Skip to main content

Design for Public-Interest Services: An Emerging Field of Experimentation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
CoDesign for Public-Interest Services

Part of the book series: Research for Development ((REDE))

  • 1053 Accesses

Abstract

The first part of this book describes the complex scenario in which the idea of public-interest services originates, by combining the different phenomena of citizen activism, social innovation, new forms of economies and new forms of welfare. This chapter aims to provide a definition of public-interest services (initially, by focusing on the related concept of public interest), building on the framework already depicted and on ideas from the existing literature. The other important contribution of this chapter is the connection between public-interest services and different areas of design: when we speak about design for public-interest services, we consider design for services, participatory design and co-design, which are discussed in detail in Sects. 4.3 and 4.4. The author then attempts to investigate what design can do for public-interest services, and to answer this question more effectively, she introduces the idea of an infrastructure (and a related ‘infrastructuring’ process) to support the emergence, the development and the consolidation of such services. The final paragraph of this chapter is develops this notion of infrastructure by building on the extensive literature related to this concept, and, thus, prepares the ground for further formulation (the idea of a ‘collaborative infrastructure’) that is presented at the end of the book.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bannon LJ, Ehn P (2012) Design: design matters in participatory design. In: Simonsen J, Robertsen T (eds) Routledge international handbook of participatory design. Routledge, New York, pp 37–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateson G (1979) Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Ballantine Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Björgvinsson E, Ehn P, Hillgren PA (2010) Participatory design and democratizing innovation. In: Proceedings of participatory design conference 2010, pp 42, 43

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyle D, Harris M (2009) The challenge of co-production. Discussion paper by Nef, Nesta and the Lab, publications. Available at: Retrieved 5 Aug 2015, from http://b.3cdn.net/nefoundation/312ac8ce93a00d5973_3im6i6t0e.pdf

  • Bozeman B (2007) Public values and public interest: counterbalancing economic individualism. Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C., p 86

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, R. (2001). Design research and the new learning. Des Issues 17(4):3–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrillo R (2000) Intersections of official script and learners’ script in Third Space: a case study on Latino families in an after-school computer program. In: Proceedings of fourth international conference of the learning sciences. Erlbaum, Mahwah NJ USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Cipolla C (2006) Sustainable freedoms: dialogical capabilities and design. In: Salmi E, Anusionwu L (eds) Cumulus working papers, University of Art and Design, Nantes, Helsinki, pp 59–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Cottam H (2011) Relational welfare. Soundings 48. Available at: Retrieved 19 Nov 2015 from http://www.participle.net/images/uploads/soundings48_cottam2.pdf

  • Cottam H, Leadbeater C (2004) Open welfare: designs on the public good. Design Council, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Cross N (eds) (1972) Design participation. In: Proceedings of the design research society’s conference 1971, Academy Editions, London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey J (1927) The public and its problems. Holt, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • DiSalvo C, Lukens J (2009) Towards a critical technological fluency: the confluence of speculative design and community technology programs. In: DAC’09: Proceedings of the 2009 digital and arts and culture conference, Irvine, California, University of California Press, Irvine, 12–15 Dec 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • DiSalvo C, Le Dantec CA (2013) Infrastructuring and the formation of publics in participatory design. Soc Stud Sci 43(2):241–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiSalvo C, Nourbakhsh I, Holstius D, Akin A, Louw M (2008) The neighborhood networks project: a case study of critical engagement and creative expression through participatory design. In: PDC’08: Proceedings of the tenth conference on participatory design, Bloomington, Indiana, ACM Press, New York, 30 Sept–4 Oct 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgett S, Parkinson S (1993) Marketing for service industries—a review. Serv Ind J 13(July):19–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehn P (1988) Work-oriented design of computer artifacts. Arbetslivscentrum, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehn P (2008) Participation in design things. In: Proceedings of the 10th anniversary conference on participatory design. ACM, New York, pp 95–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Fensel D (2003/2001) Ontologies: a silver bullet for knowledge management and electronic commerce, 2nd edn. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Fesler J (1990) The state and its study: the whole and the parts. In: Lynn N, Wildavsky A (eds) Public administration: the state of the discipline. Chatham House, Chatham, NJ, pp. 84–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Flathman R (1966) The public interest: an essay concerning the normative discourse of politics. Wiley, New York, p 82

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser N (1992) Rethinking the public sphere: a contribution to the critique of actually existing democracy. Social Text 25/26: 56–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenbaum J, Kyng M (eds) (1991) Design at work: cooperative design of computer work. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermas J (1962) The structural transformation of the public sphere: an inquiry into a category of bourgeois society (trans: Burger T with the assistance of Frederick Lawrence, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989) MIT Press paperback edition 1991

    Google Scholar 

  • Jégou F, Manzini E (2008) Collaborative services. Social innovation and design for sustainability. Edizioni Polidesign, Milano, p 36

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasti H, Baker K (2004). Infrastructuring for the long-term: ecological information management. In: Proceedings of the 37th Hawaii international conference on system sciences, 5–8 Jan 2004. IEEE, Piscataway, NJ pp 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasti H, Syrjänen AL (2004) Artful infrastructuring in two cases of community PD. In: Proceedings of the eighth conference on participatory design. ACM, pp 20–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Lippmann W (1955) The public philosophy. Mentor Books, New York, p 40

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovelock C, Gummesson E (2004) Whither services marketing? In search of a new paradigm and fresh perspectives. J Serv Res 7(1):20–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maffei S, Sangiorgi D (2006) From communication design to activity design. In: Frascara J (eds). Designing effective communications: creating contexts for clarity and meaning. Allworth Press, New York, pp 83–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Manzini E (2008) Collaborative organizations and enabling solutions. In: Jégou F, Manzini E (eds) Social innovation and design for sustainability. Edizioni PoliDesign, Milan

    Google Scholar 

  • Manzini E, Rizzo F (2011) Small projects/large changes: Participatory design as an open participated process. CoDesign: Int J CoCreation in Des Arts 7:3–4, 199–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Manzini E, Collina L, Evans S (2004) Solution oriented partnership, how to design industrialised sustainable solutions. Cranfield University Press, Cranfield

    Google Scholar 

  • Meroni A, Sangiorgi D (2011) Design for services. Gowerpublishing, Farnham, UK, pp 19, 23

    Google Scholar 

  • Miettinen S, Valtonen A. (eds) (2012). Service design with theory. Discussions on change, value and methods. Lapland University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Morelli N (2007) Social innovation and new industrial contexts: can designers “industrialize” socially responsible solutions? Des Issues 4:3–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulgan G (2006) Social innovation. What it is, why it matters, how it can be accelerated. Basingstoke Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller MJ (2013) Participatory design: the third space in HCI. Hum Comput Interact Dev Process 165–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Nardone G, Salvini A (2004) Il dialogo strategico. Ponte alle Grazie, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  • Pipek V, Wulf V (2009) Infrastructuring: toward an integrated perspective on the design and use of information technology. J Assoc Inf Syst 10(5):447–473

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders EBN (2013) Perspectives on participation in design. In: Mareis C, Held M, Joost G (eds) Wer Gestaltet die Gestaltung? Praxis, Theorie und Geschichte des Partizipatorischen Designs. Verlag

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders EBN, Stappers PJ (2008) Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign: Int J CoCreation Design Arts 4(1):5–18, p. 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders EBN, Stappers PJ (2014) Probes, toolkits and prototypes: three approaches to making in codesigning. CoDesign 10(1):5–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders EBN, Brandt E, Binder T (2010) A framework for organizing the tools and techniques of PD. In: Proceedings of PDC, pp. 195–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Sangiorgi D (2011) Transformative services and transformation design. Int J Des 5(2):29–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Selloni D (2014) Designing for public-interest services: citizen participation and collaborative infrastructures in times of societal transformation. Ph.D. Dissertation, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy

    Google Scholar 

  • Seravalli A (2011) Democratizing production: challenges in co-designing enabling platforms for social innovation. In: The Tao of sustainability, sustainable design strategies in a global context, Bejing, China

    Google Scholar 

  • Skidmore P, Craig J (2005) Start with people: how community organisations put citizens in the driving seat. Demos, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Star SL (1989) The structure of ill-structured solutions: boundary objects and heterogeneous distributed problem solving. In: Gasser L, Huhns M (eds) Distributed artificial intelligence, vol 2. Morgan Kaufman, San Francisco, pp 37–54

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Star SL, Ruhleder K (1997) Steps toward an ecology of infrastructure: design and access for large information spaces. Design and access for large information spaces. Information system research, pp 111–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Star SL, Bowker X (2002) How to infrastructure. In: Lievrouw LA, Livingstone SL (eds) The handbook of new media. SAGE, London, pp 151–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Twidale M, Floyd I (2008) Infrastructures from the bottom-up and the top-down: can they meet in the middle? In: Proceedings of PDC 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Weimer D, Vining A (1999) Policy analysis: concepts and practice, 3rd edn. Prentice Hall, Engle-wood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittgenstein L (1953) Philosophical investigations. Basil Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml VA, Parasuraman A, Barry LL (1985) Problems and strategy in services marketing. J Marketing 49 (Spring), 33–46

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Selloni .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Selloni, D. (2017). Design for Public-Interest Services: An Emerging Field of Experimentation. In: CoDesign for Public-Interest Services. Research for Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53243-1_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53243-1_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-53242-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53243-1

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics