The aim of this thesis is to explore how considerations of the design client’s brand can be better integrated into the service design framework.
The point of departure is a curiosity of the lack of consideration and research of the design client and strategy and hypothesis that the experiential overlap between service design and branding could be a useful gateway to implement this into service design, which should deliver more realistic, relevant and feasible services that provide equal value for the design client as the end service user.
By applying branding tools and adapting service design tools to a service design case using the Double Diamond framework, which aims at designing a service for the NGO Dansk Vegetarisk Forening assisting them in getting Danish consumers to eat less meat, the thesis explores how service designers can take responsibility for this aspect of designing, and what value this may bring to designers and clients.
This approach of branding in service design shows how aiming at generating value for the client and aligning the service with their branding strategy means that more restrictions appear in the process, which limits ideation creativity. The brand-oriented approach directly affects the decision-making throughout the design process.
In conclusion this thesis proposes a paradigm shift, and who is perceived as users of a design process must change, and thus urge designers to see the importance of considering the clients goals, strategy, brand and resources in order to design services that a more realistic and feasible, than currently.
The following hypothesis of this proposed paradigm shift then becomes that this will make service design more appealing as a business, thus generating added value for designers and agencies, ie. providing a view, or brand, to the business.