Design YAP is developed and produced by the Service Design Network UK Chapter.
Its aim is to engage and connect the wider Service Design community.

• Episode Host: Stephen Wood
• Production Assistance: Jean Watanya