99587 - Service Design for Innovation

Learning outcomes

The module aims to guide students in developing a process of understanding the dynamics, actors, themes, and processes that characterize the relationship between innovation and advanced design, thus guiding them toward a progressive synthesis of the master's degree program. Through lectures, seminars, and exercises, the key themes characterizing contemporary innovation processes will be addressed, enabling design to be incorporated into these processes.

Course contents

. The Service Design for Innovation module explores the relationships between design, performative practices and ephemeral time in design experiences in physical spaces, natural landscapes, and digital environments.

At the end of the course, students:

. approach the design of different types of services, developing a sensitivity to understanding and building multiple relationships in integrated ecosystems;

. experience ephemeral dynamics in temporal, spatial, phenomenological;

. analyze the dynamics of use and enhancement of material and natural spaces;

. understand the complexity of reducing service from the real dimension to the immaterial dimension;

. refine tools for linking advanced design and service innovation;

. exercise critical skills to frame services while taking into account the sustainable development objectives that must characterize contemporary innovation processes;

. practice various expressive forms to enhance the storytelling of service and the experience of places.

The SYSTEMS DESIGN LABORATORY B C.I. is an integrated course consisting in: Service Design for Innovation – Modules 1 and 2 (6 credits) and Built Environment Analysis – Modules 1 and 2 (4 credits).

The Service Design for Innovation modules provide skills and tools for innovative service design in contemporary hybrid spaces, offering them to communities living in today's urban sprawl, encompassing cities, natural, artificial, and digital landscapes.
The Lab as a whole is designed to provide preparatory knowledge for the master's thesis and integrates contributions from the service design sector and the urban and landscape design sector.

The Service Design for Innovation course is divided into two parts.

Module 1, coordinated by Professor Elena Vai, aims to guide students through an exploration of the relationships between design, performative practices and ephemeral time in the design of experiences in physical spaces, natural landscapes, and digital environments.
An in-depth study of methods, tools, processes, and the involvement of businesses in the design process of the services to be designed and produced may also be leveraged in the choice of master's thesis research.

Module 2, coordinated by Professor Virginia Vignali, develops a vision of process and system, leading students to understand service design as an iterative, nonlinear process, situated within a system of relationships that transcends the single touchpoint or interaction. This vision integrates the processual and systemic dimensions, strengthening the ability to navigate complex and evolving innovation ecosystems.

The module offers also an overview of the tools supporting service design, such as mapping and analysis tools, visualization and digital collaboration tools, and tools for understanding the interdependencies between tangible and intangible service components.

This knowledge base is supported by the Future Fit Lab series of meetings, which brings together multidisciplinary experts and designers working across various innovation domains.

Readings/Bibliography

In their lectures and during review sessions, professors will provide detailed references to texts, websites, articles, papers, journals, and other available documents for further exploration of the topics covered.
References may also be added as needed during the course.

Suggested texts (being updated between September 2026 and January 2027):

· Celaschi, F., & Deserti, A. (2017). Design e Innovazione. Carocci.

· Clément, G. (2005). Manifesto del Terzo paesaggio. Quodlibet.

· Formia, E., Gianfrate, V., & Vai, E. (2021). Design e mutazioni. Processi per la trasformazione continua della città. BUP.

· Formia, E., Gianfrate V., & Succini, L. (a cura di) (2023). Design per l'innovazione responsabile. Franco Angeli.

· Ingold, T. (2024). Siamo linee. Per un’ecologia delle relazioni sociali. Treccani.

· Jones, P. H. (2025). Systemic Service Design (P. H. Jones, S.-H. Lee, B. Sevaldson, & M. Suoheimo, Eds.). Taylor & Francis Routledge [Imprint].

· Penin, L. (2018). An introduction to service design: Designing the Invisible. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Teaching methods

The course aims to provide in-depth methodological, theoretical, and research-by-design tools. It will be delivered through lectures, design talks, seminars, exercises, experiences, and study visits.

During the course, students will be offered contributions/lectures lasting approximately 1-2 hours, led by professors and/or guests.

The course will also utilize a review system for student work in the two Modules, depending on the teaching approach chosen by the instructors.
Reviews may be individual, group, or collective, depending on the course's teaching schedule.
Peer-to-peer reviews among students will also be planned, where assessment models/tools will be shared.
Professors will communicate the nature, methods, and timing of these reviews at the beginning of the course.
Students will be asked to complete individual and/or group work depending on their relevance to the research or design component of the course.
Attendance is mandatory. It is monitored by professors in class, and students who miss more than 30% of classes will not be included in the final grade.

Assessment methods

Presentation and discussion of the final papers required for all modules of the integrated course.
Each of the results obtained in the individual modules will be assessed. The criteria will be communicated by the professors responsible for the modules.

The various assessments of the individual modules will form the overall final grade for each student (partly the result of collective work and partly individual work).

Teaching tools

Teaching involves the use of multimedia tools and platforms to accelerate students' digital literacy, develop teamwork skills, and facilitate open access and open knowledge processes.

COLLABORATIVE BOARDS: Students and teachers can work remotely on project concepts and proposed topics using collaborative whiteboards, such as Miro.

REMOTE COLLABORATION PLATFORMS: Students and teachers can use the Microsoft Teams communication and collaboration platform, which provides tools for dialogue (virtual meetings, chat, etc.), planning, and archiving and writing systems that can be accessed and modified by multiple people.

VIRTUALE: Students and teachers can archive materials and documents, record and share video lessons and project outputs, schedule assignments, and exchange information and announcements.

Students are also introduced to easy-to-use web tool suites and data analysis and visualization processes, both qualitative and quantitative, through open-source tools such as DataBasic.io [http://databasic.io/].

Presentations/slideshows.
Collaboration with external organizations (Centro di Ricerca sulle Industrie Culturali e Creative – CRICC, modeling lab, immersive lab, libraries, etc.).
Participation in conferences, talks, exhibitions, and/or educational visits.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Vai

See the website of Virginia Vignali