What SDN Master Accreditation involves – and why I renew it

22 Apr

Jo Carter renews Master Service Design Accreditation with SDN

Every few years, I have to put my work under the microscope.

That's the nature of SDN Master Accreditation - it doesn't sit on a shelf once you've earned it. To keep it, you have to demonstrate that your practice has continued to develop, that you're staying connected to the field, and that the work you're doing meets the rigorous standards the Service Design Network sets for its highest level of individual accreditation.

I first became an SDN Accredited Master Service Designer in 2022. This year, I'm proud to say I've renewed that accreditation for the third time.

The process involves a detailed application covering my experience, training philosophy, community contributions and professional development, followed by a panel interview. It's not a tick-box exercise. You're expected to show your thinking, defend your approach, and demonstrate that your practice is grounded in current knowledge and real-world impact.

For me, that means being honest about what's working in our training programmes, what I've changed in response to participant feedback, and where I still have more to learn. The Service Design in Practice programme - now in its seventh year, with ten cohorts and around 150 participants - formed the heart of my case study submission.

Why does this matter to you?

If you're considering investing time and money in service design training, knowing that the person delivering it holds the highest level of individual accreditation from the world's leading service design body is worth something.

It means the work has been scrutinised by people with serious expertise - not just once, but repeatedly.

You can read about the work I put forward for scrutiny here.