https://merijndebeen.com Merijn de Been Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:41:35 +0000 https://merijndebeen.com en https://merijndebeen.com/Nav Wed, 10 Feb 2021 22:04:27 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Nav Electrification in rural Mexico PRODUCT-SERVICE SYSTEM <img width="1000" height="1000" width_o="1000" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/90357e159220d5c7ac9e85e437c62eb6e69b26f60a69526786900c9e5c1061c6/MX-CTcov.jpg" data-mid="101301258" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/90357e159220d5c7ac9e85e437c62eb6e69b26f60a69526786900c9e5c1061c6/MX-CTcov.jpg" /> Masterplanner SERVICE DESIGN <img width="826" height="826" width_o="826" height_o="826" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cc18dc9b64e62b10f956fbc46db08c05f911a52a6c8cb3eee2dfe237c47b5f92/preview.jpg" data-mid="105709593" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/826/i/cc18dc9b64e62b10f956fbc46db08c05f911a52a6c8cb3eee2dfe237c47b5f92/preview.jpg" /> Cross-cultural retail experience SERVICE DESIGN <img width="1000" height="1000" width_o="1000" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c090a4fbc1e3a3ce1ebf7756185c39d187d9190d570f69edabab00267bca06e0/retail_cover.jpg" data-mid="106110846" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c090a4fbc1e3a3ce1ebf7756185c39d187d9190d570f69edabab00267bca06e0/retail_cover.jpg" /> Beyond persona profiles STRATEGY <img width="1000" height="1000" width_o="1000" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9aaea36a0f5380094e4da2445db99b6ae24a15c1f74fe84401119d1dea4d3975/PICT0038Cov.jpg" data-mid="101302049" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9aaea36a0f5380094e4da2445db99b6ae24a15c1f74fe84401119d1dea4d3975/PICT0038Cov.jpg" /> Bamboo transporter PRODUCT DESIGN <img width="601" height="601" width_o="601" height_o="601" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d0fb12bb0f6def79827dcb1b136eba497292014e301f5ee611400f84ecbbdeaa/P1244059a_oocov3.jpg" data-mid="101426626" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/601/i/d0fb12bb0f6def79827dcb1b136eba497292014e301f5ee611400f84ecbbdeaa/P1244059a_oocov3.jpg" /> Space to enable social cohesion PRODUCT DESIGN <img width="724" height="724" width_o="724" height_o="724" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/72f9e30dcd4e9f1d98ec8c645dd4ace40cfa991861c1ce32f0424c08b0587cd2/6alcov.jpg" data-mid="101299466" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/724/i/72f9e30dcd4e9f1d98ec8c645dd4ace40cfa991861c1ce32f0424c08b0587cd2/6alcov.jpg" /> Why culture matters for service design ARTICLE<img width="1000" height="1000" width_o="1000" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8efb05c171405d70a3d2fd49384550645bf4f7139d65f232b0a20372e0668639/1_xah0fFcxaXdRj3cdutPyjwLcOv.jpg" data-mid="101300916" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8efb05c171405d70a3d2fd49384550645bf4f7139d65f232b0a20372e0668639/1_xah0fFcxaXdRj3cdutPyjwLcOv.jpg" /> Publications <img width="1500" height="1500" width_o="1500" height_o="1500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e9ddf8fe502502128832bdeffe144e198c73f91de74337439216345f080c46fc/publication-cov.jpg" data-mid="101440473" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e9ddf8fe502502128832bdeffe144e198c73f91de74337439216345f080c46fc/publication-cov.jpg" /> https://merijndebeen.com/Electrification-in-rural-Mexico Sun, 14 Feb 2021 21:42:27 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Electrification-in-rural-Mexico 2014 Electrification in rural MexicoA Product-Service system to alleviate energy poverty <img width="2000" height="2067" width_o="2000" height_o="2067" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c6f738b0575789cfa3697022cd3a512704cc5923b483398dcc7de259d60f7c8f/PSS-map-complete.jpg" data-mid="98868958" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c6f738b0575789cfa3697022cd3a512704cc5923b483398dcc7de259d60f7c8f/PSS-map-complete.jpg" /> Electrification can have a major impact on the lives of those enduring energy poverty. A solar home system offers a sustainable and affordable electricity source for households in Mexican rural areas that are not connected to an electricity grid. Iluméxico, a social enterprise based in Mexico City, wishes to expand its current product portfolio beyond solar home systems.In this graduation thesis a process is developed to guide Iluméxico’s portfolio expansion. An analysis of the company and the context it operates in shows an opportunity for new solar products that address the challenges of affordability and payback. Additional literature research indicates that the use of product-service design and sustainability evaluation methods in electrification projects can result in more sustainable projects, with a larger contribution to the alleviation of energy poverty. A structure for a new product portfolio is presented using a framework based on the theoretical assumption that rural households can be placed on an electrification ladder. An evaluation tool ensures that products will only be added to the new product portfolio when they offer sustainable solutions. The proposal framework has a focus on products that are complementary to solar home systems, aiming to increase the overall revenue stream for Iluméxico as well as to increase the positive impact of solar electricity on daily lives.Click here to download the full thesis. After publication of this thesis, I was approached to co-author a paper on this case study with Ellen Morris (Columbia University) for a joint publication of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)&nbsp;and The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). That paper can be found here. <img width="1500" height="1000" width_o="1500" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/154124ad142cb39697bc51bd53397ac98b3870c2bc8d00ad698cf9cda823cb2c/MX-CR.jpg" data-mid="98868954" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/154124ad142cb39697bc51bd53397ac98b3870c2bc8d00ad698cf9cda823cb2c/MX-CR.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1000" width_o="1500" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9fdd2f7e877233c2d3cf02b4c3677cf2f39791fb8e776069b6ead5f5cf371572/MX-MT.jpg" data-mid="98868956" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9fdd2f7e877233c2d3cf02b4c3677cf2f39791fb8e776069b6ead5f5cf371572/MX-MT.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1000" width_o="1500" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/614f448c453bee68965860a13c852b723e190bc9883192397824748d96cfcd74/MX-CT.jpg" data-mid="98868955" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/614f448c453bee68965860a13c852b723e190bc9883192397824748d96cfcd74/MX-CT.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1000" width_o="1500" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/98b9e4a61a07000bcc5f006366b297420ae2813da8ae46ffa45baa7de9095452/MX-SL.jpg" data-mid="98868957" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/98b9e4a61a07000bcc5f006366b297420ae2813da8ae46ffa45baa7de9095452/MX-SL.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="834" width_o="2000" height_o="834" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/06e088645f0308dca040e1dcbad699e8d0ad2fc71486fa8236956b042fc697d6/electrification-ladder-portfolio_o.jpg" data-mid="98868953" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/06e088645f0308dca040e1dcbad699e8d0ad2fc71486fa8236956b042fc697d6/electrification-ladder-portfolio_o.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1157" width_o="2000" height_o="1157" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cff1471ea4d49565699b05505e16d1a7478cf6581ea3d956848978456a7726fc/usage-scenario_o.jpg" data-mid="98868952" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cff1471ea4d49565699b05505e16d1a7478cf6581ea3d956848978456a7726fc/usage-scenario_o.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="1308" width_o="1600" height_o="1308" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/119fe454f6fc927151b2daf9e2d3d3b677488d459d7f897c464577d7c05f39cd/radar-chart-stove_o.jpg" data-mid="98868959" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/119fe454f6fc927151b2daf9e2d3d3b677488d459d7f897c464577d7c05f39cd/radar-chart-stove_o.jpg" /> https://merijndebeen.com/Masterplanner Thu, 15 Apr 2021 11:55:49 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Masterplanner 2018/19Digitalising the planning system:Masterplanner At the end of 2018 I was involved in designing a master planning tool for urban designers in collaboration with KPF Architects, called Masterplanner, which uses new technology to deliver faster, more agile and future-proofed master plans. A master plan is a long-term urban planning document that aims to guide how an area will grow and change, and how new designed developments could impact an area. It provides a conceptual layout of a place to help guide urban planning and architectural decisions and includes a vision on buildings, land use, housing, transportation and community amongst other things. Through a design process that involved (amongst other activities) qualitative user research and ideation workshops, the typical user journey of an urban designer working on a masterplan for an area was uncovered. Painpoints were mapped onto the journey, that -once translated into design opportunities- were then addressed in a design for a concept of a new digital masterplanning application. Masterplanner aggregates and combines data so that it can accompany planners along their respective current user journey(s) providing better insights into demographics, housing and transport needs, social infrastructure, and policy for an area. The use of the platform would enable urban designers to save a huge amount of time and effort. It also has a precedent library that allows planners to test how different existing buildings and configurations would impact parts of their immediate surroundings and the area as a whole. More information on the Masterplanning project can be found here, this project was featured in the&nbsp;London Festival of Architecture where Masterplanner was presented to the public. <img width="3000" height="1036" width_o="3000" height_o="1036" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/41fefd5499ed8688c17910960cafc6b5b216880640cc17f7799546cdf2b5e50f/Masterplanning-final-journey3.png" data-mid="105704831" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/41fefd5499ed8688c17910960cafc6b5b216880640cc17f7799546cdf2b5e50f/Masterplanning-final-journey3.png" /> The design problem Urban designers or planners working on a masterplan for an area currently often encounter the following challenges: The data necessary to understand a site is hard to find. Often it is held by different organisations and not publicly available.Aggregating and combining different data sets is complicated as it is normally formatted in different ways.There is a potential to use (social) data to inform the designer that is currently often overlooked: social media, real-time movement and transport insights, etc.Spatial analyses and the testing of design options is time consuming and costly. Users of the product Urban designers, city planners. User research Qualitative individual contextual interviews with 14 planners and urban designers, group session with 3 designers from the KPF Applied Research team in London. Design process This 6 week design sprint followed three main stages: user research, ideation and prototype design. The user research was conducted without preconceived ideas and explored the whole journey of master planning and the pain points that are encountered throughout the process. Ideation focused on some of the pain points that emerged in the user research, and the design of the prototype addressed those that were considered most relevant and possible to solve through a new digital tool. <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fca715b7d2bada916c932c4d53106dd7dc67067a59f07f370f3046448a0ee26/workshop.jpg" data-mid="105825327" border="0" data-scale="45" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6fca715b7d2bada916c932c4d53106dd7dc67067a59f07f370f3046448a0ee26/workshop.jpg" /> Solution and results A speculative and interactive digital prototype was developed that enables urban designers to easily visualise a range of different data sets that allow for a quick yet profound analysis of the urban tissue of an area. A library of precedents can be used to perform quick testing of design options.&nbsp; Outcome and prototype was presented at the London Festival of Architecture 2019, the world’s largest annual architecture festival. <img width="300" height="78" width_o="300" height_o="78" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7b4bc3de76b393b8117007ecc497b5b04cdf676070d25dd27c979ae9cbc2fca3/LFAlogo2020-2.svg" data-mid="105707986" border="0" data-scale="40" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/300/i/7b4bc3de76b393b8117007ecc497b5b04cdf676070d25dd27c979ae9cbc2fca3/LFAlogo2020-2.svg" /> <img width="1440" height="810" width_o="1440" height_o="810" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/60682802647c1b8ffde85a62672fbc4820481635dc8a3a3473e286b6b6ebcb67/screenMP.jpg" data-mid="105727944" border="0" data-scale="80" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/60682802647c1b8ffde85a62672fbc4820481635dc8a3a3473e286b6b6ebcb67/screenMP.jpg" /> https://merijndebeen.com/Cross-cultural-retail-experience Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:41:35 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Cross-cultural-retail-experience 2016Digital ordering journey:Redesigning a cross-cultural retail experience <img width="2500" height="939" width_o="2500" height_o="939" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d14692e57833f78d26ef23707b40e3f2e57df538e3a407fd8f59031b7eed2a34/The-Current-Ordering-Journey.jpg" data-mid="106094433" border="0" data-no-zoom data-draggable alt="Mapping out the current customer journey of the ordering service" data-caption="Mapping out the current customer journey of the ordering service" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d14692e57833f78d26ef23707b40e3f2e57df538e3a407fd8f59031b7eed2a34/The-Current-Ordering-Journey.jpg" /> A glance at the entire current customer journey elaborated in the project For a large international consumer goods manufacturer based in the US (in top 50 largest private companies in the US), I worked on analysing and redesigning the service experience of their customers when ordering products from their website. When faced with an increasing number of customers purchasing through their online portal instead of physical stores, the client was motivated to rethink the online ordering process they offer and bring it more into line with the experiences people were desiring when buying things online. A more positive customer experience during all different parts of the purchasing process would allow for a more satisfying and stress-free journey and most likely result in an increase of online sales. An additional focus for the project was the need to understand cultural differences across markets (the US and Latin America) as well as the difference in purchasing experience for customers that visit the client’s physical stores or their online store. The outcomes of the project helped gain the client deep insights into their customers’ expectations, emotions and barriers experienced during product ordering, and provided them with a first iteration of those insights translated into a redesigned User Experience flow. <img width="2240" height="1188" width_o="2240" height_o="1188" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1707054626d47f90fdca17fb55033be2379c96ef944577b603e3770da658446c/idealjourney.jpg" data-mid="106109826" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1707054626d47f90fdca17fb55033be2379c96ef944577b603e3770da658446c/idealjourney.jpg" />A preview of the final result: a service blueprint for an ‘ideal’ ordering journey The design problem The client was looking to offer their customers a purchasing experience that was up to date with existing retail ecommerce as well purchasing experiences in other industries, that customers are growing more and more accustomed to when shopping online. Additionally they aim to offer an experience that clearly stands out as easy to use and innovative when compared to their direct competitors. And there were a number of additional challenges found when analysing the customer’s current journey, some examples of these are: Cultural differences: as an international client, both the offering and expectations of customers differs across different markets globally. In this project I focused on understanding those differences between the ordering journey in the US as well as in the Latin American market. Customers possibly encounter distinct sources of stress or confusion before even starting their digital ordering journey online; e.g., the realisation they ran out of a certain product, planning of recurring orders (knowing when to order which product) or even having to communicate with others if placing an order for them. The customer feeling unsure about whether their order has been successfully placed, e.g., a lack of direct feedback in relation to the confirmation of their order(s). And many more, most of which have been addressed by translating them to design opportunities. Users of the product Regular customers that order consumer goods online through the client’s North American and Latin American websites. As an added complexity, some of these regular customers would also visit the client’s physical stores in addition to their online purchasing. User research Qualitative research: in person as well as remote interviews in different market places - across the US as well as across Mexico. Walk along sessions in client’s physical stores with a selection of customers in Mexico. Design process The project was executed in four sequential phases: 1) user research in different streams 2) synthesis of research and mapping of current customer journey3) ideation and elaboration of blueprint of ideal customer journey4) design of wireframes according to service blueprint <img width="928" height="820" width_o="928" height_o="820" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1f68bb92f864c9ca3d34024bd200d18be6d81cb30b10c24c66e9e2bf3f4596e7/journey1.jpg" data-mid="106097713" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/928/i/1f68bb92f864c9ca3d34024bd200d18be6d81cb30b10c24c66e9e2bf3f4596e7/journey1.jpg" /> <img width="1322" height="730" width_o="1322" height_o="730" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eb5f88c65c55b7a81e390d64b8625faf1bab89e31bc3e46c37c8593457c44ed6/journey3.jpg" data-mid="106098706" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eb5f88c65c55b7a81e390d64b8625faf1bab89e31bc3e46c37c8593457c44ed6/journey3.jpg" /> Some close up details of the ideal journey map Solution and results Firstly a thorough analysis of the service offering in the form of a customer journey mapping was delivered to the client, who before that had never done extensive qualitative research across different markets. Secondly, a complete redesign of the customer’s experience when ordering products online from the client’s platform was presented, including wireframes that incorporated design suggestions to adapt each screen in the ordering process. The combination of these deliverables formed a solid foundation for the client that helped shape their ecommerce strategy and formed the starting point of a redesign of their digital retail platforms. https://merijndebeen.com/Rethinking-personas Tue, 23 Feb 2021 22:10:34 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Rethinking-personas 2017Beyond persona profilesRethinking traditional client segmentation <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6e3df99d7e6a31964065d00c80892975a604a7186c585b25818cd73f18f2ffe/PICT0038.jpg" data-mid="99917667" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6e3df99d7e6a31964065d00c80892975a604a7186c585b25818cd73f18f2ffe/PICT0038.jpg" /> <img width="1161" height="633" width_o="1161" height_o="633" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3e276c19822aea0c2d8d29f4243a9c7fbda8a00a1b63393a437485f5380c5e42/dynamic-profiling.png" data-mid="99917669" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3e276c19822aea0c2d8d29f4243a9c7fbda8a00a1b63393a437485f5380c5e42/dynamic-profiling.png" /> Together with a large international insurance company I worked on realising a different and more human centered approach to the segmentation of their clients. The idea was to challenge the traditional method of treating clients as mere numbers in large databases, and instead to define them as real people with specific needs and aspirations. That way, client segmentation could form the base for designing products that are better adapted to the lives of different people, offering better value by resolving their individual needs. Approach Through a short and agile design project of several weeks I immersed myself in the daily context of different people in Mexico by doing a series of contextual interviews. After a thorough analysis of the field study qualitative profiles were designed that reflect how one’s needs for protection changes throughout life, depending on the life phase and living circumstances you are in. Outcome Dynamic persona profiles: a non-static framework that profiles people in their personal context. It is based on the life phase they find themselves in and the corresponding types of preoccupations they have. https://merijndebeen.com/Bamboo-transporter Mon, 22 Feb 2021 22:07:39 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Bamboo-transporter 2013Bamboo transporter The Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative is a company that produces (sustainable) locally made bamboo bicycles for mainly western markets. They were looking for new market opportunities within Ghana to increase job opportunities for the local under- and unemployed with their products.After extensive qualitative research with many stakeholders, our project team identified the reliance on traders as a large opportunity to increase the income of farming families in rural Ghana. The bargaining power of farmers is low due to their dependence on traders for the transportation of their crops. Therefore the goal that was decided on was to design a bicycle solution that would enable better trade options by decreasing or eliminating the farmers reliance on traders. The final product, the Bamboo Transporter, is a bicycle extension kit made of bamboo, that enables farmers to carry more cargo using their already owned bicycles. The Bamboo Transporter transforms the most common bicycle model in Ghana into a larger more robust cargo bicycle. It enables farmers that already own regular bicycles to carry a lot more weight with a relative small investment. The cargo bicycle can be used to transport crops to market and thus decreases current transport costs. But it’s not limited to that, as for example also two children can be carried to school on the rack.The kit is made with bamboo (that is harvested from local communities) in combination with sisal rope. Both materials are plants that grow in Ghana. Part of the rack is semi-permanently attached so that it can be customized according to farmer’s needs and specifications.The project was executed with two fellow MSc students. Though I was involved with all aspects of the project, I was mainly responsible for the initial phase, where I was also appointed team lead. My focus was on identifying and translating the needs of the target group that we found during field research into product ideas. <img width="905" height="456" width_o="905" height_o="456" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0cca5b9462ceb44029f0d1dbb136a86265744cbd669bc065aab33d84e3a58838/bike_dr1.jpg" data-mid="106203311" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/905/i/0cca5b9462ceb44029f0d1dbb136a86265744cbd669bc065aab33d84e3a58838/bike_dr1.jpg" /> <img width="905" height="601" width_o="905" height_o="601" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/763643ca4b00ad3a49cce4c5a8313a8f68054a04ac302091df254583eed550fa/bike_ph2.jpg" data-mid="106203324" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/905/i/763643ca4b00ad3a49cce4c5a8313a8f68054a04ac302091df254583eed550fa/bike_ph2.jpg" /> <img width="873" height="650" width_o="873" height_o="650" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c062b94d028d43669ed05ba12e98dd1e249b9033f1e0dabb10d49ead3821a439/bike_dr2.jpg" data-mid="106203317" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/873/i/c062b94d028d43669ed05ba12e98dd1e249b9033f1e0dabb10d49ead3821a439/bike_dr2.jpg" /> <img width="905" height="601" width_o="905" height_o="601" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/79883241b87c1c33e461926a8037bb3e496f655fe2ab50d4bd6915f26749a673/bike_ph1.jpg" data-mid="106203320" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/905/i/79883241b87c1c33e461926a8037bb3e496f655fe2ab50d4bd6915f26749a673/bike_ph1.jpg" /> https://merijndebeen.com/Increasing-social-cohesion Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:36:26 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Increasing-social-cohesion 2010THERE:Increasing social cohesion through urban design <img width="905" height="579" width_o="905" height_o="579" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/510daf8a8cf1a95b4a02bcb597cc748ab74cdf628413b3b2bac659b7ca3bd303/8_ol.jpg" data-mid="100683668" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/905/i/510daf8a8cf1a95b4a02bcb597cc748ab74cdf628413b3b2bac659b7ca3bd303/8_ol.jpg" /> <img width="905" height="724" width_o="905" height_o="724" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e9209325232ee4999103bcc228aa4ee0778a362c6b5d75c3f538058d1e08eef0/6al.jpg" data-mid="100683490" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/905/i/e9209325232ee4999103bcc228aa4ee0778a362c6b5d75c3f538058d1e08eef0/6al.jpg" /> THERE is a conceptual design of a communal gathering area designed to increase the social cohesion in public spaces in informal urban contexts.To support local entrepreneurs, a waste incinerator generates heat from burning waste that is collected from the neighbourhood. This heat warms up a stove that can be used for cooking, offering local street vendors a place to cook and sell their food. Hanging shelves create either benches or tables, easily adjustable by ropes and a pulley system. The bamboo shelves can be tied to the floor to form steady surfaces. Because of this high degree of customization, THERE serves as a central meeting point for the community, adaptable for different situations. This adaptable public space forms a meeting place designed to allow people to enjoy food, theater, movies or games. https://merijndebeen.com/Why-culture-matters-for-service-design Mon, 15 Feb 2021 21:23:39 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Why-culture-matters-for-service-design <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0ceb6ba9caca7ca619781b6f43c23a5018de727d3f6044ea28811743839d411c/1_xah0fFcxaXdRj3cdutPyjwLO.jpg" data-mid="98979256" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0ceb6ba9caca7ca619781b6f43c23a5018de727d3f6044ea28811743839d411c/1_xah0fFcxaXdRj3cdutPyjwLO.jpg" /> “Mexico City”, William Neuheisel, licensed under CC BY 2.0 Article originally published on MediumWhy culture matters for service design The bustling, chaotic streets of Mexico City almost couldn’t form a bigger contrast with the quiet grassy plains that surround the little village in the Netherlands where I grew up. Even after having spent already some two and a half years living in Mexico’s capital, I still get surprised almost every day by seeing things that seem so unfamiliar to me, yet are the most common thing for people that grew up here.While working as a service designer for Uncommon in Mexico City, I often wonder if it actually matters where you are in the world when you design a service, and what importance culture or cultural identity has when designing a service.In product design, culture used to be a distinguishing factor that defined for a large part the aesthetics, usage and manufacturing method of a product. Stores in different places in the world had their shelves filled with products you would have had a hard time finding outside of that specific context, as Don Norman argues in a 2012 article on the importance of culture in product design. <img width="600" height="400" width_o="600" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9ab976b5c40e4602231d70888350299bb4787954ab9696c2d0912071c915f849/1_OglbRODcc-3VYfm-QLLi2g.jpeg" data-mid="98979261" border="0" data-scale="100" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/600/i/9ab976b5c40e4602231d70888350299bb4787954ab9696c2d0912071c915f849/1_OglbRODcc-3VYfm-QLLi2g.jpeg" /> Ritual Ewer, Japan. Via: Metropolitan Museum of Art Norman illustrates that nowadays however, as a result of globalization and the workings of our modern economy it has become almost impossible to tell for the consumer in what location or cultural context a product is designed or manufactured. Department stores are filled with the same kind of products regardless of where you are in the world. The question here is: does product design that represents locality or a traditional cultural identity not offer much value anymore? <img width="1000" height="666" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/q/94/i/09b09f617f53e746715e1aea84653eb4d4a345e5049c023422e72cf60ac20d19/1_ffawsruZ2PeQqZ5hgpsS1g.jpeg" style="width: 422.536px; height: 281.409px;" data-draggable=""> Nespresso coffee machine, Jun Seita, licensed under CC BY 2.0 And, if culture not always seems to matter in the design of a product, are other areas of design that seem to be more sensitive to culture therefore any different? Does culture matter for service design? ︎ The cultural factor A particularly interesting example of how a seemingly small part of a service offering can have a pretty big impact on how people experience that service, is that familiar moment where a Starbucks employee asks you for your name just before writing it on a paper cup. As some of us will recognize, having a name that is somewhat difficult to pronounce or write down could result in certain feelings ranging from awkwardness to shame or foreignness, sometimes even leading to the invention of a ‘Starbucks name’.What seems to be a well thought out part of the Starbucks service offering that aims (and in a lot of cases certainly will achieve) to create a more personal and friendly relationship between the baristas and customers, could have some undesired side effects for a certain group of people that completely changes how they experience their coffee shop visit.One goal of standardizing the way in which the barista treats you in a Starbucks is to create familiarity: no matter where you are in the world, you get the same kind of treatment with the same kind of hot (sugary) beverages that you know. This standardized familiarity however, might feel alien and actually unfamiliar when experienced for the first time for people raised in a different cultural context. In Japan for example, Starbucks customers are not called by their names but by the items they order, because of privacy being a more delicate issue. And even in a country that might feel culturally a lot closer to the United States like the United Kingdom, one could argue that not everyone is used to an overly personal moment of interaction when buying coffee.Starbucks having to adapt a specific part of their service in Japan in order to accommodate to a local context is an example of the relevance of the factor culture in the experiencing of a service. ︎ Understanding cultural identity to offer more ‘relatable’ service offerings So much of traditional services are based on rituals. We could consider rituals as a collection of habits that form almost the ultimate form of expression of cultural identity: a collection of habits shared by a limited number of people that share a certain context and lifestyle. You could say that as a person, owning a certain cultural identity, you would unconsciously be used to do things in a certain way.I remember the very first time, many years ago, that I walked into a Subway restaurant in Amsterdam. I had already heard of their concept of being able to completely customize every part of your sandwich, and it sounded like nothing I had ever seen before. I was used to having to pick a sandwich as a menu item, where someone already decided for me what type of bread I would get and what ingredients were put on it.It sounded attractive, but the actual experience of ordering a Subway for the first time was a rather mixed one. I felt a bit uncomfortable having to face such a large number of choices to make. Having to choose from a whole list of unfamiliar ingredients while I was in a line with people waiting behind me made me feel pressured rather than positively free to choose whatever I felt like.Nowadays when I order a Subway, I don’t feel as rushed anymore as before. I am familiar with the concept, know at what moments I need to take which decision, and roughly know what type of options are available to choose from along the way. That tells me that the reason why I felt uncomfortable in the initial experience was because of a lack of overall familiarity with the service offering. <img width="1250" height="703" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1250/q/94/i/8c14b2b56ddccacb5bc46cf9d21ee120353521506f6d3d2113fb083706649d40/1_TvL-kcTYmdMBi5LasUCMLg.jpeg" style="width: 682.327px; height: 383.741px;" data-scale="79" data-draggable="">Traditional street food in Mexico City, VasenkaPhotography, licensed under CC BY 2.0 I would argue that we as service designers ought to explore the cultural identity of the people we design for. Why, when we map out the journeys that people undertake when using a service, shouldn’t we also map out the rituals that people come across in their daily lives? Understanding these could help to understand what expectations people have when for example experiencing a service offering in a certain context for the very first time. It could help to eventually design services that both feel more familiar when experiencing them, as well as avoid to exclude certain groups of potential users that might otherwise feel alienated by aspects of the service. It could help to ‘invoke’ a feeling of ownership of the service being used; people can relate better to what they consume.Imagine designing an almost flawless looking service experience; you create this perfect blueprint that solves all the pain points you identified in your rigorous ethnographic investigation. You might end up with a completely original service offering that in its entirety is very efficient and in theory pleasurable to experience. What could still be lacking is familiarity, you might be excluding groups of people that would find the experience overwhelming or alienating just because it doesn’t correspond with the way they are used to do things.“Everything we design is a response to the specific climate and culture of a particular place.” — Norman Foster If we manage to fully consider the cultural identity of the people we design for during the design process and are able to translate that into innovative service offerings that still feel familiar enough to use, we could offer something of great value: experiences that do not exclude but rather feel like integrated into local culture. Because culture does matter when the goal is to offer a service that people can identify with. https://merijndebeen.com/Publications Tue, 09 Mar 2021 22:24:25 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/Publications 2015Mexico: Provision of Solar Power for Households in Rural Communities Through IluméxicoEllen Morris, Ph.D. (Columbia University) and Merijn de Been (Delft University of Technology) National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Policies to Spur Energy Access: Volume 2, Case Studies to Public-Private Models to Finance Decentralized Electricity Access2014Building a Portfolio Expansion Strategy: Selling Solar Products in Rural Communities in Mexico Merijn de BeenIndustrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology. Delft, the Netherlands https://merijndebeen.com/About Tue, 09 Mar 2021 21:56:53 +0000 Merijn de Been https://merijndebeen.com/About I am a product and&nbsp;service designer with a strong focus on the strategic aspects of new product development. I have a special interest in the social impact that products and services can have, as well as the potential contribution of design towards achieving solutions for the collective, for society. Society-centred, rather than human-centred.I am a design strategist. Strategic design is the starting point of every product development process. It is the search for new market opportunities and requires the designer to immerse into often unknown contexts. I strongly believe products or services with the most impact originate from a pressing need or wish. It is the job of a strategic designer to uncover that need. merijndebeen@gmail.com <img width="1280" height="861" width_o="1280" height_o="861" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8729745fc1bd2ff9c9acb735676e0726600d685b33ec433baae47327e5b5bec2/about.jpg" data-mid="101434725" border="0" data-draggable src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8729745fc1bd2ff9c9acb735676e0726600d685b33ec433baae47327e5b5bec2/about.jpg" />