Rewiring operations with service design and AI
Summary
A Fortune 50 organization faced systemic inefficiencies stemming from siloed data, disjointed processes, and inconsistent communication. Teams struggled with manual workarounds, fragmented systems, and slow response times. Our team was tasked with identifying where generative AI could drive real business value—not just excitement. Over three sprints across multiple domains, we used immersive research, service mapping, and co-creation workshops to reveal hidden pain points and architect practical AI-powered solutions. We developed ten ready-to-build concepts, each with a business case, technical blueprint, and cost-savings estimate. Two of the top concepts were prioritized into MVP plans for seamless handoff to internal teams. The result: faster response times, increased labor efficiency, and millions in projected savings.
Key Insights
-
•
AI's impact is limited unless integrated coherently in existing workflows and systems.
-
•
Fragmentation and handoff failures, not AI itself, cause operational breakdowns.
-
•
Shadowing frontline workers is crucial to uncover real points of friction where AI can assist.
-
•
Focusing on human friction rather than technology placement changes the solution space.
-
•
Repetitive verification work is a key target where AI can reduce cognitive load.
-
•
Mapping end-to-end journeys with emotions and data flow helps shift conversations from blame to action.
-
•
Defining AI archetypes as verbs fosters shared language across disciplines.
-
•
Early alignment on ownership, governance, and success metrics prevents pilot failure.
-
•
Balancing bold transformation with credible, build-ready pilots maintains momentum.
-
•
Service design’s role is to humanize the organization around AI, not just humanize AI itself.
Notable Quotes
"AI wasn’t the obstacle. Fragmentation was."
"I spent 40% of my day verifying what the system already knows."
"When the system feels chaotic, visibility is your superpower."
"Seeing frustrations next to system data shifted conversations from blame to true standing."
"Service design’s role isn’t to humanize AI, it’s to humanize the organization around it."
"The real shift wasn’t speed, it was also trust."
"Transformation isn’t just about prototypes; it’s about designing governance."
"Don’t overlap sprints. Context slips and decisions unravel."
"Co-creation only works when it has boundaries."
"The linguistic shift from we have AI to we’re redesigning how we work signals maturity."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"No tracking is perfect because numbers tell you what likely happened, but not why it happened."
Erin WeigelUX Lessons from running more than 1,200 A/B Tests
July 10, 2024
"Bringing something to market quickly at scale is time-consuming and expensive—failing early is key to saving resources."
Mike OrenWhy Pharmaceutical's Research Model Should Replace Design Thinking
March 28, 2023
"Future UX includes designing for user discovery in conversational and augmented interfaces, not just clicks."
Lija Hogan Milan Mijatovic Sam Proulx Louis RosenfeldThree Years Out: Perspectives on the Near-Term Future of User Research
March 15, 2024
"Giving users the ability to reverse AI-driven actions is critical but currently underexplored."
Heidi TrostWhen AI Becomes the User’s Point Person—and Point of Failure
August 7, 2025
"Design thinking at IBM is not just for designers; it’s how we want all 380,000 people to think about problems."
Adam CutlerPeople + Places + Practices = Outcomes
June 8, 2016
"Older adults prefer devices that match their habits, like larger tablets over small phones with glasses."
Rittika BasuAge and Interfaces: Equipping Older Adults with Technological Tools
February 23, 2023
"Leadership needs to be just as behind accessibility as the designers and professionals doing the work."
Saara Kamppari-MillerDesignOps for Inclusive Design and Accessibility
May 26, 2022
"This day is focused on me, my job and my specific day-to-day challenges, not on some invisible finish line or senior title."
Bria AlexanderTheme Two Intro
October 3, 2023
"Preparation is critical to set up new practitioners for success, including equipment, access, expectations, and introductions."
Laine Riley Prokay Lisa GordonCarving a Path for Early Career DesignOps Practitioners
September 9, 2022
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
In what clinical workflow areas is AI currently being integrated and what are the main UX challenges associated?
How does User Interviews use AI to improve participant matching and reduce fraud?
Why is assessing design students challenging, and what are the limitations of traditional grading systems?