Service Design Network newsletter is rich with content

The latest newsletter of the Service Design Network is out and the content is highly stimulating. A selection:

Thinkpublic: Video on Co-Design
Thinkpublic have recently released a four-minute overview on co-design on their website. It introduces the concept to all laymen and everyone interested. The beautifully made chalkboard animation is certainly worth a look, even if you are familiar with co-design.
It can be watched here

Engine: Southwark Rise Project
Engine’s current “Southwark Rise Project” with London Borough of Southwark aims to address the complex needs of families and children living on low incomes. The project intends to design new services that enable people to fully use their potentials, improve their life chances and support themselves better.
Find out more..

Continuum: Puzzle Piece – The Laptop for Autistic Kids
Designers at the Boston office of Continuum have developed a teaching aid for children with autism. The Interactive Autistic Teaching Aid „Puzzle Piece“, which is still in its concept phase, might help to ease the difficult and often frustrating teaching process. Teachers at the test school are already enthusiastic about its potential.
Read more

31 Volts: Less Choice But Better Service?
Marc Fonteijn from 31 Volts has recently published an article on how great choice does not necessarily improve the value of a service. In his article “Creating a better service experience by providing less choice”, he exemplifies that giving customers more choice than necessary might even decrease the service experience and cause confusion. Marc introduces the idea of “functionally overlapping touchpoints” (FOTP), which occur whenever a customer is confronted with more than one way to perform a specific task, such as paying for a train ticket online, at a kiosk, at the counter, or on the train.
Read full article!

There is lots more.