Where did all the Service Designers go? / Giulia Di Gregorio / Ep. #247

2026-02-12

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If you look at the current job market, you might notice something strange... The words "service design" seem to be slowly disappearing from job titles. Does that mean our field is shrinking, or worse, becoming obsolete? Well, according to our guest, Giulia Di Gregorio, that's definitely not the case. If anything, the opposite is true. Giulia argues that while the titles might be vanishing, the practice is actually spreading. Service design is everywhere now; it's just hiding under different names. But this...

If you look at the current job market, you might notice something strange...

The words "service design" seem to be slowly disappearing from job titles.

Does that mean our field is shrinking, or worse, becoming obsolete?

Well, according to our guest, Giulia Di Gregorio, that's definitely not the case.

If anything, the opposite is true.

Giulia argues that while the titles might be vanishing, the practice is actually spreading.

Service design is everywhere now; it's just hiding under different names.

But this "diversification" creates a new challenge.

If everyone has a different job title, where do you find your professional peers?

Where's that safe space where you can get together to commiserate, find inspiration, and learn from each other?

That's what Giulia and a few folks were thinking as well.

But instead of just thinking about it they rolled up their sleeves and decided to revive Service Design Drinks Milan.

This didn't become just another meetup; it became a "pirate version" of a community.

And it’s been a pretty successful one.

In this conversation, we explore what it looks like to run a community that's driven by volunteers, has no hierarchy, and is governed by the energy people actually have to give.

We also talk about building "synergies" with other communities instead of acting like isolated islands.

And we dig into why the best way to scale might be through small, independent nodes across the world rather than one big centralized network.

So if you’ve been feeling a bit "homeless" in your service design role lately, this is a great conversation about reclaiming your identity and connecting with your tribe.

What stuck with me is the idea that when a project starts feeling like "work," you might be heading in the wrong direction and should reconsider your options.

Something to think about both in our professional context as well as in our passion projects.

Enjoy the conversation and keep making a positive impact!

~ Marc

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 247

07:30 Flat Hierarchies & Freedom

09:30 Global Nodes vs. Centralized Networks

13:30 The Toolkit Takeover

17:45 Managing by Time

23:15 Pirates vs. The Navy

27:30 The Cost of Being Brave

31:45 The Un-conferenced Model