Service Design training for the public service

Master the intricate art of designing user-centred services

User-centred services put users front and centre – solving their problems quickly, simply, and respectfully. They’re a powerful way to increase organisational effectiveness, save money, and make a meaningful difference by making users’ lives easier.

But knowing how to design services that meet users’ needs is surprisingly difficult without the right skills and knowledge.

There is a big gap between the theory and knowing how to make it happen. 

At Basis Training, we’re passionate about helping organisations improve the lives of people who need it most – and we know you are too.

Whether you’re a senior executive, project manager, analyst, or consultant, learning the principles of user-centred design will transform the impact you make on a daily basis.

So, how do you:

  • Solve big, messy, and important public sector problems? Take user-centred design theory and turn it into action?
  • Decide where to focus first?
  • Take a multi-faceted approach, testing and refining to see what makes the most impact?
  • Reflect on your own practice and learn from others in a safe environment?

The answer? Service Design training.

Service Design training with a difference

Service design is a holistic approach to building services that meet the needs of service users, employees, and the wider organisation that delivers them, leveraging different methods and tools from various disciplines.

Our Service Design training programme equips you to unleash your inner designer and develop your service design capabilities.

You’ll be amazed at your ability to design services that help those in need like never before.

What sets our Service Design training programme apart?

It’s Purpose Built

Built based on the experiences of service design experts and trainers with field experience, it’s tailored to the public service.

It’s Accessible

Delivered in person or online, you can access the training wherever you are in the world.

It’s Accredited

Accredited by the Public Service Transformation Academy and endorsed by the Cabinet Office.

It’s Immersive

Through the use of hybrid learning and simulations, we enable you to experiment with analysing user insights and brainstorming solutions to user needs.

It’s Supported

Need extra assistance to design user-centred services post your training? Our Basis Consulting firm can help.

Our Service Design training programme consists of our flagship 2-day course that gives you a comprehensive overview of user-centred design.

As well as a range of half-day workshops that enable you to deep dive into specific techniques and tools. They’re full of fun immersive activities and examples from public services that you will recognise.

2 days – £9,975

Do you

  • Feel your services are working (sort of) but not well enough?
  • Want to innovate to stay ahead?
  • See an opportunity but need the skills to execute?
  • Want to learn how to improve your services to best meet users’ needs?


If yes, our comprehensive 2-day program will give you the end-to-end view of service design you need to overhaul your services with users front and centre. The course focuses on developing a service design mindset and perspective within your teams and senior leaders. It uses a simulation so you can practise all aspects of service design – taking a project from initiation to completion.

Enjoying the best of both worlds, you’ll get the depth, substance, and rigour of an academic qualification merged with the design workshop vibe from creative courses.

Key takeaways

  • Be able to assess services from a user's perspective and identify changes.
  • Know how to improve services to best meet your users’ needs.
  • Guide multi-disciplinary teams to collaborate, test, and implement solutions.


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Half day – £3000

User research is the evidence base which informs the design and delivery of effective services that meet the needs of their users. It focuses on understanding people’s behaviours when they navigate real life processes.

This session explores the end-to-end user research process, from planning, to analysing, and then communicating findings.

If you are new to User Research, this course is perfect for you.

Key takeaways

  • The importance and value of user research in user-centred design and delivery of public services.
  • How to conduct the end-to-end user research process.
  • How user researchers work within a multidisciplinary team – and how to support throughout the life of a project.


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Half day – £3000

User personas are an effective tool for sharing your findings from user research, bringing the needs and behaviours of different user groups to life in a visibly engaging way. They build empathy and keep the human at the centre of decision-making.

Learn how to turn user research data into personas with this course.

Key takeaways

  • Understand how to create user personas, including where to get the data and how to bring them to life so that we empathise.
  • Know how to communicate user personas and use the insights they provide to improve your services.


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Half day – £3000

Learn how to draw your user’s experience of your service from their point of view. Capture the steps they took, how they felt about it, and what you could do differently to change future experiences.

With these maps you can identify ‘pain points’ and make changes so that your service is truly user centred.

Key takeaways

  • Interview users to understand, capture, and map their experience of using your services.
  • Analyse your findings and think through practical ways to change future users’ experiences.
  • Know how to communicate user personas and use the insights they provide to improve your services.


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Half day – £3000

A service blueprint captures the actions you take as an organisation to meet your users’ needs. It is a picture of all your steps and decisions – and how these impact your users, so that you can identify weaknesses.

Learn how to create a service blueprint so you can see your service through the eyes of your users.

Key takeaways

  • Know how to work with services to create service blueprints.
  • Be able to evaluate your service from your users’ perspective and identify gaps and weaknesses.
  • Understand how to use service blueprints to tell your users’ story and gain support to implement changes.


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Results that speak for themselves...

Our Service Design training programme has been attended by delegates from across the public sector. Here’s what they say:
Journey Mapping

“They were great at giving us space to think, the session was really well paced, and it was a perfect balance of small group work, discussions as a main group, and just individual time to think.”

“I would highly recommend this training to colleagues should it be offered again – very useful for LAs to start to think about how our customers feel.”

Service Blueprinting

“Good pace and going through the whole process as a team helped make it easier to remember and to visualise the tools and techniques. The course tutors made it fun too and kept everyone interested. I'm glad it wasn't just sitting there listening to someone drone on :). All courses should be like this!”

Service Design

“Well structured sessions, no bombarding of info that isn't necessary and trainers who made you feel at ease.”

Some of our valued clients