Episode description

One of the BEST ways to get acquainted with service design in person is through an annual event called Global Service Jam. This event, co-founded by Adam StJohn Lawrence and Markus Edgar Hormeß of the service innovation agency WorkPlayExperience, is a "hackathon" where people from all professions gather to ideate and prototype a service business, all in one weekend. It is simultaneously held in more than 100 cities each year, with thousands of participants in a tight-knit community.

Adam is the embodiment of everything that the Global Service Jam stands for: open-minded creativity, teamwork, and lots of customer empathy. He talks about how a background in improv comedy inspires the jam, and why it's so important for everyone to participate.

The Jam was actually how I found service design, when I was a participant several years ago. I am now happy to be one of the co-organizers of this annual Los Angeles Global Service Jam and strongly encourage you to check it out and keep an eye out for events in the future. To get an idea of the innovative projects that come out of this event, check out videos of the 2016 LA Global Service Jam projects.

Learn about Adam's work:
WorkPlayExperience
Global Service Jam
Global Gov Jam
Global Sustainability Jam

________

Participate in the design challenge on our website.

________

Love what you hear? Please subscribe, rate, and review us!

Want to keep in touch? Sign up for the mailing list at whyservicedesignthinking.com for access to useful freebies and bonus resources that won’t be available anywhere else.

Special thanks to Monica Shriver of BraveMusician.com for this episode's theme music.