I participated in a 3-day NICF - Service Design course that offered a practical exploration of key principles, tools, and frameworks, including Design Thinking for Service Design. The course delved into fostering an innovation culture within organizations, employing 'Design Thinking' concepts and practices to research and develop innovative ideas.

I gained insights into processes, methods, tools, and techniques essential for transforming innovation into tangible outcomes, significantly enriching my ability to contribute to service design and innovation.

The Learnings

Building an environment suitable for Innovation and Design • Ensuring that the innovation and design process is efficient and effective • Equipping their team with the capability to design and deliver innovative solutions

My team and I embraced Design Thinking as our innovation strategy, beginning by clearly defining our design challenge. We embarked on user research, conducting field trips to campus canteens and engaging with students from Year 1 to 4 to gain insights. Through direct observations of how students placed their orders, we meticulously recorded our findings using the POEMS framework (People, Objects, Environment, Messages, Services) and further developed Empathy Maps and Journey Mapping.

This comprehensive analysis and synthesis of our findings led to the creation of a user persona, which informed our ideation process and helped us understand our value proposition. Following this, we crafted mockups and wireframes for our prototype. These were then taken to the canteen for real-world testing with students, allowing us to gather feedback and refine our solution further.

HMW Re-design the on-campus payment options for the students of NUS so that they enjoy the convenience and benefits of a cashless campus?

the service blueprint

My team and I engaged in a comprehensive analysis to conceptualize the service from both the customer and business viewpoints. Our strategic approach encompassed several key steps:

1. Service Process Blueprinting: We outlined the specific service process to create a blueprint that guides our design strategy.

2. Customer Segmentation: We identified the target customer or segment to ensure the service is tailored to meet their specific needs and expectations.

3. Customer Perspective Mapping: We meticulously mapped out the service journey from the customer's perspective to understand their experience at every touchpoint.

4. Organizational Actions Mapping: We charted the actions and responsibilities from the employee and organizational standpoint to ensure alignment with customer expectations.

5. Integration of Contact Activities and Support Functions: We linked direct customer interaction points with backend support functions to streamline and enhance service delivery.

6. Incorporation of Service Evidence: At each step of the process, we added tangible evidence of service to reinforce the value and reliability of the experience.

This methodical approach ensured a holistic understanding of the service experience, enabling us to design solutions that are both user-centric and aligned with business objectives.

The Certificate

Understanding service design is crucial for me as it involves strategically planning and organizing people, infrastructure, communication, and material components of a service. This is to enhance its quality and the interaction between the service provider and customers, ensuring a seamless and satisfying experience.