How to become an accredited service designer

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Written By Jo Carter

Three main ways to become an accredited service designer in the UK

 

Service design skills are in high demand and are becoming increasingly essential for careers in any sector, especially if you work within public services. But how do you become a service designer? And what if you want to go one step further? Read on to find out how to become an accredited service designer in 2025.

There definitely isn’t only one standard path into a career in service design, as demonstrated by our interviews with a range of established UK service designers working in the public and third sector. Often, a squiggly line to service design means you bring a wealth of real-life experience and skills to the role, which no formal qualification on its own could ever give you.

But that’s not to say formal training isn’t important. Here I break down what I see as the three main routes to becoming an accredited service designer in UK public services.

white arrow painted on purple wall for how to become an accredited service designer blog post

So, you’re thinking about a career in service design?

Maybe you’ve found out a bit about service design and it’s sparked your interest. Perhaps you’ve already attended an introductory course in service design and are wondering what you should do next. What’s the best way to get the right accreditation and experience to build a career in service design?

I’m now an accredited Service Design Master, but these were the kinds of questions I was asking over a decade ago when I first started thinking about a pivot into a career in service design.

A chance encounter with an in-house training course at Monmouthshire County Council gave me my first taste of some different ways to think about and solve problems, including exposure to things like agile, user-centred design and service innovation. I was instantly hooked and keen to see how some of these ideas could be applied within the public sector services I worked in.

The more I learned about service design, the more I realised its value. Over the next few years, I reshaped my career to try and get as much experience as possible in this new, exciting field.

In an attempt to formalise my learning (and to overcome that old friend - imposter syndrome), I also started to look into ways to get an accredited qualification in service design while also building my knowledge of public and third-sector service design.

How do I get qualified in service design?

I quickly discovered that the service design training landscape can be a confusing space to navigate, with various paths to take.

At first glance, there seem to be masterclass courses offered everywhere, but how many are appropriate for those specialising in designing public or charity sector services? The kind of services where the people using them have no choice. Many courses seem very corporate and are designed for people working in the private sector rather than those serious about improving public services for the people who use them.

And what about those just starting out in this field and looking for a course that will lead to a recognised and accredited qualification in service design?

How to become an accredited service designer in the public or third sector in the UK

Having thoroughly researched options when doing my own training (and then later going on to build the course I wish I could have done myself), I thought it would be helpful to lay out what I think are the three main viable options for anyone interested in building a career in service design within the public or third sector and who want a widely recognised qualification or accreditation.

I take a look at three main routes to becoming an accredited service designer in the UK public sector and explore their unique pros and cons.

1. Go (back) to university and do a degree or Master’s in service design

A Master’s course in service design was the first thing I looked into when researching my options. Several UK universities offer MA or MSc courses in service design, including the University of the Arts London, Royal College of Art, Loughborough University, Norwich University of the Arts, and the University of Edinburgh.

Undergraduate degrees in service design are harder to find, but I know of at least one at the University of the Arts London.

Having letters after your name is highly desirable and can be a clear message to potential employers that you are qualified in your field. When I was looking for courses, the idea of immersing myself in a year of full-time study for a Master’s was tempting (if a little daunting). The courses are detailed and comprehensive, and for some, going back into an academic environment is a big plus.

Personally, after talking this through with a service design lecturer friend, I decided this route wasn’t for me. Courses are expensive. Tuition fees for a full-time Master's programme in the UK can range from around £15,000 to £30,000, depending on the university and whether you are a UK or international student. So it’s a massive investment, both of time and money.

With a young family at home, a business to run and no course within easy reach, this wasn’t a feasible option for me then.

I’ve also since realised that the academic nature of these courses naturally lends itself to a more purist approach to service design tools and methods, with less focus on

  • real-world application (with all the mess that comes with it!)

  • re-designing existing legacy services (while keeping the lights on!)

  • influencing skills (something that’s important when it comes to bringing people along with you in the workplace), and

  • forming successful multi-disciplinary teams in the real world.

Lou Downe famously said, “Service design is 10% design, 90% creating the conditions for design to happen.” I knew that I needed something with more focus on the 90% rather than just the 10% design.

2. Go down the apprenticeship route

Being paid to do a job while you train, what’s not to love about apprenticeships? Resulting in a degree level qualification in service design, level 6 apprenticeships can be an excellent route for early career service designers.

However, you do have to fit quite tight criteria to be eligible for an apprenticeship place, and you need the support of an employer.

The situation in England and Wales is different.

JGA Group and Assist KD both offer level 6 apprenticeships in service design in England. This is equivalent to a degree and takes 18 months. The training element of the apprenticeship is delivered online. To qualify for the government-supported scheme, you must have been living or working in England for at least three years and be supported onto the scheme by your employer. The apprenticeship isn’t industry specific. However, if you’re employed in public services, you’ll gain experience in the public sector.

You can search for existing apprenticeship opportunities in England on the government website.

There are currently no service design specific apprenticeships in Wales. However, there are some user-centred design level 4 apprenticeships, which include an element of service design (however, it should be noted that this only makes up a very small proportion of the overall learning).

Options include this one offered by ALS Training, and this user-centred design apprenticeship programme in collaboration with the Centre for Digital Public Services, Agored Cymru and Gower College Swansea.

Apprenticeships are a great option for people at the start of their careers or those looking for alternatives to a traditional degree. These apprenticeships are fairly new and so, for me, these options weren’t yet available.

3. Invest in paid courses that will result in accreditation

There are currently only two courses in the UK that lead to practitioner accreditation with the Service Design Network: our own ServiceWorks Service Design in Practice course, and the Service Design Academy PDA in Service Design.

  • ServiceWorks Service Design in Practice is an 8-month hybrid course – delivered through 40% face-to-face time (in Cardiff) and 60% online sessions. This mix is incredibly valuable for building relationships with peers. This course is the only UK-based service design training specifically created for public sector organisations that provides an optional pathway to SDN Service Design Practitioner Accreditation. Cost: From £3,750 + VAT.

  • The PDA in Service Design course from the Service Design Academy (part of Dundee and Angus College) is a 6-month course delivered online. Learning is accredited and certificated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Service Design Network. Non-sector specific. Cost: £4,200.

I should note that The Service Design Network Academy also offers training to Practitioner Accreditation, but their course is not based in the UK. The course is delivered entirely online over six modules and leads to SDN Practitioner Accreditation. Non-sector specific. Cost: €1,400

All of the above three options offer robust courses designed to deliver a mix of practical theory and skills, alongside a strong focus on the soft skills needed to influence others and create high-performing teams. They are ideal for people looking to move into a service design role, or for those already working within the field, and the route to formal industry-recognised accreditation provides a clear path to career development.

Spread out over 4-8 months, these courses can be completed alongside an existing job (and are most often funded by an employer, although they have the option to self-fund).

Most people find being part of a cohort that meets regularly and learns together is a great way to develop, and the slow, spaced-out approach is much more effective for embedding learning back in your workplace. I call this ‘marinading in the learning’!

What’s right for you?

Only you can answer that. There will be pros and cons for each option, depending on where you are in your life and career, and what time and resources you have available to you. But I hope this whistlestop tour through some of the options for gaining learning and recognition as a service designer has been useful.

Here’s a recap of some of the key info:

Degree/Master’s in service design

Apprenticeship in service design

Service design courses with SDN Practitioner Accreditation

Timeframe

1-3 years

18-24 months 

6-8 months

Cost

£15-30k per year

No cost to the apprentice, who receives a salary. There may be costs for the employer. 

ServiceWorks course - from £3,750 + VAT

 

SDA course - £4,200

Tailored to public/third sector?

No

No, unless apprenticeship is with an employer in public sector

ServiceWorks course - Yes

 

SDA course - No

Entry requirements

A level or equivalent for undergraduate course. Degree level or equivalent for postgraduate course. 

Need to be in an apprenticeship job.

An open mind and a willingness to learn!

Online / face to face / hybrid

Mostly face to face with some hybrid delivery

Hybrid. Most training delivered online.

ServiceWorks course - hybrid

 

SDA course - online

Short courses in service design

If you feel you’re not ready to make such a big leap, it could be worth your while exploring an introductory course in service design first. There are plenty out there, including mine of course! (Introduction to Service Design, a course for government, councils, charities and housing associations, delivered online over three short sessions).

Here is a list of all the short online training courses in service design that I know about:

 

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Jo Carter
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