O V E R V I E W
Problem
Trust is regularly neglected and exploited in service interactions within all service industries and platforms.
P R O J E C T
30
Reports and Lectures
9
Expert Interviews
Resulting in…
1,700+
Data Points
Building Trusted Services
What does it look like to design a service that facilitates trust on an individual and societal scale that results in the betterment of society?
R E S E A R C H
Team
Aniekanabasi Asanga, Service Designer
Jaidon Lalor, Service Designer
Andrew Schafer, Service Designer
My Role
Audrey Keim, Service Designer
Timeline
10 weeks
User Research
To answer the question of ‘What does it mean to build trustworthy services?’ we reviewed and conducted:
5
P R I M A R Y R E S E A R C H
Participant Insights
A N A L Y S I S
User Stories
Sensory Cues
From our thorough research with participants, we found that broken trust is commonplace, and that trust is regularly neglected and exploited in service interactions.
Participant Quotes
“It’s almost like they design [healthcare services] to frustrate you. It’s almost like it’s by design.”
Participant 11
“Those kinds of things where people [are] initially selling and always selling and not trying to build a relationship… I think I’m always distrustful of those kinds of services.”
Participant 17
“[Brands] can be a little performative at times, especially when it comes to art supporting Black people, Americans of African descent and very selective of what they get to take action on.”
Participant 9
“It’s hard because with most services, their main priority isn’t to be a good service to help people, but to make money.”
Participant 5
From our final 55 insights, we continued to extract 6 themes that framed how services build trust, and how they break it.
When I trust a service, I am bonded to it.
Trust in services facilitates individual belonging, connection, safety, inspiration, autonomy, and understanding of identity.
Keep your promises, own your mistakes.
People trust services that over-deliver on their promises and show ownership over their mistakes.
I will leave if I’m invalidated or betrayed.
People will break up with services that make them feel violated or no longer align with their personal values.
Treat me as the unique, multifaceted individual I am.
People value services that allow them to express themselves and that make them feel important as unique individuals.
I want to feel like my identity and soul are safe.
People are looking to have a soul connection with the services they use, where they can feel emotionally safe.
I want the services I use to be munificent.
People want services to be morally abundant, and actively serve the world around them.
55
Final Insights
17
User Interviews
Deliverables
Primary Research
Sensory Cues
Affinitization
Insight Development
Quant & Qual Data Analysis
Secondary Research
Mental Model
Service Blueprint
Hi-Fi UI Prototype
User Stories
Framework Development
S E C O N D A R Y R E S E A R C H
Trust in Services & Society
Our secondary research revealed the importance of trust in services, value creation, and social systems.
Social systems are structured around service.
(Vargo et al., 2020)
Trust is a prerequisite for value co-creation and exchange
(Tsai & Ghoshal, 1998)
The role of systems designers and researchers is not only to design for usability, but also for well-placed trust.
(Riegelsberger, Sasse, & McCarthy, 2005)
Bhattacharya et al. also present a relevant theoretical framework of the three layers of trust.
I N S I G H T
Our research uncovered a deep-rooted truth.
When we are designing for services and systems, we are inherently designing for Trust.
R E F R A M E
A Trust Mental Model
Our team developed a mental model inspired by our research insights for how designers and companies can reframe their understanding of trust, service offerings, and value creation.
Our research shows that the ideal relationship between service providers and their customers would be like that of a singer leading a crowd.
This model emphasizes that a customer is in control of the services they elect and choose to incorporate into their lives. They are composing a symphony of services that are uniquely harmonized to facilitate and uphold the identity and quality of life desired for a unique individual.
We argue that each person is unique like the constellation of services they utilize.
The relationship of call-and-response between a singer and their audience is the perfect model for how service providers can build trust with their audiences across time. Service providers need to allow their customers the choice and control to lead their own service interactions at a tempo that suits them best.
Service Providers are the audience.
Service-users are the composer.
R E F L E C T I O N
We want designers and companies to understand that Trust isn’t just better for design or business, it’s also better for society.
From individuals to organizations, to entire companies, trust increases value creation.
Which brings to question- How can we attune services to harmonize with their audiences, to meet them where they are?
D E S I G N A R T I F A C T S
Service Blueprint
Our team developed a Service Blueprint which outlines the operations of an application designed to pair users with companies that match their values and have a history of performing as trustworthy entities, as backed by our extensive primary and secondary research.
D E S I G N A R T I F A C T S
User Interface Prototype
We develop a high-fidelity prototype which details the services our research participants are looking to utilize when discovering trustworthy companies. With this concept, users are easily able to identify which companies they can trust and support with their time and investment.
This model is mutually beneficial because it provides transparency between companies and their audiences, while building reputable reputations for organizations and their services and allowing greater connection with their audiences.
