HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN | IDEATION

Service Blueprint

60 Min

While a Journey Map focuses on the user journey, the Service Blueprint combines the user and service provider journeys into one frame. The tool helps connect front-end experience (user and service provider) with back-end processes and systems. The Blueprint is one of the core tools for service design.

USE CASES

Create a holistic service solution that accounts for both front-end, and back-end elements.
Evaluate how back-end processes and systems may be impacting current user experience, and vice versa.

LIMITATIONS

Connecting front-end and back-end activities and processes can be both confusing and cumbersome. The stages on the template are just one way to think of the journey, teams using the tool should customise it for their own purpose.

Service Blueprint | DIY Toolkit

UNDERSTANDING THE TOOL

In the top most row of the template, there are three broad phases called out - Awareness Building, Service Delivery, and Retention. These are classic user journey phases — it is okay for the team to reframe as per their need.
'User Touch-points' are the key user tasks and interactions that comprise the front-end experience. To build detail, it is recommended that teams map people-people interactions, digital interactions, objects, environments, and messaging that together make up this front-end experience.
'Service Touch-points' are the key service provider tasks, processes and systems. These are both front end (involved in interactions with users) and those that comprise the back-end.
'External Actors' are third party vendors, partners and stakeholders who have a strong influence on back-end systems and processes (and sometimes even on front-end experience).

STEP BY STEP

Map the user journey: Start by creating a user journey map with key touch-points and interactions. This could be of an existing journey or a future journey, depending on your focus.
Map the service provider journey: Once the user journey has been mapped, list the key actions and systems from the service provider point of view. Also, identify any third party/external dependencies that the service provider may have.
Review the blueprint: Discuss the emerging blueprint, and what it means in terms of considerations for the service provider.

HOW TO FOR FACILITATORS

At the start: Make sure participants understand the goal of the activity and the key parts of the template.
During the exercise: Help participants map user journeys first, and then connect these with service provider journeys, and back-end processes and systems. Discuss how external actors are involved.
At the close: Have participants share their blueprints, and discuss emerging challenges and opportunities.

FACILITATORS QUESTION BANK

Do we know enough about the front-end and back-end?
Is the user journey specific to a particular user type or is it generic and applicable to all types of users?
What are the steps of the journey that we want to cover? Where does it start and end? Which steps are we the clearest about?
What does the user do at each step? What are objects, environments, interactions, and messaging that together make up the front-end experience?
What are the service provider actions at each step? What are the key processes, systems that are operating in the back-end for the service provider?
How do external actors contribute to the service experience?
What are some challenges and opportunities emerging from the blueprint?

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