Jon Rodriguez's Journey in Service Design and His Reflections on the Industry
In a captivating conversation on El Periscopio, Jon Rodriguez, an industrial designer and leader of the Service Design team at Philips, chats with Marc Fabra, Head of Design at Lúcid, and shares his fascinating professional journey dedicated to service design. He reflects on his beginnings in Mondragón, Basque Country, to his current role, heavily focused on the healthcare sector at Philips.
His Beginnings: Service Design for the Public Sector
Jonstarted his career working for the City Council of Rotterdam, which hired him to conduct research for the design of bicycle stations, marking his entry into public service design. Although the term "service design" was not widely used at the time, Jon had the opportunity to combine research and urban planning with one of his passions: cycling.
From Consumer Electronics to Healthcare
His career at Philips began in consumer electronics, already linked to Service Design. Today, he leads the Service Design team in the healthcare sector, where he manages projects focused on addressing medical challenges, from hospital system maintenance to education and consulting services. In the podcast, he highlights the long-term satisfaction he derives from working on healthcare solutions.
Throughout his career at Philips, he has witnessed the transformation in the conception of service design, noting that service design has taken a much more global and comprehensive approach. He emphasizes that the early involvement of service designers in projects is key to achieving a significant impact in design projects.
Tools, Collaboration, and Methodologies
When asked about tools and methodologies, he laughs as he recalls being called "Jon Flow" in his early days. Today, he acknowledges the importance of curiosity and explains that for him, it is a priority to work with tools such as digital dashboards that provide updated information on the implementation and launch of services. He also highlights the close collaboration between departments and diverse profiles, enabling a more integrated approach to design.
The Complexity of a Multistakeholder Environment
In the podcast, he addresses the complexity of designing solutions for medical teams, as many of the projects are characterized by being multistakeholder. He also discusses Artificial Intelligence and acknowledges that this discipline has been impacting the healthcare sector for some time and has been a great help in many processes. He highlights, for example, the use of AI for disease diagnosis, remote monitoring of health systems, and more efficient medical decision-making.
Inspiring Recommendations
Jonrecommends the book"Good Services by Lou Downe" and highlights Lou Downe as a reference figure in service design. He mentions the British government as a case study that has excelled in this discipline.
In summary, Jon Rodriguez's experience and perspective offer valuable insights into the evolution of Service Design and its impact on healthcare projects, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and constant innovation. This journey from industrial design to leading innovative projects in healthcare highlights the versatility and evolution of the design discipline throughout Jon Rodriguez's career.
