DESIGN RESEARCH FORUM 2021-2022, # 2

Time

25 October, 2021, 1400 – 1500

Location

IDE kitchen, Zoom (by inivtation)

Presenter: Simon Clatworthy

Topic: The Materials of Service Design

Facilitator: Ted Matthews

 

 

This session presents work in progress for a discussion around the theme of the materials of service design. I am writing a book about the theme together with Stefan Holmlid and Johan Blomqvist from Linköping and we are intrigued by the apparent paradox of designers forming something that is often described as being immaterial – service. In the best spirit of Donald Schön we are investigating the materials of the design situation that is service design. To do this we have invited many guests to contribute to a symposium about the theme. Guests invited include Claire, Ted, Jonathan and Josina from AHO and about 20 others from around the world. From the symposium we will choose the best contributions and put them together in the book, together with some joined up thinking that hopefully makes some sense out of it. We seem to have found a theme that people are passionate about, and there is great interest.

During this session, I will present the background for why it might be useful to discuss the materials of service design and present some examples of material. I will also give a bit of status about the project and the input we have received so far. We have great hopes for this work, and hope that it can contribute to research directions going forward, and also that it can help with the design of education within service design.

I feel sometimes that this is a bit of a quest for me personally, and that I am looking at this too narrowly. So I would like input and thoughts from others about it to contribute to the discussion and to challenge my thinking. There are no stupid questions in this, so come along armed with your critical, creative and curious thoughts.

I will present for about 20-25 minutes and then I hope we can have a good chat about it.

If you want to get some priming before the session, then this paper from ServDes is a good start: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:970914/FULLTEXT01.pdf. But, you can come unprepared too, and give your immediate thoughts and questions.