81927 - Service Design

Learning outcomes

The module addresses the study and practice of service modeling (blueprint), the management of intangible aspects, and the touchpoints that allow users to have a measurable perceptual and qualitative experience of the service itself. By the end of the course, students will:

• Be familiar with the experimentation of different types of services in terms of analysis and understanding of consumption dynamics;
• Understand the relationships that are activated in both public and private services, as well as in standard and premium-level services;
• Be aware of the material aspects of the service.

Course contents

The course requires the application of the theoretical and practical skills necessary for carrying out a design process in a real-world context. Students will engage in all necessary activities, from research to mapping end-to-end processes, from defining requirements to prototyping and validating interactions with service touchpoints.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Set up various research and design activities based on the context and objectives of the project;
• Conduct and analyze the results of primary and secondary research;
• Define new service models and design the interfaces through which they are accessed;
• Apply basic concepts of visual communication and storytelling techniques aimed at presenting the project to others.

Readings/Bibliography

Brown, T., & Katz, B. (2019). Change by design: how design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation. HarperBusiness.

De Bono, E. (2015). Creatività e pensiero laterale. Bur.

Penin, L. (2018). An introduction to service design: designing the invisible. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Saffer, D. (2006). Designing For Interaction: Creating smart applications and clever devices (trad. it. Design dell’interazione, Milano, Mondadori Pearson, 2007).Peachpit Press.

Zannoni, M. (2018). Progetto e interazione. Il design degli ecosistemi interattivi. Macerata: Quodlibet.

Tassi, R. (2019). Service designer: Il progettista alle prese con sistemi complessi. FrancoAngeli.

Teaching methods

The course  consist of lectures, periodic hands-on exercises, in-class reviews, and group presentations of project results. Students will be required to work in groups on a topic proposed by the instructors to develop design solutions within the realm of service design. Attendance is mandatory. Instructors will monitor attendance during classes, and students who are absent for more than 30% of the lessons will not be eligible for the final assessment.

Assessment methods

The final exam will focus on the presentation of the research and the final project. The results obtained in each module will be subject to evaluation. The evaluation criteria will be provided by the instructors responsible for the modules. The various assessments will contribute to determining the final grade for each student, reflecting both group work and individual contributions.

Teaching tools

Lectures (presentations/slideshows);

Reviews of students' progress;

Group reviews of students' progress for the various modules (presentations/slideshows by students);

Design exercises;

Prototyping activities.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Gasparotto

See the website of Ilaria Scarpellini