International Conference Design in Services
How to create services that matter for customers?
October 30, 2008
Reval Hotel Latvija, Riga, Latvia

Services are becoming a key element in differentiating between companies and creating long-lasting partnerships with customers. Using design in creating services gives not only new sales possibilities and satisfied customers but also better control over a company’s actions and results. Services are also playing an increasingly important role in the interaction between the public sector and the users of its services. Successfully designed public services have potential for increasing the well-being of citizens.

Design in services requires that we understand what is important to the users and how they make their decisions while consuming or purchasing a service. It also requires that we understand the needs of citizens as daily users of public services.

During the conference speakers from different organizations who have found answers to the following questions will be sharing their experience:

• Why is service design important and how to do it?
• What are the best methods, tools and processes for designing services?
• What are the opportunities in implementing design methods for creating services?
• How to implement user-focused approach in services by design?
• What are the trends in service design?
• What design management practices can be used while designing services?
• How to communicate service design to the users?
• How to make service design earn profit and other benefits for the organization?

The aim of the conference is to bring to Latvia the real ‘stars’ of design world, professionals leading the design processes in companies/organizations who will share their experience in using design as a tool for company development and improving the public space.

The conference will gather together visionaries and practitioners engaged in desiging services in both private and public sectors, including companies and entrepreneurs, public service developers from municipalities and state agencies, as well as researchers. Both the ones who are convinced that design is an integral part of an organization´s strategy and the ones who still doubt it are expected to join the event.