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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Due to popular demand, we've added some NEW courses to the end of 2026 at the School of Good Services There is a NEW 'Service Design Leadership' course taking place on November 24th and December 1st and NEW Stakeholder Leadership course on the 26th November All courses on good.services/courses

Promotional poster for a 2‑day Service Design Leadership course on a blue background, left shows the course title and a black vertical abstract pattern, right displays a testimonial praising renewed energy, inspiration and confidence with stronger strategy and new tools.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Season 1 of the Bad Service Podcast comes to an end today. In episode 13, we talk about the statement we often use: Service design is 10% design, 90% creating the conditions for design to happen. good.services/badservicesp...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Ireland, this is for you On Wednesday 7th October I'll be launching Bad Services in partnership with NCAD Design Labs in Dublin. We'll be talking about Bad Services, and I'll be joined by Irish design and education voices on the night. www.eventbrite.ie/e/bad-servic...

Frustrated office worker at a gray desk with a bright green retro computer and phone, wearing a white shirt and green tie, typing while glancing sideways; nameplate reads "Lou Downe, CEO, Bad Services Corp." with a clock and plant on a shelf behind.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Bad Services is out internationally today! To celebrate I'm hosting two conversations on local time zones. I thought I'd give time for the book to get out there, and then discuss your reflections and questions on the themes in the book (1/1)

Person in a white shirt, bright green tie and socks sitting between two green chairs, holding a whiteboard that reads "BAD SERVICES" to convey a negative review of service.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I’m really looking forward to keynoting at the Service Design Global Conference in Frankfurt RheinMain on the 28–30 Oct, 2026 I’ll be talking Bad Services I’ve got a 10% discount code for anyone considering attending. Use LOUSDGC when purchasing tickets. www.servicedesignglobalconference.com

Promotional poster for the Service Design Global Conference (Frankfurt RheinMain, 28–30 Oct 2026) promoting a keynote by the founder/director of The School of Good Services titled "Bad services: how to fix services that don't work," showing a black-and-white portrait of a person holding a corded

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

At the Bad Services Corporation we have 15 principles of Bad Service Design. Principle #2: A bad service does not enable users to complete the outcome they set out to Make sure you've completed your induction: good.services/writing/a-ba...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Our structure defines the shape of our services Joining materials is fundamental to any design discipline. Our work needs to focus on designing better conversations and finding better ways to work together to deliver more joined up services that work for people. good.services/writing/orga...

Large heading: "Joining materials is fundamental to any design discipline — so too with service design." Right panel shows a black-and-white photo of men in caps and aprons hand-stitching heavy canvas in a workshop, suggesting traditional craft and collaborative workmanship.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Episode 12 of Bad Services is out on STRUCTURE. We delve into the challenge of siloes, and how they impact the delivery of good services. We weave between types of siloes, Austrian scythes and Conway's Law. good.services/badservicesp...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

So this is exciting. I'll be keynoting at Service Design Disrupted on Bad Services in Barcelona. There's some amazing speakers on the line up I'm looking forward to hearing from and some old friends to catch up with. I've got a 15% discount code for tickets, just use LOU-X-SDD sddisrupted.com

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Bad Services is going to be in Europe - we are going on another short book tour! After a fun launch touring around the UK and visiting some of our collaborators past and present to put on Bad Service events, we are headed to Europe in October. We're going to be in...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Risk aversion is increasing your risk of delivering a bad service Doing nothing is riskier than trying something We've written about risk and bad services good.services/writing/why-risk-aversion-is-increasing-your-risk-of-delivering-a-bad-service

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

A new podcast episode is here, this time on Risk. In episode 11, we talk about how the decisions we make in services, and how we design them are influenced by how an organisation treats and responds to risk. good.services/badservicesp...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

At the Bad Services Corporation we have 15 principles of Bad Service Design We’re rolling out our training today over the next few months, principle by principle Take a seat, grab a pen+paper Principle #1: A bad service is hard to find good.services/writing/a-ba...

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Reposted by Lou Downe

Martin Jordan @martinjordan.com · 02/08/2026

As the current batch seems sold out elsewhere: Found plenty of copies of #BadServices at PRO QM in Berlin-Mitte, an excellent bookstore for architecture and design. For our book club at @digitalservice.bund.de, I needed to find more copies. Cc @theschoolofgood.bsky.social @loudowne.bsky.social

Piles of different design books, in the centre a pile of bright green ones: ‘Bad Services – how to fix services that won’t work’ by Lou Downe

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Ever noticed that it's the services that are the worst that find it the hardest to change? This isn’t a coincidence. Bad services actively create bad relationships with users good.services/writing/bad-services-create-bad-relationships-with-users

Bold green headline on purple background reads "Bad services create bad relationships with users," warning that poor services damage user relationships.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Why is the old leadership trope of 'Don't get involved in the detail' bad for delivering good services? Our new episode of Bad Services podcast on materials is out now and why we need to care about the detail good.services/badservicespodcast/episode010

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Martin Jordan @martinjordan.com · 22/07/2026

That is also why this slide/poster from @loudowne.bsky.social and @rufflemuffin.bsky.social resonated so much with me: bsky.app/profile/ruff... It’s such a burden if service designers have to do that all. That’s why having a transformation manager nearby as an ally is fantastic. 5/X

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Sometimes, stopping bad decisions is as important as making good ones when it comes to designing good services

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Why is it so hard to design services that meet our user’s needs? Not knowing who our users are or what they need is now so common in some organisations that we almost don't notice anymore. good.services/writing/you-are-not-your-user

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Lets talk users, user needs and why bad services create bad relationships with users. Episode 9 of the Bad Services podcast is out! good.services/badservicesp...

A black and white cathedral image that overlays text saying: Chapter 2: Users

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Last week, we introduced chapter 1 of Bad Services: Purpose Every service has a purpose,but for every purpose, there are infinite possible services..how do you pick the right way of delivering that purpose if you’re starting from scratch? More on purpose/services: good.services/writing/ever...

Every purpose has infinite service possibilities

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

15 billions hours are wasted each year dealing with broken services, but do we care enough to fix it? So we built a tracker to show across the year how much time has elapsed good.services/writing/15-billions-hours-are-wasted

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

You can't design a service if you don't know why you’re delivering it Whether your purpose is to help people get into cycling or get control over money, it's our purpose that tells us what services we might create to deliver that outcome and who our users might be good.services/writing/serv...

An object on ground propping a door is fronted with text saying Form Follows Function Follows Form Follows Function

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Episode 8 of the Bad Services Podcast is out. As the book, Bad Services is now out, we’re delving into each chapter, focusing on the causes of Bad Services. In episode 8, we’re talking about Chapter 1, Purpose. Why does a lack of purpose lead to Bad Services? good.services/badservicesp...

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Reposted by Lou Downe

David Heath @davidheath.org · 30/06/2026

Well done @loudowne.bsky.social good.services/badservicesb...

A middle age man with a grey beard wearing a lime green Bad Services uniform shirt answering the phone at Bad Services Ltd office with a speech bubble “Hello, Bad Services?” He sits at a desk with a green keyboard, old fashioned computer screen painted lime green, all the office equipment is green. There’s some kind of irony implied.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

WOW!!! Tuesday night was absolutely incredible at our London Launch Party We were completely packed out with standing room only, and it was hotter than the sun but what an amazing evening with such good vibes all round.

Pedestrians waiting outside a city storefront, one checking a phone, beside a bright green sign that reads "I fix bad services," suggesting a business offering customer-service or tech support fixes.

Vendor at a purple-lit booth hands a green brochure to attendees across a counter, posters about service design hang above reading "Good services" and "I fix bad services," with a rotary phone and a small "Good Services" booklet on the table.

Two people chat in front of a projected slide reading "Party!" while a third person checks a tablet nearby; a table with popcorn boxes, bottles and cups sits in the foreground against a brick-wall venue, suggesting a casual event or reception.

Small live event in a brick-walled room: presenters stand by a microphone and keyboards while an audience watches a large neon-green slide titled "Thank yous!" listing contributors.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Making the case for service design is a 1 day course for anyone wanting to learn how to pitch and bring people with you on investing the resources you need to design good services. Our next one day course is on the 14th July good.services/making-the-c...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Sometimes it's easier to spot a bad service, than it is a good one. As part of our new sister company, the Bad Service Corporation, we've launched a training video on the 15 Principles of Bad Services. good.services/writing/the-15-principles-of-bad-services

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

We’re really excited for the official London launch party tomorrow for Bad Services We’re welcoming Laura Hutchinson and Sarah Gold to join us to reflect on why bad services happen We are sold out, but, some returns are being done today, so do join the waitlist luma.com/bzermheg

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Bad Services is out today and I'd like to take this opportunity to announce my unwavering support for services that don't work. So much so that I've launched a new sister company - The Bad Services Corporation Welcome to your Bad Services Corporation staff induction. badservicescorp.com

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

It’s HEREEEEE!! Bad Services ships tomorrow but here’s a sneak peak of the long awaited sequel to Good Services. good.services/writing/bad-services-has-landed

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Our new podcast on the 'Types of Service Design' is out today Is there a right way to do Service Design? Or one process you should follow? good.services/badservicespodcast/episode007

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

We'll be seeing your for the Bad Services Corporation induction June 25th 2026 badservicescorp.com

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Designing services has many different starting points and reasons for it to take centre stage, or be initiated. Our new podcast episode, Starting Points in Service design is all about the reasons service design might happen and what starting points look like good.services/badservicesp...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

We’re on a Bad Services UK Book Tour. Actually we’re on it right now, with Glasgow tonight. We’re doing a short Bad Services UK Book Tour over June and July. The link has tour dates listed, with a few more to be updated in the next few days. good.services/badservicesb...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

You’ve reached the Bad Service Corporation Customer Help line Did you know we have a website? It’s much easier to do what you’re trying to do online than it is to wait in the queue to speak to one of our customer service representatives Press 1 for New Book

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Super excited to be dropping into Bristol Service Design Meet up as part of the book tour for Bad Services 1st July, we'll be talking about the why of Bad Services Tickets: www.meetup.com/service-desi... Big thanks to James Reece for pulling it all together

meetup.com

Service Design Bristol #13 - Lou Downe 'Bad Services' book tour, Wed, Jul 1, 2026, 6:00 PM | Meetup

Come along to a very special edition of Service Design Bristol! For this event, bestselling author, educator and service activist Lou Downe will be giving a special talk t

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Bad Services, coming soon Ships on 25th June 2026 good.services/badservicesb...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Episode 5 of Bad Services is live, and this episode is on context of use. We talk designing boxes to move multi-million £ artwork, creating new volunteer services for older generations facing fraud, and an online service supporting people with divorce good.services/badservicesp...

Context of Use title with episode 05 title. Parking sign in background.

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Our Stakeholder Leadership course is coming up on the 25th June. Fed up of silo’s? Learn how to work with them rather than trying to tear them down. Come learn how to create effective relationships that enable good service design and delivery to happen good.services/stakeholder-...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Our Making the case for Service Design course is coming up on 14th July + it is (I think) the last time we will run it this year. Learn how to communicate the value of user-centred change and build a compelling financial pitch to gain investment and buy in for design good.services/making-the-c...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Designing Good Services Summer course is coming up on 23rd June Come work with us and learn about what makes a good service, how to identify problems in the design of services and understand what can be done to improve them. good.services/designing-go...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

A new episode of Bad Services is live. Episode 4 is how to spot a bad service. There are lots of ways in which you can spot if something isn't working, we've put some of our initial go to data points down. good.services/badservicespodcast/episode004

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Our summer semester trio of one day courses is coming up in June, led by me. If you’re looking to learn more about services and how to design good ones, Designing Good Services is a great introductory course. Designing Good Services - June 23 2026 (BST) good.services/courses

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

A new episode of Bad Services is live. Episode 3 is on What makes a Bad Service. From services that de-humanise people, to hidden rules in services, we lay it all out. What do you think makes a bad service? good.services/badservicespodcast/episode003

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

We’ve got a new podcast! Bad Services is out on the 20th of May, but if you can't wait to get stuck in, we’ve just launched a podcast so you can dive into the book early, and listen along as we talk about each chapter over the next few months. good.services/badservicesp...

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Sun's out, and our summer semester is on it's way. We've got our whole range of courses on offer. Tickets available on our website: good.services/courses

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Lou Downe @loudowne.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Good Services came out 6 years ago and I am SO excited to finally announce that the Sequel - Bad Services - will be out in late May!

A green book that says Bad Services: How to fix services that don't work

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