The paper “Service design for a holistic customer experience: A process framework” by Bellos and Kavadis (2021) is relevant to this course because the authors focus on the specifics of service design practices in the contemporary context. This course is based on studying the specifics of how the service design for products occurs and the different stages of it, and this article helps broaden one’s understanding of the product design process. Bellos and Kavadis (2021) explain that currently, companies recognize the importance of the holistic approach towards product design, which implies understanding and integrating the human factor, such as considering the customer’s needs and desires.
The main advantages of the service design discussed by Bellos and Kavadis (2021) are the enhanced experience of the individuals who will be using the products. Mainly, the focus on the customer and the design thinking approaches allows the company to approach design focusing on the potential users of their future products and not merely the company’s ideas regarding the product’s usability. Another advantage is that with this method, one can approach product design systematically and with an integration of ideas from different disciplines. The outcome of such a measure is evidently beneficial for the customer because the product is created considering the various potential applications, ideas, and theories. For healthcare, for example, design thinking can help improve the experience of the patients (Bellos & Kavadis, 2021). The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s example shows the product design specialists shadowing the patients and medical staff to develop a step-by-step map of what interactions and procedures individuals undergo. This allowed the clinic to address some elements of this map and implement small changes to ensure that the patients go through the procedures faster and with a better experience.
Reference
Bellos, I. & Kavadis, S. (2021). Service design for a holistic customer experience: A process framework. Management Science, 67(3), 1-33.