Creating a service concept to increase co-creation and innovations in the town of Pargas

Abstract

The master´s thesis was commissioned by the town of Pargas. The aim of this thesis was to utilize a service design approach to develop a service concept which increases co-creation and enable innovations to emerge in the town of Pargas. The other goal was to plan how to implement co-creation into the organization´s culture. The research questions were: What would be the best service concept for the town of Pargas to increase co-creation with its inhabitants? How to implement co-creation as a daily routine to different service sectors in the town of Pargas? The frame of reference consisted of three parts: service design and design thinking, co-creation, and innovation in municipalities. In the theory part, it were examined how innovations emerge in municipalities and how municipalities maintain co-creation. Service design and design thinking provided background to the thesis, and it explains the chosen methodology. The main research and development methods and tools were benchmarking, surveys, co-creative workshops, personas, stakeholder map, customer journey map, service blueprint and business model canvas. The thesis followed the Design council´s double diamond process. As a result, a new service concept was created during the design process. Service design tools used in this thesis were created to envision the future to be state. Personas, stakeholder map, business model canvas, customer journey and service blueprint can be used to better understand the service concept. The business model canvas presents the prototype of a new service concept. The action plan created during this design process acts as a guide on Pargas’s journey towards customer-centricity.