The service design community has been gathering in Barcelona for over a decade. We’re not building this community from scratch: we’re continuing it, and trying to be worthy of it.
Many of the people who come to our event are navigating a genuinely difficult moment: uncertainty about the field, about their careers, about what comes next. We think that deserves to be acknowledged. This is a space where people can show up honestly — frustrated, curious, hopeful, or unsure — and find that there’s room for all of it.
What we ask of everyone here is simple in principle: pay attention to the people around you and treat them with genuine care, not just the care you’d want for yourself, but the care they actually need. Make room for the conversation that needs to happen, not just the one that’s comfortable. We’re all here to move forward, and that works better together.
None of this means the event is a solemn affair. Quite the opposite: we’re here to be inspired, to connect, to have real conversations, and to leave with a renewed sense of direction and energy. The care we’re asking for is what makes that possible. When people feel genuinely safe, the room comes alive.
This Code of Conduct sets out what that looks like in practice. It applies to everyone at our events — attendees, speakers, sponsors, and the organising team — for the full duration of the event and any related activities. By registering, you agree to it.
- Expected behaviour
- Unacceptable behaviour
- Reporting
- Enforcement
- Scope
1. Expected behaviour
The service design community has been gathering in Barcelona for over a decade. We’re not building this community from scratch: we’re continuing it, and trying to be worthy of it.
Many of the people who come to our event are navigating a genuinely difficult moment: uncertainty about the field, about their careers, about what comes next. We think that deserves to be acknowledged. This is a space where people can show up honestly — frustrated, curious, hopeful, or unsure — and find that there’s room for all of it.
What we ask of everyone here is simple in principle: pay attention to the people around you and treat them with genuine care, not just the care you’d want for yourself, but the care they actually need. Make room for the conversation that needs to happen, not just the one that’s comfortable. We’re all here to move forward, and that works better together.
We ask everyone at our events to:
- treat every person present with respect and genuine curiosity, regardless of their background, role, experience level, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion; listen actively and engage constructively, including with perspectives that challenge your own; give others space to be where they are, without judgment;
- give credit to others for their ideas and contributions;
- respect the time and focus of speakers and fellow participants during sessions; follow venue rules, safety procedures, and applicable local laws; and
- follow reasonable directions from the organising team.
2. Unacceptable behaviour
The following are not acceptable at any event organised by Service Design Disrupted.
- Harassment Any form of harassment is prohibited: verbal, physical, or visual. This includes offensive comments or jokes targeting someone’s gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion, as well as any behaviour that makes another person feel unsafe or unwelcome.
- Intimidation and stalking Threatening behaviour, stalking, following someone, or any form of persistent unwanted contact will not be tolerated.
- Non-consensual recording Please don’t photograph, film, or record anyone without their express consent. This includes other attendees, speakers, and members of the organising team. If someone is wearing a badge marker indicating they don’t wish to be photographed, respect that without exception.
- Disruption Sustained disruption of sessions — heckling, repeatedly interrupting speakers, or otherwise making it harder for others to participate — is not acceptable.
- Discrimination Any behaviour that excludes, demeans, or marginalises someone on the basis of who they are is not welcome here.
3. Reporting
If something happens that doesn’t feel right, whether it happens to you or you witness it happening to someone else, please tell us. We’d rather know.
During the event Speak to any member of the organising team directly — they’ll be wearing a staff badge and can connect you with the designated person responsible for handling conduct concerns on the day. This is the right path for anything that needs immediate attention.
After the event You can email us at hello@sddisrupted.com with «Code of Conduct» in the subject line. Post-event reports will be reviewed carefully once the event is over and responded to within 48 hours. We want to give these the proper attention they deserve, which isn’t always possible in the middle of a busy two-day event.
Please be aware that what we can do after the event is limited: we can listen, take your report seriously, investigate where possible, and use what we learn to make future events safer. We’re not in a position to offer refunds or financial compensation for conduct-related incidents. What we can commit to is that no report will be ignored, and that repeat or serious violations will affect whether someone is welcome at future events.
Every report will be handled with discretion and kept as confidential as possible. We won’t share who made a report without their consent.
4. Enforcement
The organising team is responsible for upholding this Code of Conduct and will act if something goes wrong. What we do will depend on what happened and how serious it was.
Depending on the situation, our response may include:
- a private conversation and a request to change behaviour;
- a formal warning;
- removal from a specific session or area; or
- expulsion from the event without refund, and where appropriate, exclusion from future events.
In situations where someone’s safety is at risk, we reserve the right to involve venue security or the relevant authorities.
If you’re asked to stop a behaviour, please do so immediately. Continuing after being asked to stop will always escalate the response.
5. Scope
This Code of Conduct applies to everyone at our events — attendees, speakers, sponsors, and the organising team — for the full duration of the event and at any related activities, whether that’s a workshop, a networking moment, or anything else happening under our name.
It also applies to how people engage online in the context of the event — on social media, in any digital spaces we use, or in public communications related to the event.
If you’re unsure whether something falls within scope, assume it does.