Smart Service Design (SSD)

The aims of this specialism are:

• to deepen the understanding of end-to-end service journeys and design service ecosystems across multiple services;
• to identify how the centrality of users' needs and interests of different groups of stakeholders in the human-centred design process is complemented in business and organisation in the broader service industry, and apply the same in practice;
• to develop and apply service design to a range of business, societal and environmental challenges through studios, collaboration with stakeholders, partners, and experts across multiple disciplines, and using service design at a strategic, operational and systems level; and
• to accelerate new service design practices and ways of systems thinking to advance skillsets and practices for service innovation.

Also: Employers of MDes Graduates

PolyU is the first university in Hong Kong that offers both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in service design education, in response to the rapidly increasing global demands of service. The focus of Smart Service Design is beyond the scope of user experience design, information design, product design, or any other single output of design application; rather, it focuses on a broad design spectrum that integrates design, business, technology, and human needs to create service solutions of tomorrow and bring new value to the service industry and society at large.

Through advanced service design methodologies, SSD offers a unique interdisciplinary educational environment that meets diverse learning needs and provides students with opportunities to reshape their own design practices. This specialism offers students to work and involve themselves in the creation of transformations and evaluations of service products and content across both digital and offline channels through lectures, studio learning, workshops, and their industry research projects.

Our graduates will be equipped with the necessary professional skills to meet the demands of careers in the service industry. They will play different roles not only in conventional design-related professions, but also in management and strategy in various service sectors, such as consumer electronics, mobility, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, finance, public service, and so on.

The programme begins with subjects that offer foundational knowledge of service design and advanced research skills through a combination of lectures, studios, and multidisciplinary project collaboration.

The programme is followed by subjects that provide a detailed and analytical perspective on the latest socio-technical developments that have an impact on the service economy. The Studios and Lab Studies subjects articulate diverse perspectives on service factors and service design approaches that students can use to evaluate, transform, and create future services in the service sector.

The final stage of the study is where knowledge, skills and practice integrate through either a self-directed or an industry-sponsored project in each student's area of interest. A Capstone Project, which is a significant and integrative final service project, synthesises students' learning in a real-world setting.

To receive the award of Master of Design, students are required to attain a total of 36 credits from the subject categories below:

• 6 credits in "Compulsory Common" subjects;
• 15 cerdits in "Compulsory Specialism" subjects;
• 15 credits in Elective subjects (12 credits in Elective Pool A and 3 credits in Elective Pool B).

Compulsory Common subjects (6 credits)

SD5008 Research and Analysis for Design (3)
SD5009 Research and Academic Writing (3)

Compulsory Specialism subjects (15 credits)

Specialism Major subjects
SD5412 Advanced Service Design Methods and Tools (3) or
SD5413 Socio-Technical Service Ecosystem (3) or
SD5414 Systemic Innovation and Designing Future Services (3)

Lab Studies subjects
SD5432 Lab Studies in Data-Driven Service Design (3)

Specialism Studio / Project subjects
SD5438 SSD Specialism Studio (3)
SD5439 SSD Capstone Research Project (6)

Elective subjects

Elective Pool A (12 credits)

Foundation subjects
SD5114^Design Methods (Advanced) (3)
SD5115^ Design Project Management (3)
SD5116 Design for Transformation (3)
SD5511 UX Design Fundamentals (3)
SD5512 Prototyping and Scripting (3)
SD5411 Designing Services (3)
SD5711 Design for the Biosphere (3)
SD5712 Design for Change (3)
SD5713 Design Systems Thinking (3)

Specialism Major subjects
SD5117 Innovate with Lifestyle and Culture (3)
SD5513 Theories in Interaction Design (3)
SD5514#Advanced Visualisation and Interaction (3)
SD5412 Advanced Service Design Methods and Tools (3)
SD5413 Socio-Technical Service Ecosystem (3)
SD5414 Systemic Innovation and Designing Future Services (3)
SD5716 Regenerative Ecosystems Design (3)
SD5717 Territories, Societies, and Spatial Complexes (3)

Elective Pool B (3 credits)

Interdisciplinary Studio / Project subjects
SD5131^Interdisciplinary Project (3)
SD5431 Interdisciplinary Studio (3)
SD5731 Regenerative Environments Design (3)

Lab Studies subjects
SD5132 Lab Studies in Human Cyber-Physical Systems (3)
SD5531 Lab Studies in Systems Design (3)
SD5532# Lab Studies in Intelligent Systems Construction (3)
SD5432 Lab Studies in Data-Driven Service Design (3)
SD5732 Lab Studies in Applied Technologies for Territorial Design (3)

For full-time students, the normal duration is 1 year; for part-time students, the normal duration is 3 years. A full-time study load is 36 credits in a year; a part-time study load is 6 – 9 credits in a compulsory semester (Semester 1 and 2).

Full-time and part-time students follow the same timetable and attend classes together. Classes are normally held during the daytime on weekdays. 

Shera Park — Assistant Professor, PhD

Dr Shera Park received her PhD in service design from the Royal College of Art (RCA) and her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Hongik University and the University of Westminster, London respectively. Her industry experience began as a designer at Hyundai Group and moved from design to marketing and ultimately to developing multidisciplinary projects across communication design, digital marketing and service strategy in her role as Head of Digital Communication for LG Electronics Europe. Her projects included a new service strategy and business model to improve London air quality which was awarded 'Winner for Business Innovation in the Private Sector' at the Service Design Network. 

• Gerhard Bruyns
• Daniel Elkin
• Shera Hyunyim Park
• Jaehyun Park
• Muhammad Tufail
• Bow Yiying Wu
• Aria Yang

See also: Meet our staff