A Practical Field Guide

This workbook belongs to

If found, please contact

workbook

usabilitymatters.com

Shannah Segal................Review and subject matter expertise

Principal, Usability Matters

Linnea Vizard................Content and subject matter expertise

Service Designer, Usability Matters

Simon Coyle.........................Art direction and layout

Art Director, Usability Matters

Adie Margineanu....................Graphic design and layout

User Experience Designer, Usability Matters

copyright Usability Matters, 2015

Toronto, Canada
usabilitymatters.com
416 598 7770

Visit usabilitymatters.com for all your service, user experience,

and customer experience design needs.
Share the Field Guide!
Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Facebook

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is intended to provide a framework for
applying the Service Design Heuristics to your
investigations of the services that make up the world
around you, as well as those you may have a hand
in designing!

Service Design Heuristics help to evaluate and design

valuable services. They are intended as rules of thumb
rather than specific directive guidelines. They can be
used in both generative and evaluative ways as a set of
considerations throughout the research and design phases
of a project or as an assessment tool to evaluate an existing
service.
The heuristics can be viewed through many lenses,
reflecting the complexity, nuance and multi-layered reality of
designing and producing services. A heuristic can apply to a
single interaction as well as to the overall service eco-system.
Similarly, the heuristics could be applied to a single moment
in time and to an actors entire long-term relationship with a
service.
Service Design heuristics take a holistic back-and frontstage view, encompassing all actors in the service, be they
customers, employees, third-party stakeholders, or partners.
This conceptual approach recognizes that services are coproduced, and that human interaction is a key component of
many, if not all, services.

page 5

1.

Address Real Need

page 07

1. ADDRESS REAL NEED

Solve peoples problems while providing

value that feels like its worth the effort.
Base service models on needs identified
from contextual research with people.

Address Real Need

page 09

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

e.g. Hertz
e.g. car rental

What real needs does this service address really well?

1.
2.
3.
notes

How could these needs be served better?

1.
2.
3.
notes

page 10

Plot the three needs this service addresses on the effort/

value graph.

e.g. get from A to B (picking up

rental car at airport is medium
effort but high value)
more value

less effort

more effort

less value

Address Real Need

page 11

2.

Clarity of Service Offering

page 13

2. CLARITY OF SERVICE
OFFERING

Provide a clear service offering in

familiar terms.
Actors should easily grasp if a service is
right for them and what they are trying
to deliver.

Clarity of Service Offering

page 15

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

A clear service offering can be captured in a single sentence.

Fill in the blanks.

This service is for

who need
when

What are three specific ways the service communicates who

its for? How clear is each one?

1.
unclear

very clear

2.
unclear

very clear

3.
unclear

page 16

very clear

Which channels is the service delivered through? Plot how

clearly the service is expressed through each of the channels.

email

unclear

very clear

in store
phone
direct

Clarity of Service Offering

page 17

3.

Build Lasting Relationships

page 19

3. BUILD LASTING
RELATIONSHIPS

The service system should support

appropriate interactions, allow for flexibility
of use, and foster ongoing relationships.
The right level of engagement supports an
evolving service experience.

Build Lasting Relationships

page 21

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

What is the tone of the service relationship?

cold

hot

playful

serious

Are there interactions where the tone isnt appropriate?

Graph the level of engagement throughout the service cycle.

discover

enter

level of
engagement

time

page 22

engage

exit

Plot opportunities to build better relationships during the

service cycle.

e.g. referral incentive

ex
i

ge

disc
o

r
ve
en
t

er

eng
a
Build Lasting Relationships

page 23

4.

Leverage Existing Resources

page 25

4. LEVERAGE EXISTING
RESOURCES

Consider the whole system and what

existing parts could be used to better
deliver the service.
Find opportunities to augment,
repurpose, or redeploy resources.

Leverage Existing Resources

page 27

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

Describe existing system resources.

staff

space

amenities

knowledge

partners

Think of alternative uses for three of the resources above.

resource

uses

1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.

page 28

Brainstorm opportunities for resource-sharing

partnerships.

Plot available resources.

e.g. furniture

high cost

rigid use
single use
low efficiency

flexible use
multi use
high efficiency

low cost

Leverage Existing Resources

page 29

5.

Actor Autonomy and Freedom

page 31

5. ACTOR AUTONOMY
AND FREEDOM
The service ecosystem should fit around the
habits of those involved.
Do not expect people to adapt their life or
work styles to suit the service model.

Actor Autonomy and Freedom

page 33

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

Identify a service user:

What does

morning
location

mood

tasks

activity

need

motivator

page 34

s
noon

day look like?

night

When is the service available?

exceptions

12
3

12
9

AM

PM

When does

need the service?

exceptions

12
9

12
3

AM

PM

How well do C and D match?

more different

Actor Autonomy and Freedom

more similar

page 35

6.

Graceful Entry and Exit

page 37

6. GRACEFUL ENTRY
AND EXIT
Provide flexible, natural entry and exit points
to and from the service.
Consider when it is appropriate for actors to
jump in, or to achieve closure.

Graceful Entry and Exit

page 39

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

Identify existing service entry and exit points.

ge

en
t

eng
a
page 40

dis
co

er

it

r
ve

ex

e.g. website sign up

Illustrate and/or describe service entry and exit

touchpoints and artefacts.

Brainstorm new entry and new exit points that might

enhance the flexibility and gracefulness of the service.

Graceful Entry and Exit

page 41

7.

Set Expectations

page 43

7. SET EXPECTATIONS

Let actors know succinctly what to expect.

Assist understanding of where they are in the
system through the design of environments
and information.

Set Expectations

page 45

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

Identify and briefly explain three key service expectations.

1.
2.
3.

page 46

Sketch and describe wayfinding touchpoints (might include

instructions, signage, process maps, or location maps).

Note any disparities between expectations and actual

service delivery throughout different stages of engagement.

e
ag

en
t

en
g
Set Expectations

dis
c

er

it

er
ov

ex

e.g. brand messaging is

very friendly but there is
no personal greeting when
entering the store

page 47

8.

The Right Information at the Right Time

page 49

8. THE RIGHT INFORMATION

AT THE RIGHT TIME

Tell the actors of the system what they need

to know with the right level of detail at the
right time.
Weigh the costs and benefits of providing
more or less precise information.

The Right Information at the Right Time

page 51

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

Plot level of detail vs. benefit of key information within the

service system.

more detail

less benefit

more benefit

less detail

page 52

e.g. uber pick up location

Identify specific information provided by this service

and indicate when it is delivered within the service cycle.
Evaluate if the timing of this information delivery is
appropriate.

discover

information

1.

enter
engage
too early

just right

too late

discover

information

2.

exit

enter
engage
too early

just right

too late

discover

information

3.

exit

enter
engage
too early

just right

The Right Information at the Right Time

too late

exit

page 53

9.

Consistency Across Channels at Any Scale

page 55

9. CONSISTENCY ACROSS
CHANNELS AT ANY SCALE

Continuity of brand, experience, and

information should exist across the entire
service system.
Actors should be able to seamlessly move
across channels.

Consistency Across Channels at Any Scale

page 57

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

How well does the channel embody the brand.

very well

mail

website

Identify differences or gaps in the service experience

between two different channels.
in store

website

mail

website

+
+
page 58

in store

e.g. different offers online than in-store

What does the brand feel like in each channel?

Write or sketch.
mail

e.g. beauty sample sent in the mail - service feels old-school,

feminine, personal

website

in store

Consistency Across Channels at Any Scale

page 59

10.

Appropriate Pace and Rhythm of Delivery

page 61

10. APPROPRIATE PACE AND

RHYTHM OF DELIVERY

All actors should experience and provide the

service at a suitable and sustainable pace.

Appropriate Pace and Rhythm of Delivery

page 63

ORGANIZATION
SERVICE TYPE

Graph the frequency of interaction throughout the service

cycle.

discover

enter

engage

exit

frequency

time

Plot how appropriate the pace of service delivery is during

each stage of the service cycle.

1. Discover
2. Enter
3. Engage
4. Exit
page 64

too slow

just right / medium

too fast

too slow

just right / medium

too fast

too slow

just right / medium

too fast

too slow

just right / medium

too fast

What would happen to the service if the pace/frequency

changed? Write or sketch.

Circle the appropriate qualities for this service, and add

your own.

quick
savoured
luxurious

efficient
enjoyable

frequent
languid

infrequent

Appropriate Pace and Rhythm of Delivery

page 65

A.

in the wild

Heuristics in the Wild

page 67

When you observe a service in the wild that effectively utilizes a service design heuristic,
take note below, and add the corresponding sticker. Collect them all!
organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

observation

page 68

service type

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

Heuristics in the Wild

page 69

When you observe a service in the wild that effectively utilizes a service design heuristic,
take note below, and add the corresponding sticker. Collect them all!
organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

observation

page 70

service type

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

Heuristics in the Wild

page 71

When you observe a service in the wild that effectively utilizes a service design heuristic,
take note below, and add the corresponding sticker. Collect them all!
organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

observation

page 72

service type

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

organization

service type

observation

Heuristics in the Wild

page 73

B.

glossary

Service Design Glossary

page 75

Actor
Any person involved in the creation,
delivery, support, or use of a service.
e.g. a call center agent, an end user, or a
VP of marketing
Artefacts
Physical service touchpoints.
e.g. the London Underground map

Channel
A medium for communication or
delivery. Most services use more than
one channel.
e.g. phone, email, direct mail, website,
store

Heuristics
Best practices, principles, or rules of
thumb.
e.g. The system should always keep
users informed about what is going on,
through appropriate feedback within
reasonable time, is one of Nielsens 10
Usability Heuristics
Journey Map
A visual representation (including
photographs, quotes, and commentary)
of a particular actors experience with
a service. Often time-based showing
multiple channels.
e.g. document providing a narrative
overview of an actors steps and
experience of getting a drivers license

Contextual Research
Investigation that takes place in the realworld environment of the subject being
explored.

Needs
A necessary and/or desired function or
condition. Needs range from high-level to
granular and from tactical to emotional.

e.g. interviewing and observing a cashier

while on the job in a store

e.g. requirement to be certified as legally

able to drive, to be able to get from A to B

Entry Points
Instances of access to a service, where
actors are able to join the service as
customers, providers, or stakeholders.
e.g. a sign-up form on a website
Exit Points
Instances where actors leave the service
as customers, providers, or stakeholders.
e.g. an unsubscribe link in an email
newsletter

Persona
A representation of a user group with
shared needs and characteristics.
Personas are the distillation of primary
research with people.
e.g. PR Manager Jane Doe might be
one of an email marketing companys
personas
Resources
Assets of many types including physical,
knowledge, technological, monetary,
and material, which are used to deliver
a service.
e.g. seed funding for a new venture

page 76

Scale
A level or size of something in
relationship to something else. Service
design considers micro and macro scales,
zooming in on particular touchpoints or
interactions, and zooming out to holistic
overviews of an experience.
e.g. a multinational brand provides
service at a global scale

Service
An exchange of value, tangible and
intangible. Services are often things that
people use but do not own.

Service System
The broader ecology of relationships,
interactions, and contexts of a service.
e.g. all of the components, channels,
resources, and touchpoints, internal and
external, that facilitate the delivering
of mail
Stakeholder
A person, group, or organization directly
or indirectly involved or affected by a
service.
e.g. the CEO of a company or a customer
service representative in a call centre

e.g. a system that facilitates car sharing

Service Cycle
The process by which actors engage with
a service. A service cycle visualization
considers all the phases in which an
actor becomes engaged with a service.
A service cycle differs from a journey
map in that it takes the perspective of
the entire system rather than that of a
particular actor.
e.g. diagram showing the cycle of
learning about a service, entering it,
using it, and exiting or staying engaged
Service Delivery
The provision of a service.
e.g. the operations that position a car
rental company to provide the service
of car hire
Service Offering
The value that a service provides, or the
need it serves.
e.g. bike sharing offers the service of
access to bikes without owning one

Service Design Glossary

Stakeholder Map
A visual or physical representation of
the stakeholders in a service and the
relationships between them.
e.g. a diagram showing the various
people, groups, and organizations
directly and indirectly involved in
a service, representing relationships
between them
Touchpoint
A point of contact between an actor and
a service. Touchpoints may or may not
be physical artefacts, and can include
interactions, environments, and objects.
e.g. a customer interaction with a call
center staff person
Wayfinding
Methods for understanding and
navigating within a service system or
environment. Wayfinding artefacts
within a service can be physical,
informational, or environmental.
e.g. store signage that indicates what is
found in each aisle

page 77

page 78

Notes

page 79

Another quality publication from

usabilitymatters.com