Freelance
Service Designer
With a focus on User Research & Design Strategy.
Too often (digital) products & services are built without a deep understanding of what the users need.
This leads to frustrated customers, inefficient processes, wasted money - and ultimately failed products.
I help companies understand their users’ needs and translate them into products, strategies & opportunities for innovation.
How I help my clients:
Don’t forget your users
First and foremost, I help my clients gain a better understanding of their users, of the humans who will end up using what we’re creating - their needs, aspirations & pain points.
It’s a match
I help to spot where and how business goals and user needs match, to create value for both customers and the bottom line.
Innovate like a startup
Having started and grown a B2B startup from initial idea to revenue, I help companies work in the same agile way: focusing on MVP, experimenting, failing fast, iterating and learning quickly.
Case study
How can we improve the conversion rate of our trial customers?
This is how I helped the SaaS startup Meisterwerk understand their customers’ behaviour better and identify the right feature to build next - with the goal to improve conversion rate and get ready for the Series A fundraise.
Selected Work
Helping commercial vehicle fleets reduce CO2 emissions
Company: BP
Challenge: How can BP create new solutions and offerings that help it’s B2B customers reduce CO2 emissions and cost?
Outcome: Conducted a discovery phase exploring customer needs and translated them into tangible solutions and prototypes. The discovery work is a cornerstones for future developments of the product.
Role: Lead Service Designer
Planning and conducting User Research
Running internal workshops
Synthesizing findings into tangible artifacts
Designing early-stage concept prototypes
Testing prototypes with customers
Reducing accidents at sea with real-time data from seafarers
Company: Scoutbase
Challenge: How can we help shipping companies reduce the key reason for accidents at sea: Human Error?
Outcome: We built a continuous and anonymous feedback tool which helps spot areas of risk: Scoutbase. Itl is already being used by some of the most innovative companies in the industry.
Role: Co-Founder, Service Designer, Head of Sales
Initial market and user research
Turning an opportunity into an operational product which is being used by over 800 seafarers
Securing funding from investors and funds
Building partnerships with key players
Securing the first commercial customers and recurring revenue
Making train stations more user-friendly for travellers
Company: Bane Denmark
Challenge: How can key travel information on train stations be displayed better to improve the experience of different types of travellers?
Outcome: An in-depth user research study on the needs, challenges and experiences of travellers. The insights were utilised by the good people of Kontrapunkt to design a new information flow and updated screens. The new design has since been rolled out across train stations in Denmark.
Role: Service Designer - User Research, Usability Testing, Synthesis
Improving the asylum process for refugees
Organisation: Home Office (UK Government)
Challenge: How can we improve the process and experience of seeking asylum - both for refugees and the case workers in the UK government?
Outcome: A series of research reports on challenges and opportunities, as well as journey maps, service blueprints and prototypes. The insights, recommendations and mock-ups informed the development of a range of digital tools for UK caseworkers. Some of which have been rolled out and are in operation.
Role: Service Designer: User Research, Stakeholder Workshops, User Journey Mapping, Service Blueprints, Concepts & Prototypes
What I offer
Activities
Qualitative user research
Quantitative research
Synthesis & prioritization
Workshops
Concept creation
Concept testing
Leading teams
Managing projects
Bespoke research tools
Journey maps
Service blueprints
Stakeholder maps
User personas
Design principles
Mock-ups & prototypes
Tools
Deliverables
Design strategy
Validated prototypes
Validated value propositions
Business models
Storytelling
Testimonials
He fitted into the team immediately and seamlessly and brought great insight and skill to what he was doing.
I'm looking forward to working with him again - I can't recommend him highly enough.
Mat Hunter, Chief Design Officer, UK Design Council
Sebastian contributions to the project are cornerstones for future developments of the product.
It was a true privilege to work with him!
Fabian Hasler, Mobility Product & TCO Manager, Bp
Sebastian quickly took a lead role in the design, while building excellent relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
It was great working with him and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending him.
Stuart Penny, Interim Head of Service Design, UK Home Office
Working with Sebastian was an absolute gamechanger for our overall business and growth strategy and gave us massive confidence to make the right calls, which led to achieve our revenue and fundraising goals!
Sebastian is super experienced, reliable and understands business - you can feel that he was a founder himself before.
Bertram Wildenauer, CEO & Co-Founder, Meisterwerk
We were able to make decisions quickly and decisively - our next product direction was a direct result of Sebastian’s work.
William Clifford Birtwell III, Co-Founder, Meisterwerk
