Meet the service designer: Mikko Koivisto

I see my role in the board as promoting the use of service design and sharing my knowledge about it with different stakeholders.

Touchpoint spoke to Mikko Koivisto about the role of service design in the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 and his position in the WDC board. Interview by Miriam Becker.

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) has designated Helsinki as World Design Capital for 2012. Does this role only refer to product design? How strongly is service design represented?

One of the reasons why Helsinki was chosen as a world design capital from 47 applicant cities was not only its glorious design heritage in product design, but also its commitment to embedding the use of design profoundly within its social, economic and cultural development. The year-long programme consists of 300 events, projects and initiatives in which Helsinki will examine the ways in which design is embedded in everyday life. The WDC Helsinki 2012 vision extends the concept of design strongly from products to services and systems.

Which service design-related initiatives and events will take place in Helsinki in 2012?

Numerous service design projects will be carried out during the year: for example, the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of Transport and Communications are promoting the utilisation of service design in its pilot projects. The City of Helsinki Occupational Health Centre project aims to create an innovative overall occupational healthcare concept through use of service design. The city of Espoo is encouraging people to participate in developing their own residential area. The methods of service design are also in use here. Helsinki Airport is striving to provide an improved customer experience through service design. Also, Helsinki University Library is aiming to create a coherent, user-oriented and flexible service concept through a service design project. These are just a few examples of service designrelated projects. Please visit WDC Helsinki 2012 website to learn more.

You studied product design, interior architecture and service design, and are now lead service designer at Diagonal, how did you become a board member of the World Design Capital?

I was one of the pioneers in Finland of service design. For the last six years, I have been a consultant to numerous service companiesand organisations in their service development challenges. I have also been teaching service design at Aalto University and Laurea University of Applied Sciences. I have also been involved in two books on the topic. One of the books, ‘Designing Services with Innovative Methods’, which I edited together with doctor Satu Miettinen, was one of the first books in the field. It has also been important for me to promote and to give lectures about service design and its application. All this, taken together, is probably why I got the honour of being appointed one of the board members.

What is your role in the WDC?

I was chosen to serve on the board as an individual professional, so I’m not representing any special interest organisation. I see my role in the board as promoting the use of service design and sharing my knowledge about it with different stakeholders. Certainly, I’m a professional Industrial designer as well, so I have also taken the role of presenting different designers’ groups and their wishes and needs for the year.

What effects will the WDC have on the Finnish service design community?

After the year is over, the concept of service design and the benefits of using it will be clear to Finnish organisations, both in the public and the private sector. Many organisations will have carried out their first service design projects, have gained new knowledge and hopefully seen some good results. There will be numerous service design case histories to share and to learn from. Because there will be a growing need for service design, there will be a large need for educated and competent service design professionals in Finland as well.

Mikko Koivisto is Lead Service Designer at Diagonal, Helsinki, Co-Author of the book ‘Designing Services with Innovative Methods’ and Board member of International Design Foundation (World Design Capital Helsinki 2012).