AssistKD welcomed Service Design practitioners from across the UK on 22 July 2026 for a combined Service Design Forum and the launch of the new BCS publication Service Design: A Practical Guide to Creating Customer-Centric Services.

The afternoon Service Design Forum explored one of the profession's most pressing topics: how organisations can adopt artificial intelligence responsibly while continuing to design services that people trust. Through a collaborative workshop, attendees shared experiences, challenges and practical approaches to using AI while maintaining a strong focus on customer needs, human judgement and organisational capability.

The forum concluded with a lightning talk examining how Business Architecture can provide the organisational foundations that enable Service Design to deliver long term strategic impact.

Following the forum, delegates gathered to celebrate the launch of Service Design: A Practical Guide to Creating Customer-Centric Services, published by BCS and written by Dr Debra Paul and Jonathan Hunsley.

The new book brings together practical frameworks, techniques and guidance to help organisations apply Service Design consistently while strengthening professional standards across the discipline. It also reflects the growing importance of customer -centred thinking as organisations continue to introduce AI and other emerging technologies into their services.

Speaking during the launch, the authors highlighted the need for a shared professional foundation that helps Service Designers create services that work for customers while supporting organisational objectives.

The combined event reflected AssistKD's ongoing commitment to supporting the Service Design community through professional development, thought leadership and opportunities for practitioners to share ideas and experiences.

Readers interested in the key themes discussed during the forum can read our latest Learning Zone article, which explores four lessons for organisations adopting AI responsibly.

Find out more

• Read: How Service Design Is Helping Organisations Adopt AI Responsibly
• Discover: Service Design: A Practical Guide to Creating Customer-Centric Services
• Explore: Service Design training
• Learn more: Service Design Forum
• Share: Service Design Forum Workshop and Lightning Talk slides:
  • Leveraging AI to Enhance Service Design (Jonathan Hunsley & Pip Hall)
  • Business Architecture as a Foundation for Service Design (Kerry Adams)