Service Design Show Why Your Best Work Goes Unnoticed (and What to Do About It) / Kat Thackray /Ep 229
Jun 5, 2025
Kat Thackray, a seasoned service designer with over ten years of experience, discusses the often-unseen yet critical aspects of service design that drive team success. She emphasizes how much of this vital work remains unrecognized, akin to a car's cooling fluid. Kat shares insights on improving team dynamics, the importance of soft skills, and the impact of COVID-19 on design practices. Dive into actionable strategies for gaining recognition and the role of team coaching in fostering collaboration, all while navigating the complex power dynamics in design teams.
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Designing Team Environments Matters
- Teams thrown together without support often struggle, causing slow, painful progress.
- Creating safe spaces where teams coalesce speeds problem-solving and decision-making.
People Work Is Often Undervalued
- People-oriented work remains undervalued and labeled "pink and fluffy" in organizations.
- This lack of formal recognition and terminology impedes investment and proper resourcing.
Navigate Team Dynamics Actively
- Read the room quickly to grasp politics, dynamics, and blockers when starting in new teams.
- Use one-on-one interviews, facilitation, and mediation techniques to foster dialogue and collaboration.
