Designing Agency An approach to the design of Smart Services for the Internet of Things

While the Internet of Things is positioned to be one of the defining technological industries of the coming years, concern has been growing about an upcoming coming wave of products perceived as useless, as a result of a marked technological push. The following project draws on Actor-Network Theory and the emerging agency of smart objects for exploring new perspectives for the design of Smart Services, with a strong focus on the generation of meaningful offerings. Through a research approach based on an in-depth literature review together with the exploration of current design practice, a framework is proposed for the design process of such services. The developed framework, comprised of a process structure, a mindset and a set of methods, was then validated through the use in an academic service design project at the Köln International School of Design (KISD). A revised version was used as the basis for the publication of the website Smart Service Design (.com), a platform for the exchange of knowledge around the topic.

Santiago Echeverri González
Master of Arts | Integrated Design