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 Service Design Lab offers a comprehensive project-based learning experience, guiding students through the development of innovative services in response to real-world contexts and complex societal challenges. Through a learning-by-doing approach, the course integrates research, analysis, design, and experimentation, providing students with the methodological and practical tools required to manage every stage of the service design process.

The laboratory follows the entire design journey, from understanding the context and identifying users' needs to defining service concepts, designing user experiences and touchpoints, and developing and testing prototypes. Particular emphasis is placed on representing processes and interactions through key service design methods and tools—including customer journey maps, service blueprints, stakeholder maps, and service ecosystem models—to create coherent, sustainable, and human-centered service experiences.

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

• plan and adapt research and design activities according to the project context and objectives;
• conduct primary and secondary research and critically interpret research findings;
• design innovative service models, represent them using service design methods and tools, and develop both physical and digital service touchpoints;
• effectively communicate design processes and outcomes through visual communication, storytelling, and data visualization techniques.

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.

Downe, L. (2020). Good services: How to design services that work. BIS Publishers.

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.

Senova, M. (2020). This human: How to be the person designing for other people. BIS Publishers.

Stickdorn, M., & Schneider, J. (2011). This is service design thinking: Basics, tools, cases. BIS Publishers.

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

Wells, M. (2023). User experience design: An introduction to creating interactive digital spaces. Hachette UK.

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

 

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures, meetings with guest experts, periodic exercises, in-class reviews, and collective presentations of project results.
Students will work in groups on a topic proposed by the instructors, with the aim of developing design solutions in the field of service design.

Attendance is mandatory and will be recorded by the instructors during the lessons. Students absent for more than 30% of the activities will not be allowed to take the final assessment.

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of the presentation of the research and the service design project developed during the course. The results achieved in each teaching module will be evaluated individually and will contribute to determining the student’s final grade, which will take into account both group work and individual contributions.

Teaching tools

• Lectures (presentations/slideshows)

• Guest lectures and dedicated presentations by invited speakers

• Individual project reviews to monitor students' progress

• Group critiques and project reviews for each teaching module (student presentations/slideshows)

• Design workshops and studio activities

• Prototype development, primarily using Figma, Adobe XD, layout and image editing software, video recording and editing tools, and AI-powered design tools

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Gasparotto

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