Prototype Evaluation in Service Design a Case Study at an Emergency Ward

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PROTOTYPE EVALUATION IN SERVICE DESIGN A CASE STUDY AT AN EMERGENCY WARD Johan Blomkvist Linköping University [email protected] ABSTRACT Prototypes based on user research are embodiments INTRODUCTION of hypotheses about how behaviour and experiences This paper takes a closer look at a specific instance will change. The purpose of prototypes has been of service prototyping. The aim is to suggest a discussed in academic literature but in the case of process for measuring how people experience a service design, some of that knowledge needs to be prototype of a service, for designers and re-examined. In Service design, one of the problems collaborating stakeholders to be able to evaluate it. is that the impact of prototypes is complex and The process should be easy to go through and usable difficult to predict. A way to counter this dilemma is for design practitioners trying to evaluate the impact to put more focus on making the hypotheses explicit of prototypes on service experiences. The case and testable. This paper presents a practical process presented is based on a prototyping project for using designers’ hypotheses to generate survey conducted by a Swedish service design agency. The tools for evaluating the impact of prototypes in suggested process for evaluating service prototypes service systems. This is also a way for designers to builds on the assumption that service prototypes, verbalize the purpose of service prototypes in a based on user research, are manifestations of contextual and situated way. The tool was designed hypotheses about how behaviour and experiences to be quick, easy, and light-weight, to suit the needs will change. In this case the desired change was an of design consultants, and it focused on measuring improvement on patients’, and other visitors’ the experiences of a waiting room from the experience of visiting the waiting room of the perspective of the visitors. The process has been emergency ward at a large hospital. applied to a project where the waiting room of an Being able to measure the experience of a service emergency ward was redesigned. The three-step prototype would allow designers to show the value of process started with building up the hypothesis their work. Other aspects than the experience can structure, where the designers’ assumptions and be measured, such as behaviours, actions, and so on, intentions were used to make a representation of the but for services designers this might not be the most hypothesis. The next step was formulating questions, important factor. Thus, a quick and easy-to-use where questions that tested the hypothesis were process for generating a questionnaire can be helpful formulated. The last step – making the questionnaire for design practitioners that are looking for – included the selection of what information to gather alternative ways to communicate about, and argue and iterative testing of the questions. It was found for the importance, of their work. that the designers did not have a well-defined hypothesis. The suggested process can help designers EVALUATING SERVICE PROTOTYPES identify a contextual and situated purpose for One of the challenges with evaluating how successful prototypes. a prototype is in service design, is that the impact of prototypes is complex and difficult to estimate or Keywords: service design, prototyping, measure. A way to counter this dilemma is to put prototype evaluation more focus on making the goal and assumptions DIVERSITY AND UNITY behind prototypes explicit and testable. This study mobile unit explores the feel but not necessarily the presents a practical process for using designers’ look of the artefact. An equivalent example for hypotheses or assumptions to generate survey tools service design might be testing – by role play or for evaluating the impact of service prototypes. The bodystorming – a client meeting without the correct process also helps designers verbalize the purpose of props and clothes, thus exploring the feel but not prototypes in a contextual and situated way. The look of the service encounter. The categories process has been applied to a project where the suggested by Houde & Hill (ibid.) also does not waiting room of an emergency ward was redesigned. suffice to answer e.g. relevant questions suggested The process and its benefits will be described in by Schneider (1996) such as; What does the detail in this chapter. prototype show? What does it prove or disprove? The answers to such questions, which concern the PURPOSES OF PROTOTYPING prototype in itself, should be possible to identify by Prototyping as a technique in design has been used the purpose of prototyping. A contextual way of and developed in design fields such as product design dividing purposes for prototyping is to return to the and interaction design (Ehn & Kyng, 1991). A set of role of the prototype in specific projects. theoretical frameworks have been developed In a study where practicing service designers were describing prototyping as an activity. Houde & Hill asked about their prototyping practices, they (Houde & Hill, 1997) e.g. suggested that designers mentioned three different purposes; exploration, mainly use prototypes to address one of the three evaluation, and communication (Blomkvist & dimensions; look and feel, role, or implementation. Holmlid, 2010). The research showed that Perhaps the most rigorous classification has been explorative prototypes were used to generate ideas made by Lim et al. (Lim, Stolterman, & Tenenberg, or as learning tools that facilitate collaboration. 2008), using the metaphor of filters as one dimension Evaluative prototypes were used to answer questions and manifestations of design ideas as the other and receive feedback on assumptions while dimension of what they call the anatomy of communication prototypes were directed at specific prototypes. Common to these conceptualizations is a audiences to convey the main points of an idea. focus on the idea behind the prototype, the hypothesis. PRECONDITIONS OF THE CASE In service design, these hypotheses are part of To further specify what the preconditions for this complex and, many times, people-intensive product specific case were, this section describes the service service systems (Pinhanez, 2009; Ericson et al., and the challenges with prototyping in similar service 2009). The hypotheses are closely tied to the contexts. purpose of prototypes; what the prototype should explore, evaluate, or communicate should be THE SERVICE PROTOTYPE reflected in the assumptions about what the First of all, the service in this case is healthcare, or prototype is supposed to change. A step towards a emergency healthcare. This is perhaps the best way better understanding of the purposes, suggested by to categorise the service since there is such a large Houde & Hill, is a categorisation into role, look & number of different services and possible service feel, and implementation. categories. The prototype in this case was a set of, We agree with Houde & Hill in that more more or less temporary, improvements to the fundamental questions need to be posed about information available in the room and the prototypes and their purpose but suggest that for registration flow when entering the emergency ward. prototypes of services, the proposed categories The solutions were integrated in the existing waiting might not be as relevant or sufficient. For instance, room, so in a sense, the waiting room became the the look & feel of the prototype should be divided prototype. Many parts of the prototype were seen as into separate dimensions, since it is possible to test improvements and kept by the hospital after the one withouth the other, e.g. carrying around a piece prototyping phase. of cardboard estimating the size and weight of a 2 PRODEEDINGS IASDR2011 Based on the division of purposes into exploration, way of describing how well the test situation evaluation, and communication, we can say some corresponds to the intended implementation context things about the prototype at hand. The project had (Blomkvist & Holmlid, 2011). A similar thought that gone through a research phase and the designers had has been presented is that the aspects; developed their ideas about what a good solution environmental, social, and intervention fidelity of would be. In this way, the prototype at hand was an the prototype should be considered (Wellings, 2009). evaluation prototype, aimed at answering the Environmental fidelity corresponds to the level of designers’ questions about what the prototype could finish in the prototype. Note that not all services are accomplish. Hypotheses behind prototypes are delivered and consumed in a specific location; we arguably most important when the purpose is to also have location independent services and facilities evaluate. This means that the hypothesis needed to that are owned by other service providers or even be clearer because the point of prototyping was not the customers. Social fidelity has to do with 1) roles, to generate more ideas or knowledge, as with an behaviours, and emotions, 2) rules that govern explorative prototype. Similarly, the idea was not to behaviours and roles, and 1) how people engage and convey an idea that would improve collaboration or relate to the design. Intervention fidelity concerns increase the insight into the project for other the artefacts and how they are used and combined

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