A Primer to Service Design Blueprints

When someone asks me what is service design? I usually explain them what this means with an example:

Let’s say you’re heading to the airport to catch your next flight. You head to the entrance, show your passport, enter the hallway, are guided to the service kiosk, you get your boarding pass, check your luggage weight, and then all you know, you’ve reached the gate for boarding your flight. Don’t you see that the journey is almost magical? It’s because there is a lot of invisible “design” work in making this journey magical, especially in the form of service blueprints (more on that later). Service design is just that, it’s the design of the invisible. More specifically, you’re not just looking at the frontstage, but also the backstage, the back of the backstage (even). All the invisible missing pieces, that you might just forget, or ignore, the service designers pay attention.

I’ve found this exercise very valuable when it comes to mapping both the frontstage and backstage of any product/service.

It’s a terrible tool to communicate what the product/service looks like. If you squint your eye and look at it, you might see an array of sticky notes and flowcharts lined up. However, it’s the best way to understand the front stage, the backstage, or even the backstage behind that backstage.

What is frontstage?

The front stage refers to the visible and tangible aspects of the service that are directly experienced by the customers. This includes customer interactions, physical spaces, and any other elements that directly impact their experience.

What is backstage?

On the other hand, the back stage represents the behind-the-scenes activities and processes that support the front stage. This includes tasks performed by employees, technology systems, and any other operations that enable the service to be delivered.

Service design blueprinting helps us understand how these two stages are interconnected. It allows us to visualize how actions performed in the back stage impact the customer experience in the front stage. For example, if an employee fails to complete a task in a timely manner, it may result in delays or dissatisfaction for the customer.

Mapping interconnections

Service design blueprinting helps us understand the interconnections between the front stage and the back stage. By mapping out the What is Service Design? blueprint, we can identify the various touchpoints and interactions that occur between the customers and the service providers.

In conclusion, service design blueprinting is a valuable tool for understanding how the front stage and back stage of a service interact. It allows us to optimize both stages of service delivery for better customer experiences.

There are several layers of a Service Blueprint:

1. User interactions:
2. Service Provider interactions:
3. Communication channels
4. Tools for interaction
5. Backstage processes
6. Collaterals/Resources that are involved in that interaction

Doing this exercise allows us to get to the nuts and bolts of each and every interaction involved in the service.

Even if everything is not clear about the service, it’s highly suggested to do this exercise. Even if things are not clear, this activity helps us understand the areas for improving the service.