Service design
A design project during the studies at the University of Halmstad
Summary
Sunfleet is a car pool service that was started in 1998. The task was to update their existing service, and design a completely new concept.
New business concept:
Instead of working as a rental car business, based on our insights we finally chose an idea where private individuals rent out their cars to others with Sunfleet as an intermediator. In this way, we managed to meet most needs of most actors involved in the service.
The reseach insights
During the netnographic study and the observation study, the team realised a few important key problems:
Sunfleet has trouble getting access to parking lots, especially outside of the bigger cities
It can be almost impossible for customers to find the parking lot. (During observation in Halmstad, four people together couldn’t find it)
No opportunity for a one-way trip since the car has to be returned in the same location as where you got it
Sunfleet’s has established three core competencies (climate smart, cost effective, and flexible) that according to our netnographic study wasn’t completely in line with reality.
The analysis
To analyse Sunfleet’s e existing concept our own ideas on how to change it, we used a whole set of methods:
- SWOT-analysis
- PEST-analysis
- Service Blueprint
- Business Model Canvas
- Core Competencies
- Stakholder Mapping
- Porters Five Forces
- Service Blueprint
The research
The research focused on trying to understand the concept from the customers’ perspective. The ways of which to get in contact with representatives of the target group was extremely challenging, so we decided to conduct research by using the tow following metods:
- Netnographic study
- Observational field study
The new concept included business strategies, design strategies, and ways to develop in the future.
Click the pictures to expand.
Most important benefits of the new business model:
Less complicated business model for Sunfleet
Sunfleet does not have to think about acquiring parking spaces, which based on the netnographic studies proved to be one of the difficulties for Sunfleet at the moment.
More accessible to more people
The service becomes more easily accessible to people who previously lived far from a Sunfleet parking lot or garage
No parking lot rents
Sunfleet does not have to pay rents for garages and parking lots
Environmental benefits
With more easily accessible cars it is easier to borrow a car when needed, which means long term, the number of cars per person could potentially decrease.
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The process
Netnographic study
When we couldn’t get a hold of any representative of the target group or Sunfleet themselves, we collecting data on forums and social media. This way, we understood at least a sliver of the attitudes and frustrations on Sunfleet’s services.
Research
Field study: Observation
According to information on the company's website, there are to be two garages in Halmstad. None of the garages could be located. After further investigation, it turned out that the addresses that were on Google Maps did not match and a third address could be located. After some searching, a Volvo car with Sunfleet's logo was found in a parking lot with a hidden sign in front of the car. In addition, the location we were looking for couln’t be identified by a group of four people. It was also not clear whether the addresses referred to individual parking, parking areas or parking garages. Insightfully, this highlights difficulties that the actual user might have when trying to locate the car they’ve rented, which can cause irritation, especially when pressed for time. The less fortunate weather also meant that the journey to the rental car itself became an uncomfortable and wet experience.
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Usage of the original Sunfleet service
2. Analysis
We then analysed the existing Sunfleet service in order to later on make a proposal on a completely new service that were adjusted according to our insights about potential pain points and opportunities.
Filled out frameworks used to analyse Sunfleet’s business
Click the pictures to expand.
3. Design phase
After analysing the existing services we brainstormed potential new business concepts that would respond to the pain points in the original concept.
The three best ideas we had was
1) The user buys a car from Sunfleet and rents it out when it’s not needed
2) The user leases the car from Sunfleet and rents it out when it’s not used
3) The user rents out their own car, with Sunfleet as an intermediary party
We chose the third option, because it responded best to the insights we’d made earlier.
Lessions learned
1. Business concept thinking
I learned to look at the problem solving process from a business perspective (as opposed to the user-centered perspective we had worked with before). I learned that behind competitive service are, among other things; concept analyses, business strategies and design strategies.
2. The analysis methods
Having worked with 8 different methods of analysis within service design already in school helped me looking at the whole area of UX and product design in a broader perspective. Although I haven’t used all of these methods again, they still exist on some level in my conscious repertoire of analyzing tools.
