Lab+9

**__Lab #9 - Service Design and How Good Design Makes you Happy__**

__ What is the definition of service design and why is it so important? __

Service design deals with experiences. The purpose of service design is to make things more useable, useful, desirable, efficient, effective, and valuable for users. This can include the environment, attitude of staff, etc. It increases the value of user experiences, and allows users to enjoy a service much more.

Service design focuses on customer experience and the quality of the service. Its purpose is to make customers feel that a service is valuable and desirable to them. If customers feel this way about a company/service, they are more likely to continue doing business and be loyal to that company.

If customers feel connected to a service, they are more likely to continue doing business with that company. This is one reason why service design is so important. According to Cottong, it also “improves customers’ tolerance of business goals that conflict with their personal goals.”

Service design encourages customers to pay more money for products and services that promise to facilitate a higher standard of living. For example, Starbucks does not charge customers high prices for coffee because of the product itself. It is the atmosphere of the coffee shop as well as the status that goes along with drinking Starbucks coffee. It is the experience that the customers enjoy most.

Service design also allows companies to compete with other companies in an industry, who are providing the same service. For example, Starbucks may examine its current service design in order to improve it, and stay competitive with other “high class” coffee shops like Second Cup. Occasional services changes may be necessary in order for companies to remain competitive.