This paper addresses the potential contribution of service design for improving the implementation of shared decision-making in healthcare. The iterative approach of design research is compared with the more linear, (social) scientific approaches often seen in health services research. Five foundational principles of service design are explored regarding their potential contribution to the improvement of the implementation of shared decision-making. Thus, this position paper can be seen as a call on service designers and healthcare professionals to combine their efforts to improve the implementation of shared decision-making in healthcare.