Developing an online course using service design. Case: Company X

Abstract

The current market situation is rapidly changing. Customers' service expectations are changing, and demand is increasing both online and offline. As a result, many existing businesses will be forced to adapt to provide electronic services. Similar shift can be seen in the educational field. Online education is no longer a trend, but rather the norm. It provides an unrestricted way to gain more knowledge, disrupting the traditional method of learning. However, this does not diminish the challenges the services always encounter. On the contrary, the difficult tasks of revealing current customer needs and anticipating future ones highlight the significance of service design. Understanding the needs of customers is critical in the service development and learning experience process. As the number of individuals learning online increases, the viability, effectiveness, and potential to return tangible benefits to organisations are primarily determined by how the learning experience is designed, delivered, and evaluated.

This paper demonstrates the project designed for commissioned Company X, with the goal of developing an online course that meets the needs of the customer. The project adhered to the practicalities of the service design process. To gain a better understanding of the current situation, customer feedback on the online course prototype was required. As a result, primary qualitative research was carried out in the form of qualitative semi-structured interviews. The study's goal was to gain qualitative feedback on Company X's online course, analyse whether it meets customer needs, gains a more comprehensive understanding of customers, and provides developed ideas and suggestions for the future.

The thesis examined the prototype from a service design perspective, innovating the service and testing it by following the design thinking practicalities. The theory part of the thesis yielded a deeper explanation of how iterative and flexible the service design process overall is. The theoretical framework also clarified why service design primarily focuses on customer needs and functionality. The outcome of the project part of the thesis provided Company X with a well-structured online service and valuable feedback on the service. Overall, the prototype received positive feedback in the research phase. However, a few elements required further analysis when reflecting back to the content, pedagogical, and technological requirements.

The understanding that the learning format needs to be entertaining, engaging, interactive and provide real value was discovered as result of the project. These findings show that the course's pedagogical-, content- and technical criteria were only partially fulfilled. Based on the research findings, it is recommended to increase the level of interactions within an online course, deliver a learning experience that supports different learning methods, and tailor the experience to individuals. These changes would ensure that the course could meet all participant's needs.