Trends and Challenges in Service Design Methods

HRMARS - Service design has become increasingly important in addressing the growing complexity of contemporary socio-technical service ecosystems shaped by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and multi-channel customer interactions. As service environments become more dynamic and user-centred, organisations require more integrated, sustainable, and participatory approaches to service innovation. However, existing service design methods remain fragmented, often focusing on isolated service requirements, specific stages of development, or single disciplinary perspectives. Consequently, there is limited understanding of how service design methodologies collectively evolve to address complex and interdisciplinary service environments. This study examines the trends and challenges of service design methods through a thematic analysis of 63 service design methods using the Zettelkasten (slip-box) organisation technique. The methods were integrated into a Sunburst Chart to visualise hierarchical relationships, process stages, and key methodological elements. Based on this analysis, a comprehensive service design process framework was developed to evaluate the evolution of service design methodologies. The findings indicate that service design methods are evolving towards more integrated, systemic, and holistic approaches. Nevertheless, major challenges remain in sustaining user engagement, eliciting implicit user requirements, supporting interdisciplinary co-creation, developing modular multi-interface systems, enabling automated value co-creation, and ensuring sustainability through iterative evaluation and long-term value-in-use. This study contributes a comprehensive analytical framework that supports the development of adaptive, sustainable, and human-centred service design methodologies for increasingly complex service environments.