Service Design Workshop
IRIS project organized a workshop for NGOs, library professionals, library students and their teachers and professors in National Central Library in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The topic for the workshop was:
“ WHAT SERVICES/SUPPORT COULD BE PROVIDED FOR MICRO E’S IN THE LIBRARY CONTEXT?”
The aim of the workshop was to discuss about service design process and tools in general and to utilize service design tools to identify areas where University and Library could support micro entrepreneurs with their information and other needs.
The public libraries have a significant role to disseminate information in the community. Also libraries can build bridges and foster collaboration between different actors in the community like universities and governments’ departments.
The workshop started with a short introduction. Each participant had a chance to tell something about her-/himself for his/her table group. Design thinking is human centered, collaborative and creative approach to solving problems. Thus, it is good to give some time for informal get-acquainted session to create relaxed atmosphere.
“Pick one picture from the card deck that says something about you”
After introduction workshop was ready to start.
Question for the workshop:
WHAT SERVICES/SUPPORT COULD BE PROVIDED FOR MICRO E’S IN LIBRARY CONTEXT?
To specify:
– What kind of support Micro e’s need based on your own experience?
– How we could improve their access to formal information?
To outline the starting point, efficiently share information between the participants and to innovate potential solutions, service design tool “What do we know now? “ was utilized as a working tool in the workshop (see more e.g. ideapakka.fi). Participants were asked to divide a square area into four equal sections and add the headers (see below).
After thinking independently few minutes, participants started to add their views in the post-it notes, one view per note. Finally they were asked to share each view with own table group by explaining own view while putting it into the flipchart.
After 90 minutes hard working, each table group presented their solutions and ideas.
Most of the participants felt that Micro E’s need help in accessing relevant, official information. This means for example information about the benefits of registering their business as a formal company. Other needs related to networking with other similar businesses, training in marketing especially utilizing social media in marketing, and information about financing opportunities.
The next step is to organize an event or workshop for micro E’s in library context and introduce one or two above defined ideas in practice!
Thank you for all participants for your active work!
What I hear I forget.
What I see, I remember.
What I do, I understand.
Chinese philosopher Lao Tse in Empathic design book (2003) written by Buchenau and Fulton Suri.