What I’ve learnt in the first term of MA Service Design at UAL’s London College of Communication  by Vicky Worrall (MA SD Course Rep)

MA SD 1st Years after Ways of Working final presentations

This time last year I was preparing my application portfolio for the MAServiceDesign LCC-UAL. I wanted to learn how to apply the lens of service design to my previous creative projects as a Norland Nanny from Norland College and an Early Years business owner, and I knew this course was the right next step in my career. But as I was preparing my application, I could only image the hurdles in front of me – a masters program at University of the Arts London seemed so different from what I was used to that it felt out of reach.

Fast forward twelve months, and here I am, already at the end of my first term with a group project and an essay submission under my belt. I had no idea what to expect from the course and yet the course has exceeded any expectations I could have had. I feel very privileged to be a student on this wonderful course, the tutors are exceptional and despite working harder than ever, I have enjoyed every minute of it! Here are my top five learnings from my time so far:

  1. Question everything (and then make a decision): Service design challenges you to question what you think you already know. You can and should question everything around you. Asking the right questions at the right time takes practice, but getting it right helps you gain a deeper understanding of your potential user. At the same time, don’t fall into the trap of indecisiveness! At some point you have to make decisions too. My team and I found the confidence to move forward with our ideas, and trust the work we had already done.
  2. Take time to face your fears: Yes, there have been some very uncomfortable moments in the past term, but anything worth learning takes effort! I’ve learnt so much about myself, about my skills, things I have overcome and things I still need to overcome, how I work in a team and how I respond to feedback. Making mistakes and learning from them, and developing intellectual humility, makes me a better service designer.
  3. Just take time: In between the deadlines and time constraints, find the rhythm for you and your team. Service design can be a messy process and learning when to slow down and when to speed up my work has been a powerful tool that has helped me navigate the ebb and flow of design thinking.
  4. You get back what you put in: I’ve fully thrown myself into everything, not only on my course but throughout UAL. I’ve never been busier – re-living student life has been a breath of fresh air! Being around so many interesting people with their own unique take on the world inspires me every day to try something new, come up with fresh ideas and to learn as much as I can.
  5. Everyone can and should be creative: I’m learning to change how I think about things and what it means to be a designer. Problem solving, communication, and seeing the world from different perspectives all require creativity. In our teams, everyone had different ways of doing things – the key to group creativity is finding strength in your differences and comfort where you overlap.

Thank you to Dr. Hena Ali Naeem Khan (FHEA) (FRSA), Veron WK Lai, Marion Lagedamont, Cordula Friedlander and Dr. Alison Prendiville for a fabulous first term.