Chapter 3

Change HEROs: Scaling Service Design as a Core Competence for Professional Services Staff

Authors: Jean Mutton and Pamela Spokes   

Abstract

This chapter looks back at the learning journeys the authors have had as professional services staff working in higher education who adopted service design as a capability to enhance the student experience and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes. We draw upon how we used our extensive experience in administrative and operational roles to create a course specifically for people like us; those wanting to make sustainable service enhancement in systems and procedures, created or re-designed using human-centred research. We explore how the tools and techniques of service design have helped us to appreciate the importance of getting the right mindset to flourish in an environment often hostile to co-creation in change management. 
Prototype Chapter

Authors

Jean Mutton

Following a degree in Educational Research, Jean began a career in Higher Education academic administration where she managed many Registry and Faculty-based administration teams, covering the student journey from Admissions to Graduation. Since 2015, Jean has been working as a consultant across the sector, using human-centred design for process improvement to enhance the student and staff experience. Jean is a co-founder of the Service Design in Education network. 

Pamela Spokes 

Pamela has worked in HE for 17+ years and is a fierce promoter of service design in professional services. She has studied, lived, and worked in Canada, the UK, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Japan and utilises this international perspective. Since completing her MBA in Service Innovation & Design, she has trained innovators through in-person and online service design training. She is a service designer at Metropolia UAS in Finland and an entrepreneur.