Promoting Sustainability in Service Design processes through the use of Foresight: A case study on food waste reducing services for Too Good To Go
Translated title
Promoting Sustainability in Service Design processes through the use of Foresight
Authors
Öller, Jasmin Isabel ; Hernandez Toro, Susana
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-25
Pages
88
Abstract
This thesis examines how combining Foresight—methods for exploring possible futures—and Service Design—the practice of shaping services around people’s needs—can give sustainability a more central role. Working with Too Good To Go, a company that tackles food waste, the case study looks at emerging behaviors and motivations related to sustainable food choices to find ways to engage new user groups. The design process followed four phases (Framing, Exploring, Developing, Creating), inspired by the Double Diamond (diverging to understand a problem, then converging on solutions) and the Thinking About the Future framework (principles for structured futures thinking). The project mixed tools from both fields and created new ones to test how this combination adds value. The research shows that Foresight helps designers consider systemic, long-term change, while Service Design keeps the work grounded in real users and contexts. By linking broad societal trends with specific user needs, this combined approach makes sustainability more central in Service Design. The thesis delivers a practical service concept for Too Good To Go and reflects on how design processes can be more future-informed and sustainability-driven, offering insights for future practice and research at the intersection of Service Design, Foresight, and Sustainability.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan en kombination af Foresight—metoder til at udforske mulige fremtider—og Service Design—at forme services ud fra menneskers behov—kan give bæredygtighed en mere central rolle. I samarbejde med Too Good To Go, en virksomhed der bekæmper madspild, undersøger casen nye adfærdsmønstre og motivationer omkring bæredygtigt madforbrug for at finde måder at engagere nye brugergrupper. Designprocessen fulgte fire faser (Framing, Exploring, Developing, Creating), inspireret af Double Diamond-modellen (først brede undersøgelser af problemet, derefter fokus på løsninger) og Thinking About the Future-rammen (principper for struktureret fremtidsarbejde). Projektet blandede værktøjer fra begge felter og udviklede nye for at afprøve, hvilken værdi kombinationen giver. Forskningen viser, at Foresight hjælper designere med at tænke i systemiske og langsigtede ændringer, mens Service Design forankrer arbejdet i virkelige brugere og kontekster. Ved at koble brede samfundstendenser med konkrete brugerbehov gør denne tilgang bæredygtighed mere central i Service Design. Afhandlingen leverer et praktisk servicekoncept til Too Good To Go og reflekterer over, hvordan designprocesser kan blive mere fremtidsinformerede og drevet af bæredygtighed, og tilbyder indsigter til fremtidig praksis og forskning i krydsfeltet mellem Service Design, Foresight og bæredygtighed.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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