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Service Design: Foundations
$1,500
Learn the fundamental skills you need to design a successful service, all at your own pace and with access to industry-vetted Service Design content.
- Self-paced
- No prerequisites
- 6 months access, 30 hours
- Personal project
Our graduates are now the driving force behind some of Australia’s most innovative brands
Why choose this course?
No prerequisites or previous experience required
Launch your Service Design journey today, no matter what level of experience you have! Our beginner-friendly approach will help get you up to speed in no time.
Flexible and self-paced
With 6 months access, the speed at which you tackle online course content is up to you. Study at your own pace and fit learning into your busy lifestyle.
Created for Curious Beginners
Our Foundations courses help quench your curiosity by teaching the basics of Service Design. Easy, affordable, and perfect for independent learners.
What your curriculum looks like
Learn the basics of Service Design within 6 months. You’ll work through online course content at your own pace, and receive expert feedback at the end of the course.
- Module 1
- Module 2
- Module 3
- Module 4
- Module 5
- Module 6
Module 1
Recommended: 5 hours per module
Intro to Service Design
Learn what UX Design is and be introduced to its process and Human-Centred Design principles.
Module 2
Recommended: 5 hours per module
Exploring the problem space
Adopt industry-specific techniques that help UX Designers explore the problem space by planning, facilitating, and analysing UX Design research.
- Surveys
- Research techniques
- User journey
- Jobs To Be Done
- A current state (as is) service blueprint
Module 3
Recommended: 5 hours per module
Creative Action
Find, collate, measure, and interpret user insights and apply them to your research and solution. Translate research and insights into concept ideation, prioritisation, and representation. Synthesise observations and build empathy with your users.
- Workshop facilitation
- Brainstorming
- Crazy 8s
- Persona and affinity mapping
- Storyboarding
Module 4
Recommended: 5 hours per module
Strategic Thinking
Apply critical analysis techniques to determine suitable design concepts for your UX Design problem. Identify features that best align with your users’ needs and business priorities. Learn how to select a feature and establish your Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
- Concepts
- Customer maps and journeys
- Problem reframing
- Solution sorting
- The 5 Ps
Module 5
Recommended: 5 hours per module
Prototyping
Develop mockups, wireframes and discover different techniques and online tools to help you create your own digital prototypes. Use low and high-fidelity prototypes to test and validate your features. Reiterate design concepts based on feedback and usability testing to optimise and improve usability.
- Minimum Viable Service (MVS)
- A future state service blueprint
- Prototyping
Module 6
Recommended: 5 hours per module
Final portfolio
Curate your artefacts from course activities and demonstrate your service design knowledge and capability in a mentor-reviewed personal portfolio project or design challenge.
Outcomes
- Unique personal project
- Professional portfolio of work
- Foundational Service Design skills
- Industry recognised digital credential
Need more details about our Service Design courses?
Our course guides contain everything you need to know about our Service Design courses, including…
- Topics covered
- How you’ll learn
- Course outcomes, and more!
Prepare your final portfolio for feedback
At the end of your Foundations course, an industry expert will review your portfolio and provide structured feedback on what you have done well and ways you can improve.
- Work through online learning material
- Complete practical activities throughout each topic
- Build your portfolio with a unique personal project
- Submit your final portfolio for expert feedback
"I was promoted to a service design role after three months as a project coordinator. Having the project that we worked on as a portfolio piece was critical to me gaining the role. "
Christine Theodore, Service Design ElevateSenior Service Designer 
"After working in CX for over a year alongside talented Design practitioners, I was really drawn to the processes, unique opportunities and genuine social impact delivered through Service Design. It’s been the best experience curating and crafting my own design portfolio to help solve social issues I’m most passionate about. The course has reaffirmed my passion, confidence and capability in Service Design as the next step for me."
Sitara Ramakrishnan , Service Design Elevate 
"I loved everything about the Service Design course I did at Academy Xi, working on a real project from start to finish. It was creative, well structured and enjoyable. As a digital professional, it has given me extra tools and frameworks to complement my work in different and interesting ways."
Tania Wilson, Service Design ElevateDigital Marketing and Experience Manager 
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Why study Service Design at Academy Xi?
Powerful resources
Get access to an abundance of Service Design resources on our learning portal including videos, slide decks, workbook, quizzes and useful tools.
Learn on your own terms
A flexible learning experience so you can learn at your own pace in a manner that suits your lifestyle.
Walk away with a portfolio piece
Stand out with a unique portfolio that showcases your project work and new Service Design skills.
Earn a digital credential
Graduate with an industry-recognised digital credential and certificate to boost your employment prospects.
Student success stories
Our students come from different walks of life and have supercharged their careers, landing coveted jobs in the Design, Tech, and Marketing fields.
From Media Buyer to Experience Designer
Berlin Liew
Being introduced to UX design was a defining moment for Berlin; one that changed her career path and set her on a journey of self discovery. Berlin spoke with us about her experience studying UX Design and her ongoing passion for mentoring.
Berlin Liew, abc
From HR to Entrepreneur
Julie Dal Santo
After working for years in Human Resources, Julie was looking for something new to study to reclaim her ‘professional mojo’. Little did Julie know at the time, but training in User Experience Design was going to lead to her leaving her profession and starting up her own successful enterprise.
Julie Dal Santo, abc
From Cook to UX/UI Designer
Sanjay Jaya
Ten minutes after his interview, Jay got an offer: a dream job that’s a product of his learning experience, hard work, self-belief, and a little help from our career support team. Read about Jay’s professional journey and how he navigated his career path in a new industry and a new country.
Sanjay Jaya, abc
Some frequently asked questions
Service Design is the discipline of creating an optimal end-to-end service experience across all touchpoints, by ensuring customers are central to all processes.
Service Designers look holistically at a service experience, map out and orchestrate all aspects of it to deliver a fantastic experience:
The “front stage”: the elements that a user interacts with, such as an app, a website, an email or a conversation with an employee. - The “backstage”: the behind-the-scenes activities a user doesn’t see, such as systems, processes, staff training, etc.
In today’s saturated marketplace, providing an amazing customer experience is critical to building brand differentiation, loyalty, and long-term business value. Leading organisations, such as Apple, Google, Uber and Disney, have embedded Service Design into all their processes to design smooth and personalised experiences that people will remember and talk about.
If you want to upskill or land a job right away, studying Service Design online can quickly get you to where you want to be. At Academy Xi, we offer intensive online programs that equip you with the full spectrum of theoretical and practical skills required in a well-rounded Service Designer.
The Service Design Elevate course is part-time and ideal for time-poor professionals who want to learn immediately applicable, practical Service Design skills. This course is designed to help with professional development, exposure to problem-solving skills using service design principles, and a chance to showcase skills with a service design portfolio built over the course. Learners walk away with a current and future-state Service Blueprint to showcase their skills and service vision to a current or potential employer.
In this course you’ll experience flexible and self-paced learning, where students cover course content independently and browse material on our engaging learning platform. You’ll learn through a combination of:
- Readings
- Pre-recorded videos
- Hands-on activities and practical project work
Our online courses come in three formats. No matter your learning preferences, work or life commitments, or support levels you require – we’ve got you covered.
To choose the right course format, pick your desired career outcomes:
Are you studying to transform your career? Our TRANSFORM courses will equip you with the latest industry skills and have you graduating job-ready, with an included Career Support Program.
Do you want to complement your existing skillset? Our ELEVATE courses will expand your expertise in a social and supported environment.
Do you just want to learn the fundamentals? Quench your curiosity, at your own pace with our FOUNDATIONS courses.
Have questions? We’re here to listen.
- Get support finding the right course for you
- Talk through course financing options
- Preview our learning platform
…and any other concerns!
