Service design has the power to reshape how public services, communities, and organisations create meaningful change — but only when we design with people, not just for them. This full-day workshop brings together practical service design methods with a deep focus on social impact, equity, and trauma-informed practice.
Led by Gerry Scullion — service design practitioner, trainer, and host of the This is HCD podcast — you'll learn how to map, visualise, and improve services in ways that centre the people who use and deliver them. Whether you're working in the public sector, healthcare, community development, or social enterprise, you'll leave with tools and frameworks you can apply immediately.
We'll also be joined live from the US by Rachael Dietkus, a licensed clinical social worker turned designer who served as the first social worker-designer at the U.S. Digital Service in the White House. In a focused 45-minute session, Rachael will share how she's brought trauma-informed, care-centred approaches into federal government and civic technology — and what that means for anyone designing services that touch people's lives.
What you'll learn
The day is structured around three core areas:
Morning — Foundations: Mapping the Experience Understanding how people actually experience a service, not how we think they do. We'll cover the fundamentals of journey mapping — when to use it, how to facilitate it, and how to turn messy research into a clear visual story. You'll work through a hands-on exercise mapping a real service scenario.
Midday — Going Deeper: Service Blueprinting Journey maps show the front stage. Service blueprints reveal what's happening behind the curtain — the processes, systems, and handoffs that make or break a service. You'll learn how to build a blueprint that connects user experience to organisational reality, and how to spot where services fail people.
Afternoon — Designing for Social Impact The afternoon opens with a live 45-minute session with Rachael Dietkus, joining remotely from the US. Rachael will share real-world case studies from her work in US federal government and civic technology, exploring what it means to design with trauma-awareness and how to embed equity into your process. Following Rachael's session, we'll build on her insights with a practical exercise — applying social impact principles to your own service challenges, with Gerry facilitating.
What's included in your ticket
Your £199 ticket includes more than just the day itself. Every attendee receives access to three online video courses from Humana Design (total RRP €299):
Journey Mapping Fundamentals — a comprehensive video course covering the end-to-end process
Service Blueprinting — from journey map to operational blueprint
Introduction to Journey Management — how to move from one-off mapping exercises to ongoing journey management practice
All workshop materials
These courses are yours to keep and revisit long after the workshop.
Who is this for?
This workshop is for designers, researchers, project managers, policy makers, and anyone working in or with public services, health, education, social enterprise, or community organisations who want to use service design to drive social impact. No prior service design experience is required.
About Gerry Scullion
Gerry is the founder of Humana Design and an internationally recognised service design trainer and practitioner. He hosts the This is HCD podcast (300+ episodes) and is the author of the forthcoming This is Human Centered Design (BIS Publishers, 2026). He has trained and consulted with organisations across the public and private sector globally.
About Rachael Dietkus
Rachael is a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of Social Workers Who Design. She was the first social worker-designer at the U.S. Digital Service in the White House and has spent 25 years bridging social work, design, and technology. She is currently writing Trauma by Design (MIT Press).