Service Design Network
ACADEMIC CHALLENGE
Project: Service Design Network approached us to analyze and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data collected through primary research to suggest opportunities for further development of SDN Academic relationship and to develop an initial proposal for SDN Academic relationship program in the form of following deliverables
1. SDN Academic Taskforce: Identify and form a task force form the interested faculty representing the internationality. Establish criteria for the task force members and guidelines to create and manage it.
2. Faculty directory: Create and provide guidelines to manage a worldwide directory of faculty who is teaching service design or related courses in various academic institutions.
3. University Directory: Create and provide guidelines to manage a worldwide directory of universities offering service design or related courses in various academic institutions.
Solution: With Typeform a survey was designed with multiple logic and routes. A link to the survey was personally emailed to 84 individuals who were identified through secondary research. After receiving responses from the personally sent emails, the survey was opened to the public through social media and shared on various groups on Facebook, Linkedin, and Slack. The survey was later officially shared by SDN personally emailed and shared through their social media channels.
Outcome: Of the total 114 responses, 46 currently teach service design, and 53 are either planning to or are interested in teaching service design in the future. 15 said they do not plan to teach service design in the future. One of the key outcomes of the research conducted was identifying three types of users listed below
Type I: are The Innovators and Early Adopters. Over two decades ago, The Innovators laid the groundwork for the service design and academic field. The Early Adopters entered the field 18 years later.
Type II: depending on when they plan to enter into the field of service design academia, the Early Majority ( Entering within 1 year), the Late Majority (entering within 2-3 years) and the Laggards (entering within 4+ years).
Type III: “the public”, are not currently part of academia, which is why they are placed outside the curve of adoption. Though, depending on when they plan to enter the community, they will significantly add to the overall population.
Contribution: Contributed to all the stages of the project development, from survey development, analysis, and collaboratively developed the final report.
Contributors: Murphy Basore, Shreya Dhawan, Siddhant Patel, Yuk Yu Sin (Ada)
Year: 2017
Approach
The primary approach and strategy for this project is based on a text written by Mauricio Manhães, Ph.D., titled “Three Overarching Perspective of Service Design” (“3OPs”). For the purpose of this project, we focused on the first overarching perspective, “Understanding Stakeholder’s Context.”
Mahães, 2017
Secondary Research
The secondary research was conducted on two key areas- universities and faculty.
Universities- An initial directory of 64 universities was created based on the close relativity of service design program courses (i.e innovation management, design for services, etc.)
Faculty- A total of 102 faculties were identified with data points including institutional position, institutional profile, years of experience, educational background, and number of service design related publications, amongst others.
Primary Research- Survey
Each route would collect data on a specific user type as shown below
Route I (Type I)- This route would help align data points collects through secondary research that would aid in the creation of the faculty directory, selection of the task force members, and know who is the community currently composed of.
Route II (Type II)- This route would collect data from faculty members in academia who do not currently teach service design, but who are interested in doing so.
Route III (Type III)- This route would collect data from those who are currently not a part of academia, though who may be interested in teaching service design in the future.
Type I- The Innovators and the Early Adopters
The innovators laid the groundwork for the service design and the academic field. 18 years later, the early adopters entered the field.
The Innovators (1995-2013)
The Early Adopters (2014-2107)
Responses: 46/114
Note: The radar diagram reflects the mode of responses to some of the key questions asked.
Type 1 Characterization
Opportunity Space (Type I)
Integration- How can those currently teaching service design, along with SDN, facilitate and promote the integration of service design practices into academic subjects other than arts/design?
Publications- Case studies and resources were one of the main asks from those looking to enter the service design academic community. SDN can create a channel specifically for academic publications and encourage current members to participate in it.
Course Structure- What is the basic understanding one should have about service design? What is the current curricula missing?
Establishing service design program- Tips and ideas for how to initiate and promote service design in an institution that does not yet have it.
Type II- Early Majority, Late Majority, Laggards
Those who are part of this academia do not currently teach service design
Early Majority are those that plan to teach service design within one year.
Late Majority are those that plan to teach service design within 2-3 years.
Laggards are those that plan to teach service design in 4+ years.
The Early Majority (2018-2020)
The Late Majority (2021- 2023)
The Laggards (2024-2027)
Responses- 17/114
Note: The radar diagram reflects the mode of responses to some of the key questions asked.
Type 2 Characterization
Opportunity Space (Type II)
Getting started- SDN can facilitate universities who are interested in teaching service design, but are currently not prepared to teach service design
Collaborate- They can work with interested professors in other fields to do trial of integrating service design studies into other profession as a supplement curricula.
Resource- What would help those planning to teach service design? How should we provide this for them?
knowledge- How would they rate themselves in terms of their knowledge of service design? What level of knowledge would they expect to need to have in order to be involved in service design academia?
Type III- The Public
The Public are those who are not currently part of academia, though may be a part of service design community or have interest in service design
The Public (+2018)
Responses- 51/114
Note: The radar diagram reflects the mode of responses to some of the key questions asked.
Type III Charaterization
Opportunity Space (Type III)
Networking- Understand why networking is so important to them and how they currently connect and collaborate with people; What works? What is lacking? How would they prefer to connect with existing and potential SDN academic members?
Awareness- Understand their current knowledge of and interest in SDN; What other initiative are they aware of and/ or participated in?
Involvement- Talk to those that are currently involved with an institution in some way to see what role they play. This will help show how SDN and service design can be involved in academia other than through just teaching.
Industry value- How can this group bring value to academia and the industry they currently work in?
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