{"id":6301,"date":"2026-01-19T12:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T11:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klipklaar.nl\/geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie\/how-services-add-value\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T10:46:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T09:46:49","slug":"how-services-add-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klipklaar.nl\/en\/promoklip-en\/how-services-add-value\/","title":{"rendered":"How Services Add Value"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When is a service valuable? For example, if someone can apply for, change, or cancel a benefit without getting stuck, then we\u2019re doing it right. Find the right button. Complete the application. Money in the account. That\u2019s valuable, right? <\/p>\n\n

In conversations with former students when I worked at DUO, I sometimes noticed something strange. People didn\u2019t just want to talk about their student debt and how to manage it through the portal; they also wanted to talk about their mortgage and whether they\u2019d be able to buy a house \u201clater on.\u201d My immediate reaction back then was: I understand, but that\u2019s not our area of expertise. That\u2019s not part of our service. <\/p>\n\n

I\u2019m currently conducting scientific research on how to create valuable government services. I now view it differently. A while back, I conducted a survey among the readers of my newsletter. I asked them to tell me about one recent service they had used and what benefits it provided them. Their responses clearly reveal the various layers of value that services provide\u2014or, conversely, undermine. <\/p>\n\n

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If you want to follow my research, subscribe to my monthly newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

A stack of value<\/h2>\n\n
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“I recently switched health insurance plans. I wanted to save money and found one that was cheaper. Switching was very easy; everything was clear. With the money I’m saving, I can now do fun things, and I’m still well insured in case something happens.” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

As you can see, this service has a multi-faceted impact. The switch itself was a positive experience. And the results were positive: more money left over and good insurance coverage. <\/p>\n\n

But that\u2019s not always how it works. A service can provide value to you in the here and now, but come at a cost to society. And vice versa: some services are difficult, but so important that people struggle through them anyway, so they can still create value for themselves. (It\u2019s a shame we put them through that, but oh well.) <\/p>\n\n

Different layers<\/h2>\n\n

I cover more aspects in my PhD research, but for this blog post, I\u2019ll highlight a few of them with some examples. <\/p>\n\n

1. How you experience it<\/h3>\n\n

Was it a good experience, or not? Were you able to achieve the goal for which you used the service? Once you\u2019ve struggled your way through a form, you may have technically checked off your task, but you\u2019re also pretty annoyed. <\/p>\n\n

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“I still had to contact the city. This online form felt like <\/em>an unnecessary detour because a real person probably could have told me this in less than 5 minutes.” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

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Testing screens online with users. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

This first layer is the direct interaction between the organization and the service user. When this interaction doesn\u2019t go well, it directly affects your perception of that organization. This is usually the standard UX (user experience) that we focus on in the public sector\u2014and the one over which you, as a designer, have the most direct influence. <\/p>\n\n

2. How you can use it in your life<\/h3>\n\n

Look, ultimately, it’s all about how a service fits into your life. Nobody buys a new washing machine just to look at it. No, you want clean clothes! <\/p>\n\n

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“I participated in the breast cancer screening program. I received an invitation in the mail along with an informational brochure, and I made an appointment online at a nearby location. After the appointment, I received the results in writing.” Of course, my goal was to prevent myself from getting breast cancer.<\/em>” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

In academia, this layer is also referred to as \u201cvalue-in-use.\u201d And \u201cuse\u201d here does not mean using a portal or service counter, but rather using the service in your daily life. Using the child care subsidy so you can work, using student aid to pay your tuition or rent, or not just applying for a permit, but looking out the window of your new dormer with a cup of coffee in hand. <\/p>\n\n

This is where the government really needs to deliver. It’s great if your website is user-friendly, but ultimately, it’s all about delivering on your promises. <\/p>\n\n

3. What You’ll Learn for the Future<\/h3>\n\n

Some services teach you a few tricks for next time. Your ability to handle certain tasks on your own later on\u2014like filing your tax return\u2014improves. You now know how it works. For services you only use once\u2014like when you apply for a permit for a dormer window once every 10 years\u2014this isn\u2019t necessarily needed. <\/p>\n\n

But consider young people who have their first experience with a government office at DUO (student financial aid) or the RDW (driver\u2019s license) and learn there how interacting with the government actually works. <\/p>\n\n

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Colleagues at DUO reflect on the connection they have with students. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

4. How it affects the people around you<\/h3>\n\n

You may be the one who arranged everything and actually uses the service. The benefits usually extend beyond just yourself. Often, financial assistance you can receive from the government applies to your entire household. Or conversely, if your daughter can set up a payment plan for a debt, that also gives you, as a parent, peace of mind. <\/p>\n\n

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“My father-in-law passed away, and I had to report it. Fortunately, the process was straightforward, even though he was abroad when it happened. This saved our whole family a lot of hassle<\/em> during a difficult time.” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

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During last year’s flood, a quay in Valkenburg collapsed and has now been temporarily repaired by the Water Board. The building on the right is vacant, and its facade is still leaning dangerously downward. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The value that a service can provide can also help your neighbors, the entire street or neighborhood, or another group you belong to. Consider the response to the floods in Limburg in 2021, which I wrote about earlier<\/a>. There are several streets here where, at almost every address, someone is filling out all kinds of forms or on the phone with government agencies. They\u2019ve all been through something together, and one person\u2019s experience with government services (and the results!) influences the experience of others. <\/p>\n\n

5. How it contributes to society<\/h3>\n\n

Of course, this is what many policy officials are concerned with. This is being debated in parliament and local council chambers. What kind of society do we want to be? <\/p>\n\n

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“I went for a blood test to find out if I can have another round of chemo tomorrow. My value to society… Oh, that\u2019s a tough one. I\u2019m costing society a lot of money with this treatment. But it does give me a better chance of getting better and, hopefully, being able to do useful things for society for many years to come?\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

And that’s exactly right\u2014access to medical care and a healthy population are, of course, a one-on-one social value!<\/p>\n\n

Connected Layers<\/h2>\n\n

Of course, these aspects are not separate from one another. Accessible education requires that young people be able to afford school\u2014and thus, for example, be able to apply for individual student financial aid. And every young person who attends school is one more person who, when added to the rest, contributes to a society where talents are put to good use. <\/p>\n\n

But the difficult question is: how do you design for all those layers? Policy usually focuses on the group and the broader goals for society. And when designing interactions\u2014such as service counters and forms\u2014you typically do so by testing with \u201cthe user.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

How do you ensure that what we think is \u201cgood for people\u201d actually gets created and also proves to be good for people in practice? Both for individuals and for the group? <\/p>\n\n

And that brings me to two questions:<\/p>\n\n