How to build a thriving community for and with service designers

Here's a crazy idea... Imagine you had a team of service design superheroes by your side.

A team that helps you take on the status quo head-on, challenging organizational inertia with confidence.

As service design professionals, we're playing the long game. Change is a journey, and navigating tough times is part of adventure.

Over the holidays, I read "The Long Game". In the book, the author underscores the importance of a strong support group to overcome short-term challenges and bridge the unavoidable chasm of doubt.

Well, enter the ​Circle community​ – our, or rather your, team of service design superheroes. If you've been following my work, you'll know that we've been carefully building this support group over the last three years. Since day one, the Circle has been an ongoing prototype, and (fortunately) not everything works out as we plan.

In this episode, you get a peek behind the curtains as we share the lessons learned from the past year. You'll also hear about our hopes for the future and what the next iteration of the Circle could look like.

The insights aren't just for those creating their own (internal) community; they will resonate with anyone on a journey of professional growth.

Having experienced the Circle firsthand, I have no doubt that actively exposing yourself to your peers' thoughts, ideas, and experiences is the most effective way to evolve into a mature and well-rounded professional.

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Circle Retrospective 2023 Special Episode

02:45 Welcome Brian & Hayden

03:45 How the Circle evolved

08:15 The Most helpful Dinner Table Session

11:00 What we will be exploring more

12:15 What's important for service designers

22:15 Small wins

26:45 Ways How the Circle has expanded

30:45 What to look forward in 2024

36:30 What the Circle Can Look like in 5 years

40:45 How we can improve our practice

44:45 Closing