The Secret to Running the In-House Service Design Race (And Finishing Strong) / Inside Service Design / Ep. #02

Service Design Show

Are they lying to us...

You often hear people say that driving change as an in-house service design professional often feels less like a sprint and more like a marathon, right?

But let's be honest, that's not quite true.

In reality, it's more like running an ultra-marathon (and some more).

We all know that "tangible" progress in service design can sometimes feel slow and far removed.

Often, the real challenge isn't about which tools, methods, or frameworks you use.

It’s about keeping your internal flame burning and maintaining momentum inside the organization, especially when things get tough.

But here's the good news: some professionals have found ways to play the long game successfully.

So, how do you sustain your energy, passion, and impact when the work feels like a long-distance race (without a clear path and unknown finish line)? That's what this new episode is all about.

It’s part of our new series where we dive into the actual, unpolished practice of in-house service design.

For this conversation, I was joined by two experienced professionals, Linn Jansson and James Field.

They are both deep in the daily realities of this work and truly get what the "in-house marathon" feels like.

Linn and James share some honest insights – not just about their diverse journeys into service design, but specifically about how they navigate these long-term challenges and, crucially, how they keep their motivation high.

In this episode, you'll discover where they find their 'fuel', including:

The power of supportive teams and communities.

The importance of recognizing those small (but mighty!) wins.

How they’ve learned to see and appreciate the long-term shifts they are making, even when it's tough to notice day-to-day.

So, if you're looking for some encouragement, practical perspectives on resilience, or simply the reassurance that you're not running this marathon alone, I think you'll get a lot from this episode.

And on that note, I'm curious: What keeps you motivated when you're deep in the in-house design marathon? Hit reply and let me know.

Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!

Take care,

~ Marc

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 In-house Service Design Realities

03:30 Linn's Journey

06:00 James's Journey

07:30 Defining Success

09:00 Linn's Success View

10:30 Measuring Progress

14:00 James on Influence

17:00 Measuring Enablement

18:30 Articulating Value

22:00 Why IMGD Helps

23:45 James on Influence

26:45 Org Influencing Designers

27:45 James's Sales Example

29:00 Keeping Design Sensibility

34:00 Misconceptions about SD

37:30 Linn's In-house Challenges

38:00 Linn on Failure

42:00 Gentle Activism

46:00 What to Strive For

48:30 Learning More

49:30 James's Motivation

52:30 Linn's Motivation

54:30 James's Final Point

55:00 Linn's Final Say

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/linn-jansson
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesadamfield/

--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.

⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle