Thinking: an underexplored service design material

This chapter explores the idea of thinking as a material in service design. It argues that service design is often engaged in contexts characterized by complexity and paradoxes, and that effectively navigating these complexities is crucial for success. The chapter posits that thinking is a powerful, yet potentially destructive material that service design should more deliberately engage with during the design process. It highlights the importance of meaning-making in design and the role of thinking in co-creating service value. The chapter also mentions various methods that can help consider thinking as a material of the design process, such as user journeys and motivation matrices. It concludes by calling for more exploration of how to leverage thinking across paradoxes and tensions in service design.