Digital Commons Network^™

Preparing A Comprehensive And Accessible Design Ethnography In Complex Environments: Reflections Based On Case Studies From 3 Uk Nhs Emergency Departments, Wenbo Ai, Alison Prendiville

ServDes Conference Series

This paper discusses the ethical and ethnographic preparation methods employed in the initial discovery phase of a co-design research project, aimed at enhancing the blood culture pathway for potential sepsis patients in UK emergency departments across three NHS trust hospitals. Conducting thorough observations in such complex, busy settings within limited time frames poses significant challenges. Minimising disruptions becomes key, especially in high-pressure work environments. Elaborate preparation of observation methods leads to more productive findings and reduces the need for repeated visits, promoting mutual respect between researchers and stakeholders. This paper offers valuable strategies for service design researchers to prepare effectively …

Power Compass: A Template For Navigating Power In Service Design, Michalina Fidos, Mari Suoheimo, Shaohua Pan, Peter Hayward Jones

ServDes Conference Series

Service designers often encounter power dynamics that shape their role in enabling change. This study explores how and why designers experience power in practice, drawing on ecological systems theory (EST) to map experiences gathered through a case study of five focus groups with international practitioners. Leverage analysis is then used to conceptualise these insights. By intersecting these two frameworks, we developed the Power Compass - a project-centred template that visualises how social, political, and ecological forces converge in design projects, revealing power as both a source of agency and a constraint. The template aims to support designers in identifying, analysing, …

Playing With Failure: A Queer Framework For Making Service Systems Otherwise, Josina Vink, Enrique Encinas, Daphne Chan, Shreya Bhattacharya

ServDes Conference Series

Despite its claims of driving transformation in service systems, service design often ends up reproducing the status quo and normalizing others into dominant social expectations. If we want to move away from the circulation of hegemonic structures within the practice, the service design discipline needs to be challenged. This paper explores how service design can be undisciplined to create a grammar of possibility for making service systems otherwise. Drawing on experiences from an experimental 7-week service design research and education collaboration with hospital-based mental health services in Norway, this research presents a queer framework that reveals the entanglement of normative …

Resilient By Design: The Dissolution Of Alternative Food Networks, Cagri G. Varli, Stefano Maffei

ServDes Conference Series

Alternative food networks (AFNs) are often presented through peak-period success stories, leaving their entire lifecycle — transformations, challenges, and reconfigurations — underexplored. By rethinking AFN dissolution process through a service design lens, this study examines how embedded values, networks, and operational models evolve beyond their initial structures. The research uses a new generation consumer cooperative as a case study, and it employs multiple sources of evidence — semi-structured interviews, archival data, media sources, and direct observations — to analyze the cooperative’s evolution. Findings reveal how AFNs transition from grassroots initiatives to structured models but struggle with economic constraints and governance …

How Can Public Service Design Adapt To "Supply-Demand Coupling"? A Case Study Of Elderly Health Service In Shanghai, Chuanqi Tang, Wanqiang Li, Fei Hu

ServDes Conference Series

As the contradiction between people's demand for multi-level, refined public services and the limited-service supply becomes increasingly prominent, how to achieve precise matching between service supply and demand, namely "supply-demand coupling", has become a key problem in enhancing the quality of public services. This paper combines coupling theory with classic service design tools to innovate a supply-demand coupling toolkit. To verify the effectiveness of this toolkit in public service design, a design practice of elderly health service in Shanghai was conducted. The research proves that this toolkit, by identifying and explicating the supply-demand relationship in the service system, helps designers …

From Affirmative-Technological To Critical-Humanistic Tech Trends: A Speculative Framework For Service Design Futures, Yong-Ki Lee

ServDes Conference Series

This paper presents a speculative framework for service design education, practice, and research in light of emerging technologies. It examines the evolution of service design through stages, from its foundations to a “thinking” era, and proposes a model for “Service Design 2.0” that considers industry-led, human-centred, and information driven approaches. The paper explores future trends in service design practice, emphasizing socio-technical systems thinking and learning systems. Design research is discussed in terms of evolving user-designer interactions, moving toward symbiotic relationships where designing and using become intertwined. Finally, the paper advocates for a balanced design education that integrates arts, engineering, computer …

Building A Resilient Local Youth Community In South Korea: A Case Study Of The “Workday Club”, Yong-Ki Lee

ServDes Conference Series

This research explores the factors that contribute to resilient local youth communities in South Korea, using the “Workday Club” as a case study. It examines how these communities combat the challenges posed by urbanization and migration to Seoul causing a regional decline and a depopulation crisis. The study emphasizes the importance of rekindling traditional Korean community values, like “Dure,” which fosters collaboration and social support. The research also analyses youth communities and entrepreneurship and identifies critical factors such as social engagement and entrepreneurial opportunities as key to building resilience. Ultimately, it provides insights and strategies for building thriving youth communities …

Improving Last Mile Transport Connectivity In Rural India: A Case Study Of Village Sangurdi, Vivaswan Ramdasi, Prasad Onkar

ServDes Conference Series

Last mile connectivity in rural India is a major issue which grapples majority of the Indian population. Particularly, transport connectivity towards last mile (final link between public transports to residence) in rural India is not properly addressed, which leads to hindrance in smooth functioning of daily lives of individuals. This paper aims to put forward an approach towards finding a solution to this problem, using service design methodology, ethnographic research and community driven service solution model. For creating the solution framework, a village named “Sangurdi” in Pune district of Maharashtra, India is taken as an example to understand the issues …

Lessons From A Community Facility: Enacting A Philosophy Of Practice In Local Diverse Communities., Lucas Vaqueiro, Gabriela Karolak, Priyanka Jain

ServDes Conference Series

This paper examines a community visioning process conducted by design researchers from 3x3, a community-centered design practice, in collaboration with a local government in Eastern Pennsylvania. The municipal government sought to create a new community facility to address the needs of a town shaped by cultural, social, and economic differences, while celebrating the diversity within the community. We discuss the design research methods used to engage residents in defining the facility’s purpose, programming, and spatial features. Additionally, we reflect on building trust, facilitating cross-community dialogue, and balancing equity and impact in public investments. The paper highlights the evolving role of …

Dispute Resolution As A Service: Leveraging Service Design And Ai Assistance, Ravi Mahamuni, Sachin Pawar, Manoj Apte, Girish Palshikar

ServDes Conference Series

India’s insurance dispute resolution system is burdened by long delays, escalating costs, and growing complaint volumes. With the insurance market projected to reach US$ 222 billion by 2026 and recent data showing that leading public insurers registered over 81,000 complaints in FY2023, traditional processes are no longer viable. This paper proposes a “Dispute Resolution as a Service” model for the insurance claim domain, enabled by AI technologies with service design principles. By rethinking dispute resolution as a service, the solution addresses not only the technical requirements for speed and cost reduction but also the softer aspects such as transparency, user-centeredness, …

Redesigning Equine Air Transport: A Product-Service System To Empower The Horse-Owner Alliance, Paola Maria Trapani, Ke Ma, Jiao Mo

ServDes Conference Series

Equine air transport poses significant health, and welfare risks due to stress and environmental factors. Current systems lack proactive solutions, leading to preventable health issues like Shipping Fever (SF) and poor service experiences. Design Challenge: This research explores how Product-Service System Design (PSSD) can mitigate common transport challenges, enhance stakeholder experiences, and reposition the Horse-Owner Alliance (HOA) as a key player. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examined system, service, and product levels, integrating UX/UI, product design, and PSSD methods, alongside elements of System Design. Prototypes—including a smart stall and a wearable halter—were tested in real-world settings. Results: The …

Responsible Digital Service Ecosystem Design: Concept And Framework, Kentaro Watanabe

ServDes Conference Series

Rapid advancements in digital technologies profoundly influence lifestyles, norms, cultures, and society through digital services. To address concerns regarding their negative impacts, service ecosystem design offers a promising approach for managing and adapting institutional arrangements (i.e., rules, norms, and cultures) necessary for such services. However, few studies have examined socially responsible design principles and practices in digital service ecosystems. To bridge this gap, this study introduces the concept of responsible digital service ecosystem design (REDSED). By integrating the responsible innovation approach, it presents a conceptual framework for the REDSED process for managing institutional arrangements. The proposed concept and framework support …

Cultivating Cross-Cultural Community Through Counter-Storying: The Power+Place Collaborative, Danielle Lake, Sandy Marshall

ServDes Conference Series

This article offers a feminist pragmatist vision for service design educators and practitioners that seeks to cultivate participatory place-based systemic change through cross-cultural and intergenerational counter-storytelling efforts. After summarizing the story of the Power+Place Collaborative as a service design case study, the article outlines findings from a four-year, mixed-method study. Findings from this initiative indicate that feminist pragmatist practices can cultivate significant changes across social systems when such service design initiatives are sustained over time. Based on study findings, the article concludes by recommending a range of strategies found to be most useful for scaling cross-sector, participatory systems change.

Exploring Service Rituals For At-Work Recovery Toward Healthcare Worker Wellbeing, Ted Matthews, Kajal Khanna

ServDes Conference Series

Service design has increased its attention on healthcare services in both research and practice. Despite the promise of considering the wellbeing of all actors involved in these services, it is very much the patient that is ‘focal actor’, with healthcare workers (HCWs) often being marginalised in these processes. Concurrently, diminished wellbeing of HCWs is leading to burnout and in turn medical errors that seriously impact patients and the healthcare service system. This paper reports on explorative, transdisciplinary design research that makes the HCWs the focal actor of the process and looks to design service rituals as an approach to at-work …

Tracing Human-Ai Relations: A Participatory Approach To Genai Integration In Creative Public Service Work, Sanna Marttila, Louise Harder Fischer, Sunniva Sandbukt

ServDes Conference Series

This paper examines a participatory process for integrating Generative AI (GenAI) into the creative work of a public service organization. Through this process, we gain insights into the complexities of human-AI relations, the evolving nature of creative work, and the conditions necessary for meaningful AI integration in service organizations. The paper makes two key contributions: it documents a case of participatory GenAI integration in a public service setting, and it explores implications for creative practice and the evolving role of human-AI collaboration. Findings highlight the importance of reflection, value-driven AI integration, and the need for facilitated spaces for critical reflection. …

Journey Probe: Uncovering Aspirations Of Early-Career Employees Via Narrated Journeys, Sanandan Ratkal, Simran Patankar

ServDes Conference Series

Narrative mode of thought occurs frequently in the design process. The user research phases of a design lifecycle involve stories of users’ pains and aspirations. Aspirations can be abstract and highly contextual to uncover from conventional user research questions. Using journey maps can be an effective means to elicit user needs. Two designers experiment with journey-map styled worksheets i.e., journey probes as a tool for user research. The experiment was carried out to understand aspirations of early-career employees in a multi-national corporation in information technology services. The paper outlines the learnings gathered from the experiment and its potential as a …

Mental Health And Wellbeing Practices In Design Education: A Call For Action, Daniela Sangiorgi, Martina Čaić, Amalia De Götzen De Götzen, Rike Neuhoff, Rebecca Prices, Nuria Solsona Caba, Josina Vink, Hena Ali

ServDes Conference Series

Alarming numbers of university design students are experiencing significant issues related to their mental health and wellbeing. While the conditions affecting their mental health are systemic, universities play a key role in addressing academic related factors. This paper aims to better understand the stressors impacting design students’ wellbeing and identify strategies for addressing them. It reviews general academic and design-specific stressors highlighted in the literature. Drawing from a small sample of European design schools, the paper also shares promising practices for addressing these stressors. Kick-starting cross-institutional sharing, it offers a starting point for further collective efforts to improve student wellbeing.

Role Of Service Design In The Era Of Industry 5.0, Ravi Mahamuni, Sylvan Lobo

ServDes Conference Series

Industry 5.0 (I5.0) represents a major shift from automated processes of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to systems that put people first. I5.0 calls for a deeper focus on human centricity, especially on worker wellbeing and human-machine collaboration. This paper recognizes the synergy between the goals of I5.0 and service design. It uses a semi-speculative approach to explore the role of service design as a catalyst to the transition to I5.0, integrating service design’s core principles of empathy, co-creation and holistic systems thinking intro industrial processes. It examines the key challenges to the transitions and highlights how service design can support. It …

Improving Service Information Inclusiveness In Emergency Preparedness And Response: A Case Of Public Service Design In Commercial Large-Scale Mass Cultural Events, Yue Yu, Sijia Yang, Wanqiang Li, Fei Hu

ServDes Conference Series

Attention to the differentiated capabilities, needs, and expectations of vulnerable groups is an important research focus for inclusive service design. In a context where the increasing complexity of urban sites and industry chains has increased the potential risk of disasters, enhancing public emergency services is related to life safety for vulnerable groups. In disasters, user groups with special needs due to differences in cognitive abilities may be more vulnerable than other populations due to their exposure and crisis response competence. These vulnerable groups have more difficulty accessing emergency information and therefore lack adequate resources for emergency response. However, there is …

Structural Coupling As A Strategy For Achieving Stakeholder Co-Benefits: A Case Of Public Service Design In Shanghai Community Childcare, Yuqing Wang, Wanqiang Li, Fei Hu

ServDes Conference Series

Stakeholder co-benefits are critical in public service design, yet existing tools lack systemic capacity to articulate multi-stakeholder values and resources. To address this, the study responds to public service design complexity by leveraging structural coupling theory to identify actionable co-benefit opportunities. Grounded in this theory, it proposes a three-phase service innovation framework—Structural Coupling Status (CS), Structural Coupling Gap (CG), and Structural Coupling Opportunity (CO)—as a design tool that integrates diverse stakeholders’ motivations, activities, and rights/responsibilities (M.A.R.) into a reciprocal analytical structure. Validated through a case study on Shanghai’s public childcare services, the framework identifies coupling mismatches and enhances resource integration …

Beyond Packaging: Service Design As A Catalyst For Sustainable Personal Care And Circular Packaging In India, Divy Sharma, Vrushti Mehta, Anisha Absolom

ServDes Conference Series

Personal care market is drowning in plastic waste. Every week, 420 million lower middle- class consumers discard 2.94 billion sachets, while 560 million middle-class households throw away 2.8 billion bottles and tubes monthly. Despite growing environmental awareness, the gap between intention and action remains huge- 72% of consumers know plastic harms the environment, but only 38% dispose of it properly. This paper argues that while Product-Service Systems (PSS) provide solid theoretical foundations, Service Design is the practical game-changer that can solve India's packaging crisis. Through a mixed-method study involving 95 survey responses and 15 in-depth interviews across Indian cities, we …

Service Observer – Technology Enabled Unobtrusive User Research, Shivani Ganwani, Snehal Gaikwad, Raman Jeengar, Sylvan Lobo, Ravi Mahamuni

ServDes Conference Series

Today's services are complex, multi-channeled and multifaceted influencing user behaviour and experience. User research is a critical part of the service design process. Unobtrusive user research plays a crucial role in service design, offering insights into user behaviour without interrupting or influencing their natural interactions. We discuss our findings and concerns related to conducting naturalistic observations in today’s complex service environments through two case studies. We also explored the use of current technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, behavioural analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to observe service users in their natural environments. As an example, the paper showcases an AI-enabled …

Towards Inclusive Digital Welfare: A Multi-Layered Co-Design Approach, Laura Galluzzo, Claudia Mastrantoni, Mathew Spialtini

ServDes Conference Series

This research examines digital inequality and how it affects both access to online services and community integration, utilizing a collaborative design approach conducted within the Milan metropolitan area. The investigation engaged experts, youth, and senior citizens through an inclusive methodology designed to create digital assistance programs via an interdisciplinary framework. The model integrates training, facilitation, and technical assistance to reduce inequalities in technology use. Anchored in a distributed ecosystem, the initiative blends physical and digital spaces to ensure equitable access. Findings emphasize the key role of human interaction and local collaboration in overcoming digital barriers.

‘Team Kazoku’: Fostering Mutual-Care Relationships Among Citizens Through Non-Parent Participation In Childcare, Kyosuke Sakakura, Yuki Kawamura, Rie Tanaka, Ayumi Arakawa, Rika Ishitsuka

ServDes Conference Series

Japan’s low birth rate gives rise to a need for mutual care among citizens to support child-rearing in society. If there is a need for public relationships to repair and sustain society for sustainable livelihoods, what can design contribute to this? This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the factors that promote and inhibit mutual-care relationships among Japanese citizens. To this end, we adopted an action research approach in which non-child-rearing people became involved with families raising children—a group we called ‘Team KAZOKU (family)’. Through a year-long study of Team KAZOKU, we found that mutual-care relationships among citizens were inhibited by …

Bridging Service And Seva For Living Built Heritage: Systems Thinking For Human Centered Design (Hcd) And Community Co Management Of Temple Festivals., Nitin R. Sinha, Shiva Ji

ServDes Conference Series

This paper examines the synthesis of Human-Centered Design (HCD), service design principles, community co-management, Seva (selfless service), and living built heritage, considering the significant role of temple festivals within a systems thinking framework. Hyderabad's Brahmotsavams, Bonalu, Rathotsavams, and Hanuman Jayanti are the life and vitals of this culture. As these significant events become increasingly complex, we are challenged to rethink how they are organized in a way that effectively combines classical seva with modern principles of service design and systems thinking. Through systems mapping, the research suggests a framework to organize better festivals, foster delight for attendees, and ultimately sustain …

Animal-Centered Service Design For Stray Animals In India, Faiza Khan, Shamit Shrivastav

ServDes Conference Series

According to the State of Pet Homelessness Index data of 2021, India has a high prevalence of stray animals, with around 80 million homeless cats and dogs. The living conditions of these animals are harsh and unsafe. Services for stray animals are managed by the animal welfare departments, non-profit organizations, and caretakers. The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of existing stray animal welfare services and understand the role of the stakeholders towards creating a safe and healthy environment for these animals. Semi-structured interviews of eighteen stakeholders and site immersions at five Mumbai-based NGOs were conducted. The …

Corrigendum To “Saudi Heart Association Position Statement On Troponin Use For Cardiovascular Risk Screening In Asymptomatic Populations.” [Journal Of The Saudi Heart Association, 2025;37:32–39. Https://Doi.Org/10.37616/2212-5043.1444]

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

No abstract provided.

Infective Endocarditis And Meningitis In A Healthy Newborn Without Underlying Heart Disease, Due To Streptococcus Agalactiae - A Case Report., Dalal Siddig Idris, Muath Mohammed Al Ghamdi, Maria Laura Bellovalls, Mohammed Fararjeh

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Streptococcus Agalactiae endocarditis is a rare clinical entity in newborns with a normal structured heart. It is generally characterized by acute onset, the presence of large vegetations, rapid valvular destruction and frequent complications, particularly embolization. Mortality is high with medical therapy alone. We are reporting a rare case of infective endocarditis (IE) with mitral valve vegetation in a 9-day old healthy newborn following Streptococcus Agalactiae sepsis, complicated by meningitis and micro-abscesses. Mitral valve (MV) vegetation was removed surgically; the patient received intravenous antibiotics for six weeks. Transthoracic echocardiography after surgery showed severe MV regurgitation and severe pulmonary hypertension which was …

Rehearsing For Future Scholarship: A Literature Review Elective For Medical Students, Jenny Mills, Sarah Keil

Library Faculty Scholarship

Objective This poster presents a four-week literature review elective for medical students, co-designed and co-taught by library and medical faculty. We will share course materials, including session topics, readings, assignments, and feedback from both instructors and students.

Methods The elective was first offered in June 2025 and taught by two library faculty members, one basic science faculty member, and one clinical faculty member. Five rising second year medical students enrolled, working in two groups to develop focused research questions and complete review protocols within the four-week time frame. Instruction emphasized literature review methodology, particularly systematic approaches applicable across review types. …

Nevada's Healthcare And Education Workforce Pipelines, David Damore, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Policy Briefs and Reports

With ongoing workforce shortages in K-12 education, healthcare, and mental and behavioral health—occupations central to the HEAL (health, education, administration, and literacy) economy—this brief utilizes the Nevada P-20 to Workforce Research Data System (NPWR) and data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to explore the current and projected landscape for these workforces in Nevada. Examining the demographic characteristics of those participating in focused career and technical education training and those earning relevant postsecondary credentials illuminates gender disparities in Nevada’s healthcare and education workforce pipelines. After reviewing the current state of these workforces and assessing the available NPWR data, we …