A few months ago, I was starting to think about early prototypes for my research. As the result of this I looked at different ways to encourage new ideas. I started to read further about design fiction, and how it could be used for both innovation and in my research case social innovation.

Understanding the customer journey is paramount in service design. Just as Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey maps out a hero's transformation, customers undergo their own transformative journeys as they interact with products and services. This blog explores the fascinating parallels between the Hero’s Journey and Customer Journey frameworks, emphasizing how behavioural design can shape these experiences in a way that is both transformative and empowering.

Earlier this year in March 2025, we had the pleasure of co-teaching a session on Service Design in Practice as part of the Open University’s T190 module. As both PhD researchers and service designers, we wanted to offer students a real-world perspective on how service design unfolds in practice. The session was a mix of sharing our experiences, using practical tools, and having an honest conversation about the challenges and rewards of working in the field.