What is a Service Design Jam?
Once a year, Innovation Unit Design Academy partners with Royal College of Art Service Design MA students to host a service design jam to tackle a pressing social challenge.
Every year, we unite with leading public and third-sector organisations who take the stage as sponsors. They set the tone by presenting a crucial social challenge in need of innovative solutions and immediate action.
Their staff join designers, innovators, researchers, and sector experts to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
Teams have two days to investigate, design, and prototype new ideas. It is a chance to work with people you’ve never met before, unearth new insights, surface new and bold ideas, sharpen your design skills, and have fun!
The Service Design Jam experience:
Participating in a Service Design Jam offers a range of benefits:
Community Connection: Connect with fellow service design enthusiasts and experts.
Methodological Mastery: Deepen your understanding of design methodologies, tools, and approaches.
Social Solutions: Collaborate to create innovative responses to urgent social challenges.
What can I expect?
The aim of the Jam is to develop and prototype completely new services, products, ideas, or initiatives, inspired by a shared brief.
The Jam kicks off with breakfast, forming teams that bring together expertise in different areas, including public and social sector specialists, social change leaders, researchers, service designers, product designers, and graphic artists.
Teams begin by immersing themselves in the challenge. This might mean conducting interviews, doing desk research, or getting out onto the streets to understand people's perspectives. The remainder of the time is dedicated to generating ideas, crafting new concepts, and testing and refining ideas.
Throughout the process, teams have opportunities to hear what other teams are doing, send spies, and seek advice from experts or coaches. It is a chance to collaborate, create, and play together, all while addressing real-world social issues.
The Jam finishes with teams creating their final product, which is presented to a judging panel. Prizes are awarded to the winning team, and everyone comes together to celebrate their hard work.
Interested in becoming a Service Design Jam sponsor?
Our sponsors have a chance to:
Develop Innovative Solutions: Have talented designers and experts generate fresh ideas to tackle the pressing challenges your organisation faces.
Grow design capabilities: Send members of your staff to participate in the Jam to grow their design capabilities and learn new tools and approaches.
Enjoy the experience: Lastly, be a part of an enjoyable, creative, and collaborative experience.