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A Human-Centred, Multidisciplinary, and Transformative Approach to Service Science: A Service Design Perspective

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Handbook of Service Science, Volume II

Abstract

The increasing complexity and human centeredness of service systems raises new challenges to decision makers, requiring the integration of multidisciplinary efforts while addressing the dynamic reconfiguration of actors for value co-creation. This chapter uses a case study investigation into the practice of an Italian service design agency to expand on the understanding of service design as a human centred, multidisciplinary, and transformative approach for service system innovation. The study illustrates how service design can move from being a disciplinary field to become an overarching approach and a cultivated horizontal skill able to favour multidisciplinary integration; also the evolution in the understanding of service from a given market offering or output, to a dynamic condition of value exchange and co-creation, qualifies service design as an “accompanying” service for clients in their transformation journey that enables the collaborative co-creation of value; as a result of this exploratory case study, service design is depicted as a continuing, collaborative and flexible innovation approach that constantly adjusts depending on the level of engagement and alignment of the key partners and the need to nurture the evolving dynamics of value co-creation for service system transformation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For more information, access: http://www.servicedesignforinnovation.eu

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Acknowledgements

This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 642116.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Design Department, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Daniela Sangiorgi, Filipe Lima & Maíra Prestes Joly

  2. INESCTEC, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Maíra Prestes Joly

  3. Logotel, Milan, Italy

    Cristina Favini

  4. INESCTEC and Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Lia Patrício

Authors
  1. Daniela Sangiorgi
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  2. Filipe Lima
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  3. Lia Patrício
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  4. Maíra Prestes Joly
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  5. Cristina Favini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Sangiorgi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA

    Paul P. Maglio

  2. IBM Research—Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    Cheryl A. Kieliszewski

  3. IBM Cognitive Opentech, Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    James C. Spohrer

  4. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kelly Lyons

  5. INESCTEC and Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Lia Patrício

  6. Graduate School of Management, Nagoya University of Commerce and Business Business School, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Yuriko Sawatani

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Sangiorgi, D., Lima, F., Patrício, L., Joly, M.P., Favini, C. (2019). A Human-Centred, Multidisciplinary, and Transformative Approach to Service Science: A Service Design Perspective. In: Maglio, P.P., Kieliszewski, C.A., Spohrer, J.C., Lyons, K., Patrício, L., Sawatani, Y. (eds) Handbook of Service Science, Volume II. Service Science: Research and Innovations in the Service Economy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98512-1_7

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