Service designer

Designs coherent end-to-end services across channels, organisations and technology.

Purpose

Service designers are specialist digital and data professionals who design the end-to-end journey of a public service.

They connect transactions, products and content across digital and offline channels so that users can achieve their goals and government can deliver its policy intent.

Specialist Skills

The capabilities required for service design combine the seven Universal Public Design Practices with specialist skills in:

  • strategic design;
  • service blueprinting;
  • digital instruments;
  • designing virtual environments.

Together, these capabilities enable service designers to understand how a service works as a whole and shape how its channels, processes, information and technology connect.

Professional Capability Framework

Service design is a specialism within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

The Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework sets out what service designers do and the skills expected at different levels, from associate service designer to head of service design.

READ THE GOVERNMENT DIGITAL AND DATA PROFESSION CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK FOR SERVICE DESIGNERS (opens in new tab)

Learning Pathway

The Government School of Design capability framework has been mapped to the skills for service designers in the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

The learning pathway comprises:

  • Introduction to Public Design;
  • the seven Universal Public Design Practice modules;
  • specialist modules for service designers.

Students who complete the full pathway will have developed all the skills required to practice as an expert service designer in government.