Knowledge Flows in Service Design - A Framework

Service design processes are structured ways of finding solutions which effectively address certain needs. Research on service design has heavily focused on provider-user interactions. Knowledge flows have been largely neglected although in service design it is essential to have knowledge available where it is needed and when it is needed. Introducing the concept of knowledge flows to service design can therefore provide valuable insights and e.g. inform ways for targeted and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Most importantly, understanding knowledge flows would enable a general shift from "best practice" to a "best process" approach. Drawing on work in several fields, we propose a classification for the knowledge components typically encountered in a service design process, both as design in- and outputs. The components differ in their flow characteristics, which in turn has implications for their management.