The School of Good Services
@theschoolofgood.bsky.social
We help organisations get better at designing and delivering services that work for their users
Run by Sarah Drummond and Lou Downe
good.services
Run by Sarah Drummond and Lou Downe
good.services
We've written about the 5 things that are needed in any scenario to create an organisation that can design and deliver services well
This is for all the people stepping into leading service design, whether it's in their title or not.
good.services/writing/comm...
This is for all the people stepping into leading service design, whether it's in their title or not.
good.services/writing/comm...
November 7, 2025 at 11:03 AM
We've written about the 5 things that are needed in any scenario to create an organisation that can design and deliver services well
This is for all the people stepping into leading service design, whether it's in their title or not.
good.services/writing/comm...
This is for all the people stepping into leading service design, whether it's in their title or not.
good.services/writing/comm...
Most bad services don't happen deliberately.
We've written more about what to do when bad service design is deliberate.
good.services/writing/what...
We've written more about what to do when bad service design is deliberate.
good.services/writing/what...
October 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Most bad services don't happen deliberately.
We've written more about what to do when bad service design is deliberate.
good.services/writing/what...
We've written more about what to do when bad service design is deliberate.
good.services/writing/what...
Leadership of service design can come in many different forms. We've written about service design leadership and our new course.
🗓️ good.services/writing/what...
🗓️ good.services/writing/what...
October 16, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Leadership of service design can come in many different forms. We've written about service design leadership and our new course.
🗓️ good.services/writing/what...
🗓️ good.services/writing/what...
What have bathrooms got to do with service design?
Author of Good Services Lou Downe, and our school director reflect on lessons in service design from bathrooms.
good.services/writing/lessons-about-service-design-from-bathrooms
Author of Good Services Lou Downe, and our school director reflect on lessons in service design from bathrooms.
good.services/writing/lessons-about-service-design-from-bathrooms
September 24, 2025 at 7:30 AM
What have bathrooms got to do with service design?
Author of Good Services Lou Downe, and our school director reflect on lessons in service design from bathrooms.
good.services/writing/lessons-about-service-design-from-bathrooms
Author of Good Services Lou Downe, and our school director reflect on lessons in service design from bathrooms.
good.services/writing/lessons-about-service-design-from-bathrooms
What makes a bad service?
In preparation for our new book, Bad Services, we started thinking about the key patterns in bad services
Beyond the user experience, much of the reasons for bad services sit with how the org runs them
What do you think?
good.services/writing/rwfx...
In preparation for our new book, Bad Services, we started thinking about the key patterns in bad services
Beyond the user experience, much of the reasons for bad services sit with how the org runs them
What do you think?
good.services/writing/rwfx...
September 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
What makes a bad service?
In preparation for our new book, Bad Services, we started thinking about the key patterns in bad services
Beyond the user experience, much of the reasons for bad services sit with how the org runs them
What do you think?
good.services/writing/rwfx...
In preparation for our new book, Bad Services, we started thinking about the key patterns in bad services
Beyond the user experience, much of the reasons for bad services sit with how the org runs them
What do you think?
good.services/writing/rwfx...
When you are designing a service, how do you develop your first concepts and come up with ideas for improving existing services?
We wanted to find a way to help teams work together to develop ideas on making their services work for people
good.services/writing/deve...
We wanted to find a way to help teams work together to develop ideas on making their services work for people
good.services/writing/deve...
September 5, 2025 at 7:30 AM
When you are designing a service, how do you develop your first concepts and come up with ideas for improving existing services?
We wanted to find a way to help teams work together to develop ideas on making their services work for people
good.services/writing/deve...
We wanted to find a way to help teams work together to develop ideas on making their services work for people
good.services/writing/deve...
Service literacy is a term we come back to often
We think it's important organisations see their services, then recognise what outcomes they are helping them to achieve, whether purpose, policy or financial.
It's an old post but something we come back to daily
good.services/writing/why-...
We think it's important organisations see their services, then recognise what outcomes they are helping them to achieve, whether purpose, policy or financial.
It's an old post but something we come back to daily
good.services/writing/why-...
August 29, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Service literacy is a term we come back to often
We think it's important organisations see their services, then recognise what outcomes they are helping them to achieve, whether purpose, policy or financial.
It's an old post but something we come back to daily
good.services/writing/why-...
We think it's important organisations see their services, then recognise what outcomes they are helping them to achieve, whether purpose, policy or financial.
It's an old post but something we come back to daily
good.services/writing/why-...
Designing Sustainable Services is back!
Two half days, 11th and 12th November.
Learn how to reduce the impact of your work on the planet and design sustainable and climate resilient services
good.services/designingsus...
Two half days, 11th and 12th November.
Learn how to reduce the impact of your work on the planet and design sustainable and climate resilient services
good.services/designingsus...
August 28, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Designing Sustainable Services is back!
Two half days, 11th and 12th November.
Learn how to reduce the impact of your work on the planet and design sustainable and climate resilient services
good.services/designingsus...
Two half days, 11th and 12th November.
Learn how to reduce the impact of your work on the planet and design sustainable and climate resilient services
good.services/designingsus...
Want to know if your service is actually delivering a good service?
The Good Services Scale helps teams reflect on how well their service works for real people—based on the 15 principles of good service design.
👉 good.services/the-good-services-scale
The Good Services Scale helps teams reflect on how well their service works for real people—based on the 15 principles of good service design.
👉 good.services/the-good-services-scale
August 20, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Want to know if your service is actually delivering a good service?
The Good Services Scale helps teams reflect on how well their service works for real people—based on the 15 principles of good service design.
👉 good.services/the-good-services-scale
The Good Services Scale helps teams reflect on how well their service works for real people—based on the 15 principles of good service design.
👉 good.services/the-good-services-scale
Full Stack Service Design is a model to help people break services down into the parts that make them and understand how all of these parts impact the user experience.
Services are made up of thousands of tiny, often accidental design decisions.
Read more on sarah-drummond.com/full-stack-s...
Services are made up of thousands of tiny, often accidental design decisions.
Read more on sarah-drummond.com/full-stack-s...
August 18, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Full Stack Service Design is a model to help people break services down into the parts that make them and understand how all of these parts impact the user experience.
Services are made up of thousands of tiny, often accidental design decisions.
Read more on sarah-drummond.com/full-stack-s...
Services are made up of thousands of tiny, often accidental design decisions.
Read more on sarah-drummond.com/full-stack-s...
The brilliant Kev Mears who joined our Agile Service Design Course this year, sent us these wonderful sketch notes from the course.
It's so great to see the course we run reflected back at us and see the takeaways.
It's so great to see the course we run reflected back at us and see the takeaways.
August 15, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The brilliant Kev Mears who joined our Agile Service Design Course this year, sent us these wonderful sketch notes from the course.
It's so great to see the course we run reflected back at us and see the takeaways.
It's so great to see the course we run reflected back at us and see the takeaways.
How to ‘Test and Learn’ in service design
At the heart of test and learn approaches is a readiness to observe, learn, adapt the design, and repeat. We're written about how we take a test and learn approach to whole services
good.services/writing/test-and-learn
At the heart of test and learn approaches is a readiness to observe, learn, adapt the design, and repeat. We're written about how we take a test and learn approach to whole services
good.services/writing/test-and-learn
August 6, 2025 at 7:15 AM
How to ‘Test and Learn’ in service design
At the heart of test and learn approaches is a readiness to observe, learn, adapt the design, and repeat. We're written about how we take a test and learn approach to whole services
good.services/writing/test-and-learn
At the heart of test and learn approaches is a readiness to observe, learn, adapt the design, and repeat. We're written about how we take a test and learn approach to whole services
good.services/writing/test-and-learn
Some lovely feedback from the course;
"I really loved it. You made a complex and potentially dry topic really clear and easy to follow, especially for someone new to this kind of thinking"
"I really loved it. You made a complex and potentially dry topic really clear and easy to follow, especially for someone new to this kind of thinking"
August 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Some lovely feedback from the course;
"I really loved it. You made a complex and potentially dry topic really clear and easy to follow, especially for someone new to this kind of thinking"
"I really loved it. You made a complex and potentially dry topic really clear and easy to follow, especially for someone new to this kind of thinking"
Join us for Making the Case for Service Design:
Learn how to communicate the value of user-centred change and build a compelling financial pitch to gain investment and buy in for designing good services
🗓️ Next course on 7th October
Learn how to communicate the value of user-centred change and build a compelling financial pitch to gain investment and buy in for designing good services
🗓️ Next course on 7th October
August 4, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Join us for Making the Case for Service Design:
Learn how to communicate the value of user-centred change and build a compelling financial pitch to gain investment and buy in for designing good services
🗓️ Next course on 7th October
Learn how to communicate the value of user-centred change and build a compelling financial pitch to gain investment and buy in for designing good services
🗓️ Next course on 7th October
Recently I learned that my favourite bookmark service was closing, pocket.
It got me thinking about the questions I think about when a decision is made to close a product or service down, what would you add?
good.services/writing/closing-a-service
It got me thinking about the questions I think about when a decision is made to close a product or service down, what would you add?
good.services/writing/closing-a-service
August 1, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Recently I learned that my favourite bookmark service was closing, pocket.
It got me thinking about the questions I think about when a decision is made to close a product or service down, what would you add?
good.services/writing/closing-a-service
It got me thinking about the questions I think about when a decision is made to close a product or service down, what would you add?
good.services/writing/closing-a-service
Good Services are only as strong as their weakest link
Services are impacted by everything our organisation does and how it operates. If something we're doing from a way we evaluate performance to how we fund services doesn't work, it will impact the end user
Get this poster on good.services/shop
Services are impacted by everything our organisation does and how it operates. If something we're doing from a way we evaluate performance to how we fund services doesn't work, it will impact the end user
Get this poster on good.services/shop
July 31, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Good Services are only as strong as their weakest link
Services are impacted by everything our organisation does and how it operates. If something we're doing from a way we evaluate performance to how we fund services doesn't work, it will impact the end user
Get this poster on good.services/shop
Services are impacted by everything our organisation does and how it operates. If something we're doing from a way we evaluate performance to how we fund services doesn't work, it will impact the end user
Get this poster on good.services/shop
How to map the key stages of your service
How to define and name your service ensuring that it is findable and understandable to your users and delivers its intended outcome
Understand the importance of the steps that happen before and after your interaction with a user or customer
How to define and name your service ensuring that it is findable and understandable to your users and delivers its intended outcome
Understand the importance of the steps that happen before and after your interaction with a user or customer
July 28, 2025 at 7:16 AM
How to map the key stages of your service
How to define and name your service ensuring that it is findable and understandable to your users and delivers its intended outcome
Understand the importance of the steps that happen before and after your interaction with a user or customer
How to define and name your service ensuring that it is findable and understandable to your users and delivers its intended outcome
Understand the importance of the steps that happen before and after your interaction with a user or customer
What are services and how do they work with products, systems and processes
What makes a good service that meets the needs of users, staff and your organisation
How to identify problems with your service against the 15 principles of service design and plan strategic improvements to it
What makes a good service that meets the needs of users, staff and your organisation
How to identify problems with your service against the 15 principles of service design and plan strategic improvements to it
July 28, 2025 at 7:16 AM
What are services and how do they work with products, systems and processes
What makes a good service that meets the needs of users, staff and your organisation
How to identify problems with your service against the 15 principles of service design and plan strategic improvements to it
What makes a good service that meets the needs of users, staff and your organisation
How to identify problems with your service against the 15 principles of service design and plan strategic improvements to it
If we designed products and services to reduce online harm or support people when they experience it, what might this look like?
Recent work we did with @parentzone.org.uk looked at online financial harms in games and how parents make decisions on games for their children.
Recent work we did with @parentzone.org.uk looked at online financial harms in games and how parents make decisions on games for their children.
July 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
If we designed products and services to reduce online harm or support people when they experience it, what might this look like?
Recent work we did with @parentzone.org.uk looked at online financial harms in games and how parents make decisions on games for their children.
Recent work we did with @parentzone.org.uk looked at online financial harms in games and how parents make decisions on games for their children.
July 25, 2025 at 10:52 AM
If this peaks your interest, our last 2025 courses are coming up across September to December.
2025 course syllabus
Service Design Leadership
20th, 27th November (GMT)
Designing Good Services
17th September (BST)
2nd December (GMT)
Making the Case for Service Design
7th October (BST)
2025 course syllabus
Service Design Leadership
20th, 27th November (GMT)
Designing Good Services
17th September (BST)
2nd December (GMT)
Making the Case for Service Design
7th October (BST)
July 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
If this peaks your interest, our last 2025 courses are coming up across September to December.
2025 course syllabus
Service Design Leadership
20th, 27th November (GMT)
Designing Good Services
17th September (BST)
2nd December (GMT)
Making the Case for Service Design
7th October (BST)
2025 course syllabus
Service Design Leadership
20th, 27th November (GMT)
Designing Good Services
17th September (BST)
2nd December (GMT)
Making the Case for Service Design
7th October (BST)
We're in summer recess taking a break and refreshing our courses. This means going through our feedback to make improvements and learning what really lands for people.
We think a surprise for people coming into the courses was how valuable spending time thinking about what services are
We think a surprise for people coming into the courses was how valuable spending time thinking about what services are
July 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
We're in summer recess taking a break and refreshing our courses. This means going through our feedback to make improvements and learning what really lands for people.
We think a surprise for people coming into the courses was how valuable spending time thinking about what services are
We think a surprise for people coming into the courses was how valuable spending time thinking about what services are
A summary for reference
What vs How.
What vs How.
April 17, 2025 at 10:22 AM
A summary for reference
What vs How.
What vs How.
🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada and East USA time zone friends! 🇨🇦🇺🇸
We have courses on Mountain Standard Time coming up!
Last call:
Designing Good Services (1st May)
Coming up:
Stakeholder leadership (13th May)
Making the Case for Service Design (24th June)
good.services/internationa...
We have courses on Mountain Standard Time coming up!
Last call:
Designing Good Services (1st May)
Coming up:
Stakeholder leadership (13th May)
Making the Case for Service Design (24th June)
good.services/internationa...
April 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada and East USA time zone friends! 🇨🇦🇺🇸
We have courses on Mountain Standard Time coming up!
Last call:
Designing Good Services (1st May)
Coming up:
Stakeholder leadership (13th May)
Making the Case for Service Design (24th June)
good.services/internationa...
We have courses on Mountain Standard Time coming up!
Last call:
Designing Good Services (1st May)
Coming up:
Stakeholder leadership (13th May)
Making the Case for Service Design (24th June)
good.services/internationa...
You asked us for courses on different timezones so we delivered! We have international courses coming up in Mountain Standard Time.
This time on mountain standard time so if you’re in the U.S, Canada, South America it might suit you!
good.services/internationa...
This time on mountain standard time so if you’re in the U.S, Canada, South America it might suit you!
good.services/internationa...
March 19, 2025 at 12:58 PM
You asked us for courses on different timezones so we delivered! We have international courses coming up in Mountain Standard Time.
This time on mountain standard time so if you’re in the U.S, Canada, South America it might suit you!
good.services/internationa...
This time on mountain standard time so if you’re in the U.S, Canada, South America it might suit you!
good.services/internationa...