Fiction as a resource in participatory design

Abstract

In recent years, co-design research has moved into the heart of business and organisational matters of concern. As a consequence of that fact, the idea of what design is capable of evolves into something that does not only encompass product and service design, but also at the same time changes organisations’ way of doing things – or in other words, it challenges the organisational culture and the mindset of the decision-makers as a way towards the successful embedding of a project within the organisation. This paper investigates how the development of a new service design project together with integrated co-design interventions might raise the chances for creating a shift in decision-maker mindset and viewpoints. We argue that, as a matter of course, a new service design will lead to significant organisational changes; therefore, this might as well be addressed from the very beginning. This creates a path for design to intervene in and gain influence over various organisational levels in support of a specific service design project, hence becoming a stronger interventionist force.