Service Design Innovation

Entry requirements

A 2:2 honours degree (or equivalent international qualification) in design (eg engineering design, fashion design, art and design), innovation, business, media, technology or a related subject. Applicants from non-design backgrounds must have achieved 55% or above in their final year.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Do you want to play your part in creating and transforming the services many of us use every day? Develop the skills and mindset you’ll need on our MSc Service Design Innovation, studying in London’s dynamic innovation community.

In the last decade, there’s been an immense boom in the field of service design, with technological developments, increased competition and the need to deliver desirable and meaningful user experiences across sectors. There’s now an increasing demand for specialists who can create seamless customer journeys in everything from transport to education to healthcare.

Whether innovating to fill a gap in the market or improve existing services, user-centered design requires a strategic and systemic approach, paired with exceptional collaborative skills. This course will prepare you to make your mark in this fast-growing, multidisciplinary field.

A practical approach with real-world focus

The best service designers are strong analytical and critical thinkers, who can draw on empathy and sensitivity to understand different viewpoints and experiences. You’ll nurture this mindset on every module, working on group projects and honing your communication and teamwork skills.

Explore foundational topics like design thinking, design in organisations, design research and service design strategy. Work on live and conceptual briefs and examine real-world case studies and insights from industry partners like Government Digital Services, Cazoo and Shelter.

Based in London, the UK’s digital innovation hub, you’ll be in the ideal location for building your network and working with industry partners on the collaborative modules of the course.

Step into a dynamic, team-based career

Effective service design professionals are in high demand to lead teams and meet the needs of stakeholders at all levels. This master’s provides an ideal step up if you’ve got a design, business or humanities background and a strong interest in service design innovation.

By the end of the course, you’ll stand out as a macro-level critical thinker, ready to plan, develop and evaluate the social and commercial services we all depend on.

Why you should study this degree

• Deepen your understanding of the importance of services systems and the role they play in innovation management processes.
• Develop critical thinking skills to improve your effectiveness as a service design manager and strategist.
• Analyse and evaluate existing service businesses to boost your analytical and research skills.
• Get to grips with service design and innovation tools like customer journey maps and personas, value proposition maps, value co-creation frameworks, innovation matrices and stakeholder maps.
• Become a confident collaborator and communicator through active learning and teamwork.
• Experience the real-world challenges and pace of service innovation by working on live and conceptual briefs.

Fees and funding

Visit the website for funding information.