GRIP

When  designing a PSS, designers try to find a balance between flexibility and control to create effective and socially responsible value for users and other stakeholders.
GRIP was about how designers achieve a balance between flexibility and control when designing PSS, leading to the creation of effective and socially responsible value for users and other stakeholders. When designing from a system perspective, the creative control of design is structurally lower than in product design. The designers have to deal with complex, dynamic environments and need to negotiate decisions with a range of stakeholders. The PSS development process is less formalized and is characterized by a high level of co-creation and co-production. This raises questions like how tight should  the designer's grip on the processes and outcomes of design be, when working together with end-users and other partners in PSS development?

What questions were being answered?
Teams from 3 universities and Industry partners were working together to answer the question: How do designers strike a balance between flexibility versus control when designing PSS, leading to the creation of effective and socially responsible value for users and other stakeholders?

What have the teams achieved?
Using generalised cases, the team has monitored and measured work related stress in the office environment in order to gain a broader understanding of the problems of the issues of flexibility and control. This helped to create the methodological support needed for the design of effective and commercially viable PSS with a high societal value.

Timeframe and communication:
Grip started in 2011 and finished in 2015. Throughout the project, we have published in a range of professional journals, including the development of manuals for the effective design of healthcare and service industry PSS. Progress was published via this website and explored in workshops.

Who was involved?
Scientific partners: Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and the Design Academy Eindhoven;
Industry partner: Philips Design.

Project leaders
dr. Evelien van de Garde, Delft University of Technology
Dr. Dirk Snelders, Eindhoven University of Technology 

publications

  • Getting a GRIP on work-related stress: designing services with users and other committed stakeholders Garde-Perik,E. vn de; Snelders,D.; Thompson, M. The paper discusses implications for the design of co-created multi-stakeholder PSS, by introducing the Grip Service Model, which allows committed partners to bring in their expertise, and to foresee and exploit their personal/commercial opportunities. The GRIP approach to the design of PSS can be seen as a combination between a classical User Centred Design process, and a collaborative process of New Service Design.  Download
  • Design strategies for human relations in services Garde-Perik, E. van de, Trevia, F., Snelders, D. This paper investigates the degree of control that designers might have over human relations in services, and looks into the capacity of design to promote discussion and social support, and its capacity to make objects act as ‘quasi- others’ in social encounters. Three design interventions are presented that have made changes to the material circumstance in which contacts among users and providers take place.  Download
  • Getting a GRIP on Work Related Stress: Design & Evaluation of a Nature Inspired Relaxation Space Van de Garde Perik, E, Trevia, F., Henriksson, A., Geurts, L., Ullerup, H. The paper presents the design rationale and subsequent evaluation of the relaxation space 1.0. Experts with backgrounds in design, research and healthcare have evaluated the design of the relaxation space, which resulted in very positive responses regarding the low effort required and the high quality of the relaxation experience provided by the design. 

    http://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=IJART

Little Devil

Little Devil sits on an employees desk and monitors the duration of their seated work activity. As one continues to work, the device begins to stretch: a visible sign of how long you have worked without taking a break. After reaching a certain threshold, the device suddenly begins to 'hyperventilate' attracting attention from you and your co-workers. Little Devil aims to assist people with stress through negative reinforcement, motivating them to take regular breaks throughout the workday. By giving immediate feedback to rising stress levels, employees are nudged towards taking action. If the worker continually ignores this signal everyone close to Little Devil will be forced to stop working. Hence, while the design collects personal data and provides individual feedback, this feedback is visible to all neighbouring workers.

http://www.nupky.com/designcares/project/littledevil.php; http://vimeo.com/44372636

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