ServDes27

Designing in the Shadows – Places and Practices of Service Design in a Polarized World

Northumbria University, UK | June 2027

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Building on two decades of advancing service design research and practice, ServDes 2027 continues the tradition of bringing together the global community of researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders to explore the evolving discipline of service design and design-related service innovation.

As we approach 2027, Service Design faces unprecedented challenges in a VUCAN era marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and novelty. Climate change, transformative technologies, industrial consolidation, and eroding public trust are reshaping the contexts in which we design services. The fundamental values that underpin Service Design; dignity, equity, inclusion, and social justice are increasingly under pressure.

ServDes27 calls for critical reflection on the blind spots within our discipline. While services have traditionally played a vital role in bringing communities together and fostering social cohesion, we must examine how Service Design can navigate and respond to growing polarisation. By illuminating these shadows, we aim to forge new pathways that strengthen Service Design’s capacity to promote justice, inclusion, and democratic values in an increasingly complex world.

Date: June 2027
Location: Northumbria University, United Kingdom
Theme: Designing in the Shadows – Places and Practices of Service Design in a Polarized World