Why a Service Design Network Chapter in Boston
The Boston Metro, New England, and Northeast region is one of the most active innovation ecosystems in the world and, as such, brings a rich and diverse design ecosystem with it. Home to many large corporations, one of the largest clusters of universities, many research institutions, and arguably the leading geography for biotech, Boston is full of wicked smart people working on hard problems.
Agencies, consultancies and in-house departments combine a broad array of design, engineering, and marketing talent to support the needs of this diverse ecosystem. Despite the rich community and active economy, service design is still a somewhat nascent field. Many practitioners are within the organizational structure of other design disciplines, but they are practicing nonetheless.
With the awareness of the value of service design growing we believe it is a good time to bring Boston-area (and beyond) service designers and service providers together, as we said above, to discover, discuss, and disseminate the value, practice, and effectiveness of service design.
Looking Ahead
Here's a link to get in touch and sign up to our mailing list:
https://mailchi.mp/927f4c01843d/service-design-network-boston-chapter-emails-signup
We always need local collaborators to help actively assist in development of programming and networking, and build a regular cadence for in-person member meetings, content shares, and national/international network participation.
Karyn Georgilis Becker is a design researcher and strategist helping organizations make business more human through design. She’s brought services and products to life during her time at the Mayo Clinic, MIT Media Lab, Johnson & Johnson, REI, and while consulting for a diverse range of firms. Her publications exploring the intersection of business and design have appeared in MIT's Management Review, Quartz, and other global forums. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a design degree from the University of Cincinnati, and is a current Masters of Public Health candidate at Boston University.
The Service Design Network has long been a source of inspiration for my work. The community has an infectious intelligence and enthusiasm that actively seeks to push the boundaries on how contemporary design can continue to grow its influence and impact. I joined the SDN Management Board in 2017. Having a Boston Chapter of the SDN will allow us to achieve one aspect of the SDN mission… “to connect (you) with like-minded passionate service designers from companies, agencies and universities, and with curious innovators who embrace and apply this approach for the better of their organizations and for people.” It allows us to spread the message on the value of service design in New England and as Birgit Mager likes to say… to make service design the new normal, a clearly valued peer among its more established design specialisms. And about me… I’m currently “an independent consultant specializing in the design and innovation of business. I help my clients and partners manage the diverse activities associated with driving business success by design. With a background in UX, CX and Service Design I focus on researching, designing and managing for integrated multi-touchpoint digital and physical customer experience ecosystems.”
