Service design in the later project phases: Exploring the service design handover and introducing a service design roadmap

Abstract

Within practice and in academia, service design has placed a great focus on the early stages of the innovation process, while there has been limited focus on the later phases. This paper examines the later phases, focusing upon the handover from service design consultants, before leaving a project. This is identified as a critical aspect of the later phases and this paper critically examines what a service design handover is, and might be. Theoretical perspectives are combined with interviews of thirteen respondents on producing and receiving handovers, in the context of Norwegian service development projects in public and healthcare sectors. Findings indicate need for an improvement in, and a harmonization of, service design handovers; this is embodied in what I call a service design roadmap. Such roadmaps might support development teams receiving service design handovers, enabling them to better make use of the material during their later process phases.

Service design in the later project phases: Exploring the service design handover and introducing a service design roadmap