About Connor Finlayson
Consultant at Service Design Academy [they/them]
Connor is passionate about... service design thinking, design education, user experience, inclusive, cultural change, accessibility, co-design and information design
Service Design Academy,
Service Design Consultant
Hello! As a consultant for the Service Design Academy, my job is to design, develop, and deliver a broad range of high-quality commercial training, consultancy, and certificated provisions in service design for a range of corporate, start-up, government, and third-sector organisations. Did you see what we did there?
I began my post-school studies in computing at the University of Dundee, before transferring to the University’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design to study BSc (Hons) Digital Interaction Design and later, PGCert Design for Business. This allowed me to develop a solid understanding of person-centred design, usability, and the power of prototyping and user research in the development of products and services, particularly in a digital context.
I later joined the University’s External Relations directorate where I championed a design-led approach to the improvement of applicant and staff experience during the university admissions process. I then went on to practice as a freelance user experience and content designer, working primarily with young companies across Scotland and in New York, operating in the cyber security, financial, sustainability, and voluntary sectors.
I am passionate about promoting equality and human rights in our society, including an awareness of the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust as an example of where prejudice and discrimination can lead when left unchecked.
To me, service design means...
A service design approach can enable anyone to create inclusive and accessible content, services, and experiences that truly work for the people who interact with them. It encourages creativity; collaboration; and listening to the voices that really matter, while challenging assumptions and biases in decision making. To me - those sound like the ingredients to good things.
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