Abstract
Using a particular tool can give rise to processes or knowledge about the world that differ from those generated by other tools. In other words, humans use tools and technologies to shape the world, but these tools, in turn, shape us back - our minds, skills, and the way they extend our bodies. Service design, among many other fields, is significantly impacted by digital transformation, where digital tools are frequently used to create visualizations and representations. An important part of a service designer’s profession is understanding new fields and actors, which often involves aspects that are complex, messy, and emotional. In this paper, I argue for the value of exploring handmade observational mark-making in service design insight work, emphasizing the designer’s individual experience gained through immersion in the process. This case is explored by drawing on recent research in service design, creative ethnography, craft, and drawing, as well as a survey sent to service designers and the author’s experience from practice. The framing emphasizes the process of creating visualizations, or marks, as a lens of learning about the world, rather than for communicative purposes. Following this, I suggest how handmade observational mark-making may foster a stronger material dialogue and embodied understanding, as well as cultivate a distinct form of empathic relation between a designer and the surroundings or actors involved. While the method of drawing from observation is well-documented in ethnography and the social sciences, there is still limited exploration of this method within service design. As many designers often are visual thinkers and skilled drawers, there may be great potential in further research on handmade observational mark-making as part of designerly ways of generating knowledge in service design.
Keywords
Handmade; Mark-making; Service design; Design ethnography
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.529
Citation
Fossøy, E.M.(2025) Making a case for handmade observational mark-making in service design insight phases, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.529
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 10 - Design Practices & Impacts
Making a case for handmade observational mark-making in service design insight phases
Using a particular tool can give rise to processes or knowledge about the world that differ from those generated by other tools. In other words, humans use tools and technologies to shape the world, but these tools, in turn, shape us back - our minds, skills, and the way they extend our bodies. Service design, among many other fields, is significantly impacted by digital transformation, where digital tools are frequently used to create visualizations and representations. An important part of a service designer’s profession is understanding new fields and actors, which often involves aspects that are complex, messy, and emotional. In this paper, I argue for the value of exploring handmade observational mark-making in service design insight work, emphasizing the designer’s individual experience gained through immersion in the process. This case is explored by drawing on recent research in service design, creative ethnography, craft, and drawing, as well as a survey sent to service designers and the author’s experience from practice. The framing emphasizes the process of creating visualizations, or marks, as a lens of learning about the world, rather than for communicative purposes. Following this, I suggest how handmade observational mark-making may foster a stronger material dialogue and embodied understanding, as well as cultivate a distinct form of empathic relation between a designer and the surroundings or actors involved. While the method of drawing from observation is well-documented in ethnography and the social sciences, there is still limited exploration of this method within service design. As many designers often are visual thinkers and skilled drawers, there may be great potential in further research on handmade observational mark-making as part of designerly ways of generating knowledge in service design.