Systemic and long-term perspectives to foster societal transformations. Service design education challenges

As service designers increasingly deal with complex systems, large- scale and multi-layered transformations and community-based initiatives, design education must evolve to adequately support students in tackling planetary challenges and navigating uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in their practice. This article reports on a qualitative study that investigates how service design studios can integrate systemic and long-term perspectives to foster societal transformations, particularly in urban contexts. Drawing on an action-research approach, the study analyses two design studios. It identifies five service design education challenges: cultivating designing learning communities, aligning futures’ agendas, redefining power dynamics, embedding reflexivity, and embracing discomfort. These findings contribute to the scholarly dialogue about the evolving role of service design education, offering insights for educators and practitioners who aim to strengthen its transformative potential, particularly in addressing complex issues where navigating uncertainty is essential.