How can service design promote digital transformation and competitiveness?
Martin Jordan (Digital Service GmbH)
In this episode, Martin Jordan, Head of Design at Digital Service GmbH, talks to Philipp Thesen and Birgit Mager about the transformative power of service design in public administration. He shares insights into the digitalisation of public services in Germany and compares them with his experiences in the UK. The focus is on user-centred design, interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural change to sustainably change the administrative culture and promote citizen-friendliness.
Chapter
(00:01:50) Martin Jordan's career path
(00:04:10) Working at the UK Government Digital Service
(00:11:10) Transformation of public administration
(00:14:26) Challenges and progress in Germany
(00:19:45) Development of service standards in Germany
(00:27:49) The role of design in public administration
(00:31:23) Cultural differences UK/Germany and future outlook
>> The podcast is held in German.
Key learnings
Service design: more than just digital transformation
Martin Jordan shows that service design not only drives digitalisation, but also requires a holistic view of administrative processes. It is about consistently focusing on the needs of citizens, thinking beyond departmental boundaries and improving both digital and analogue service channels. The aim is to create an administration that is not only more efficient, but also more citizen-friendly.
Cultural differences in the understanding of design
Compared to the UK, where design is more firmly anchored in society and education, Germany is still at the beginning of a comprehensive design culture. The UK already integrates design into school curricula and benefits from a service-orientated economy. Germany needs to catch up here by promoting design skills, creating awareness and investing in education in the long term.
Administrative transformation needs staying power
The transformation of public administration is not a sprint, but a marathon. Martin Jordan emphasises that patience, perseverance and strategic thinking are crucial to achieving real progress. Communities of practice, in which knowledge is shared and mutual support is provided, help here. Celebrating small successes is an important way to strengthen the motivation and commitment of everyone involved and drive the long process of change forward.
Guest:
Martin Jordan | Head of Design & User Research, DigitalService GmbH des Bundes
Hosts:
Philipp Thesen | Designer, Strategy Consultant and Professor for human-system interaction at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
Birgit Mager | Professor at the International School of Design in Cologne, Co-founder and President of the Service Design Network
Links
DigitalService GmbH https://digitalservice.bund.de/
More episodes on the topic of service design:
- Design Perspectives: Prof. Birgit Mager: Is service design the design discipline of the future?
https://www.german-design-council.de/en/themes/design-perspectives-podcast/episode-7v
- ndion Podcast: Peter Post: Welche Rolle spielt Service Design in der Kreislaufwirtschaft?
https://ndion.de/de/service-design-als-erfolgsfaktor-nachhaltiger-geschaeftsmodelle/