IDEO: Service Design (B)

Published 01 Jul 2005
Reference 5276
Topic Operations
Industry Consulting
Region Global
Length 7 page(s)
Summary

This case describes how IDEO adapt its famed innovation process (developed to design new products) to the particularities of services and their design. The case series describes four service design projects to show how IDEO has developed and codified a series of design methods, which constitute a toolbox from which teams can pick and choose depending on the innovation project.

Teaching objectives

The case study aims to: Reinforce the notion of the five-step "Innovation Process" that can be used for any design project, whether it is a service or a product. (The five steps of the IDEO Process are: Observe Synthesize Generate Ideas Refine Implement). Highlight the differences between product and service design, and the subtle differences in the respective processes. Introduce the notion of IDEO "methods" as a set of interchangeable tools to be used according to the type of project being worked on, and identify when is it best to use them. Introduce the concept of knowledge brokering and examine the ways in which the transfer of knowledge is carried out across a distributed organization.

Keywords
  • Innovation management
  • New product and service development
  • Brainstorming
  • Prototyping
  • Knowledge brokering