Lab+Nine

// According to the slideshow by Sylvain Cottong, describe the tools and methods of 'service design' (2 paragraphs). //

The methods of ‘Service design’ can be described as the combination of design methods from product design and interaction design to design the experience of and interfaces to services. Drawing on Peter Morville’s honeycombs concept service design is about making the design of a service more useful, usable and desirable for its users; as well as accessible, credible, findable, and valuable to ensure that the overall experience is pleasant. An essential method in ‘service design’ is the human-centered design process which defines a general process for the inclusion of human-centered activities throughout the development cycle. This ensures that designers are focused on the customer experience and the quality of service they are creating. Service touch points identify the tangibles – key components that comprise the total experience of using a service.

Ethnography, user studies and personas are essential approaches for identifying, discovering and understanding not only the user, but the service context. Some tools and methods that facilitate these approaches are customer journey maps which illustrate their experiences and perceptions of the service interface along a time axis; and service blueprints which provide quantitative description of service elements that occur front stage and backstage. Another important part of the process is ideation, context mapping and participatory design which reveals the conscious and latent needs, experiences and expectations of users’ as they participate in various activities such as focus groups. Service prototyping in the form of storyboards, scenarios and storytelling are helpful tools/methods for developing the design at this stage since they provide real world experience simulations.

// From your personal experience, what would be a scenario in which these methods would be useful? (2 paragraphs) //

Based on personal experience, these methods would be useful for the self check-in kiosks at the airport. At Pearson International Airport for instance, I recently experienced frustration at the fact that my aunt was unable to use this recently adopted system until I arrived from parking the car. Although there are attendants there to assist those in need they are far outnumbered at high-volume periods when a lot of people may require assistance. This coupled by the fact that my aunt comprehends very little English made it quite difficult for her to understand what was required of the flight attendant attempted to assist her.

From a service design perspective ethnographic, user studies and personas would all have been helpful means of identifying the possible users of such a kiosk. This would have ensured that the needs of various users with different abilities were explored and taken into consideration during the design process. Moreover, other methods such as customer journey maps and participatory designs would have provided designers with actual feedback about user experiences, perceptions and feelings- whether pleasant or unpleasant- so that solutions in the form of improvements to the service design of airport check-in kiosks could be implemented before the product was finally released. In a high stress environment such as an airport where people are attempting to travel under pleasant or unpleasant circumstances it would be recommendable to use these methods to improve the travelers whole experience, making it easier and more enjoyable.