Want to know what I do as a business designer, Mom?

A short and simple intro to service and business design.

Illustration: Benedicte Blix

Coming from a family of artists, there is a constant confusion over what I do as a business designer. Mom has concluded that I make apps, which is somewhat rooted in reality, but far from the whole truth. So this short piece is mostly a selfish attempt to give a more meaningful answer to my Mom the next time she asks me what I’m up to at work these days.

Let’s start off with a story: Meet Sophie and Chris, a good-looking couple on their way to work. Sophie is on her way to a meeting, and as usual, she is running late. All she wants is a good cup of coffee to get her through the morning. Her husband is jogging along next to her, trying to keep up. Chris leads a start-up and loves spending his mornings in coffee shops, hatching out business ideas and pondering over larger-than-life questions.

There are two coffee shops within the same walking distance from their house that both serve equally good coffee at the same price. But Sophie and Chris don’t even stop to think about which one to pick, they always pick Anne’s Coffee shop. Why is that, you may ask?

Well, let’s just say that without Anne, Sophie and Chris would have been just as likely to stop by the other coffee shop. This is because Anne is passionate about coffee and has hired amazing baristas who love what they do and really know their stuff. But most importantly, it is because Anne knows her customers. Based on what her guests have told her, Anne’s coffee shop always meets or exceeds their expectations: when the baristas know the guests´ names, when they provide the right coffee to the regulars without them even having to ask, and when they light candles every morning before they open the doors to the café.

In addition (you’ll like this Mom) Anne has also created an app. Through the app customers can do all sorts of things: make orders, payments and reservations, chat with other regulars, give feedback, and get loyalty perks. Chris and Sophie use the app almost every day. Sophie uses the app to order and pay for her coffee on her way to work. The coffee is always ready when she gets there, the cute barista always greets her with a big smile, and Sophie always gets to her morning meetings in time. Chris, on the other hand, uses the app to book his favourite table by the window at the coffee shop. The total experience of Anne’s coffee shop makes people come again and again — to this place instead of the one next door.

The most observant among you may now feel a bit offended and say “hi, wait a minute, this story isn’t about business design, it’s about service design (sorry, Mom. You’re allowed to skip this part). And you’re right. Because business design and service design are closely related. Both start by understanding the user and creating awesome services and products people love. And when people love something, they’re often willing to pay for it and leave behind cash — again and again. Anne knows this. She’s done the calculations. That’s why she created the easy-to-use app with services, such as loyalty programs, in the first place.

But Anne’s business is also successful because Anne thinks about all the costs involved with running this place. Her employees need a salary, she needs to pay suppliers for food and coffee, pay rent etc. She treats her employees well, so they stay, to keep customers happy, but also to reduce the cost of hiring and training. She never purchases too many supplies, avoids food waste, and has negotiated great supplier and rental agreements. In short, she knows her costs and keeps them at a minimum.

So what’s the point of this story, you may ask? Well, my point is that Anne is an example of a business designer. She constantly works to deliver the best experiences to her customers whilst also being set on making a profit, so she can continue to do what she loves. And that’s what I spend my days trying to help companies achieve, Mom, do you now know what I do?

Want to know more about business design? Check out this article, and/or Strategyzer’s value proposition canvas and business model canvas, two tools I often use in combination in my work as a business designer.

This story was developed together with Astri Eiterstraum & Benedicte Blix.