How to (re)design services: From ideation to evaluation

Abstract

This chapter explores service design as a multidisciplinary, holistic and people-centered approach that can support public and business organization in the development of new services or the redesign of existing services that answer to contemporary innovation requirements. Contributions from the academic and the professional fields are analyzed to describe the core characteristics of the approach and the key steps of the service design process. From the capacity of understanding people, contexts and relationships to the definition of scenarios and concepts, from the development and validation of service ideas to their implementation, each step of the process is explored in depth, including a description of its general purpose, activities to be conducted, and suggestions about useful tools typically adopted in service design practice. Moreover, concerning the development of service ideas, a particular focus on what needs to be designed in services is provided. To conclude, the topic of evaluation is introduced as the missing element in the service design process to give solidity and reliability to service design interventions, to prove the value of solutions proposed, and demonstrate the benefits of adopting service design itself.