One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and... more One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and why people are combining the use of conventional service channels with using the electronic channel. This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. The consumption behaviour of the participants in the study has been investigated across channels in a case study-based approach. The findings indicate that even though consumers prefer the convenience and control of the electronic channel, they often use it in combination with conventional channels (shops, mail order, telephone). The reported parallel channel use and switches between channels were in many cases not triggered by problems in the e-service design or delivery, but based on voluntary decisions by the consumers. The objective of the study presented here was to investigate the occurrence of and possible patterns in this voluntary multi-channel usage.
The emerging field of Service Design seems to build on research and practices developed in both H... more The emerging field of Service Design seems to build on research and practices developed in both HCI and Services Marketing. It bridges these two until recently quite distinct areas of work and shows that they share a set of underlying principles. They both focus on iterative, interdisciplinary, design- driven and user-centered development of concepts, prototypes and working models. They are both looking at creating high-quality, multi-channel services by taking note of the perspective of the future users/consumers of those services from an early stage in the development process. Likewise, both these fields can in turn learn from the insights and practices currently being developed in Service Design. This paper describes how Service Design both incorporates traditions from HCI and Services Marketing and in its application re-appropriates them.
For many Services Research and Service Design are emerging, crossing and in some cases redefining... more For many Services Research and Service Design are emerging, crossing and in some cases redefining disciplinary boundaries. The user, value and worth centred ethos of human–computer interaction (HCI) approaches, is making its way into service design approaches (Cottam and Leadbeater 2004, Parker and Heapy 2006, Boyle and Harris 2009, Bunt and Harris 2009) with the usual range of complements and challenges that occur when disciplines interact (e.g. Guldbrandsen and Dijk 2010, Wild 2010b). Recent years have seen a number of papers being published in HCI ‘venues’ (e.g. Kwon et al. 2007, van Dijk et al. 2007, Caratozzolo et al. 2008, Koivumaki et al. 2008, Newman and Doherty 2008, van Dijk 2008, Medina et al. 2010, Wild 2010a), alongside workshops exploring the intersection of HCI and Services (Wild 2008, 2009). Many approaches to Service design borrow, overlap or complement HCI’s applied focus and academic rigour. For example Parker and Heapy’s use of prototypes, personas and measurement of the Service experience. Another of HCI’s strengths is its strong emphasis on creative and systematic conceptual design. This can inform new ways of approaching Service design, which can enhance the focus that Service Marketing and Operations communities have taken to Services (see Seddon 1992, Berry and Lampo 2000, Seddon et al. 2009, Wild 2010a). Service has also emerged as a metaphor for desktop, web-based, pervasive and ubiquitous software applications. Researchers and practitioners often talk of services instead of applications. Service-oriented architectures (SOA) receive continued attention in computing, but research is often divorced from HCI issues (Penta et al. 2005, Kounkou et al. 2008). SOA has emerged alongside the Software as a Service Software (SaaS) concept, which based on a rental rather than purchase metaphor for software artefacts. The SOA and SaaS communities have largely focussed on exploring architectures, and there often is little link to HCI concerns, although research within several European funded projects has started to address this issue. Overall, in developing the call for papers for this special issue, we felt the time was ripe to explore the new opportunities at the intersection between HCI and Services research.
and other research outputs Channels, consumers and communication: online and offline communicatio... more and other research outputs Channels, consumers and communication: online and offline communication in service consumption
This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel con... more This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. To develop a deeper understanding of what makes consumers decide to use the online channel, and contrary to most HCI studies on the use of e-services that focus on the use of the online channel in relative isolation, this study examined consumer channel-choice beyond the instances of internet use. The consumption behaviour of its participants was investigated across channels in an in-depth qualitative study. The analysis of the elicited rich data focused specifically on the investigation of voluntary consumer movements between online and offline channels during the course of a consumption process. The results indicate that participants often use multiple channels in parallel and frequently switch between channels. Literature from marketing and consumer research was used as the perspective to explore the rationale for the complex and dynamic reported consumer behaviour.
One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and... more One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and why people are combining the use of conventional service channels with using the electronic channel. This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. The consumption behaviour of the participants in the study has been investigated across channels in a case study-based approach. The findings indicate that even though consumers prefer the convenience and control of the electronic channel, they often use it in combination with conventional channels (shops, mail order, telephone). The reported parallel channel use and switches between channels were in many cases not triggered by problems in the e-service design or delivery, but based on voluntary decisions by the consumers. The objective of the study presented here was to investigate the occurrence of and possible patterns in this voluntary multi-channel usage.
As one of the largest academic publishers in the world, Elsevier is always looking for innovate s... more As one of the largest academic publishers in the world, Elsevier is always looking for innovate services to offer to clients. In this Open Innovation project, STBY was commissioned to conduct a Lead User Research among academic researchers in The Netherlands and The United Kingdom. The insights gained from this research were used as input for a series of Co-Creation Workshops, where a multi-disciplinary team from the client organisation and a selection of lead users explored potential opportunities for new online tools and services. The workshops were guided and facilitated by STBY and Radarstation, who regularly collaborate as partners in the Global Innovation Group. This paper reflects on the process and methodology used in this Open Innovation project, and how these may contribute to the emerging framework of service design.
Research teams face continual pressure to design research engagements that are both affordable an... more Research teams face continual pressure to design research engagements that are both affordable and meaningful to act upon ‐ to multiple business needs across different teams. Project specific studies were beginning to duplicate outcomes and analysis from different areas could be seen to contradict in some instances. This raised difficult questions about the best method to unify projects, methods, data captured and consumer types. The challenge this paper describes was to shift away from project focused studies to a method of gathering a ‘global kit’ of user observations and analysis resources which could benefit any project, in the context of varying design and business planning requirements (assumed to be on strategy). This was seen as an opportunity study users a broad range of ages and abilities to in order to improve universal human factors, rather than resort to typifying consumers according attitude and lifestyle.
When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of t... more When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of the core themes is the decision-making process on channel choice. Most of the literature on channel choice addresses it as a single decision during the consumption process. The study reported in this paper describes how consumers often make several channel choices throughout the consumption process. The described study is an ethnographically inspired, in-depth case study that examined online and offline travel preparations. From the raw data travel stories were developed as the unit of analysis. The consumer behaviour observed from the travel stories shows evidence of multi-channel use and of movement between online and offline channels. The study has identified two types of movement between channels: parallel channel use and channel switching.
In order to understand how consumers move between online and offline channels in the context of m... more In order to understand how consumers move between online and offline channels in the context of multi-channel retail environments, an exploratory study has been conducted. To prepare for this study, the literature on consumer channel choice and contemporary consumption behaviour together with relevant HCI literature was reviewed. The initial findings from the research show that consumers move between online and offline channels in a straightforward, almost matter-of-fact way, though the factors influencing their multi-channel use are complex and dynamic. In their empowered parallel interactions with various businesses consumers are actively shaping the outcome of the service encounter. Introduction Several studies from the fields of marketing and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) (e.g. Ahuja et al., 2003, Forsythe and Shi, 2003, Goldsmith, 2000, Lee, 2002) report that although consumers regularly use e-commerce websites for browsing and searching, they often do not conclude this proc...
When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of t... more When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of the more themes is the decision-making process on channel choice. Most of the literature on channel choice addresses it as a single decision during the consumption process. The study reported in this paper describes how consumers often make several channel choices throughout the consumption process. The described study is an ethnographically inspired, in-depth case study that examined online and offline travel preparations. From the raw data travel stories were developed as the unit of analysis. The consumer behaviour observed from the travel stories shows evidence of multi-channel use and of movement between online and offline channels. The study has identified two types of movement between channels: parallel channel use and channel switching.
One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and... more One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and why people are combining the use of conventional service channels with using the electronic channel. This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. The consumption behaviour of the participants in the study has been investigated across channels in a case study-based approach. The findings indicate that even though consumers prefer the convenience and control of the electronic channel, they often use it in combination with conventional channels (shops, mail order, telephone). The reported parallel channel use and switches between channels were in many cases not triggered by problems in the e-service design or delivery, but based on voluntary decisions by the consumers. The objective of the study presented here was to investigate the occurrence of and possible patterns in this voluntary multi-channel usage.
The emerging field of Service Design seems to build on research and practices developed in both H... more The emerging field of Service Design seems to build on research and practices developed in both HCI and Services Marketing. It bridges these two until recently quite distinct areas of work and shows that they share a set of underlying principles. They both focus on iterative, interdisciplinary, design- driven and user-centered development of concepts, prototypes and working models. They are both looking at creating high-quality, multi-channel services by taking note of the perspective of the future users/consumers of those services from an early stage in the development process. Likewise, both these fields can in turn learn from the insights and practices currently being developed in Service Design. This paper describes how Service Design both incorporates traditions from HCI and Services Marketing and in its application re-appropriates them.
For many Services Research and Service Design are emerging, crossing and in some cases redefining... more For many Services Research and Service Design are emerging, crossing and in some cases redefining disciplinary boundaries. The user, value and worth centred ethos of human–computer interaction (HCI) approaches, is making its way into service design approaches (Cottam and Leadbeater 2004, Parker and Heapy 2006, Boyle and Harris 2009, Bunt and Harris 2009) with the usual range of complements and challenges that occur when disciplines interact (e.g. Guldbrandsen and Dijk 2010, Wild 2010b). Recent years have seen a number of papers being published in HCI ‘venues’ (e.g. Kwon et al. 2007, van Dijk et al. 2007, Caratozzolo et al. 2008, Koivumaki et al. 2008, Newman and Doherty 2008, van Dijk 2008, Medina et al. 2010, Wild 2010a), alongside workshops exploring the intersection of HCI and Services (Wild 2008, 2009). Many approaches to Service design borrow, overlap or complement HCI’s applied focus and academic rigour. For example Parker and Heapy’s use of prototypes, personas and measurement of the Service experience. Another of HCI’s strengths is its strong emphasis on creative and systematic conceptual design. This can inform new ways of approaching Service design, which can enhance the focus that Service Marketing and Operations communities have taken to Services (see Seddon 1992, Berry and Lampo 2000, Seddon et al. 2009, Wild 2010a). Service has also emerged as a metaphor for desktop, web-based, pervasive and ubiquitous software applications. Researchers and practitioners often talk of services instead of applications. Service-oriented architectures (SOA) receive continued attention in computing, but research is often divorced from HCI issues (Penta et al. 2005, Kounkou et al. 2008). SOA has emerged alongside the Software as a Service Software (SaaS) concept, which based on a rental rather than purchase metaphor for software artefacts. The SOA and SaaS communities have largely focussed on exploring architectures, and there often is little link to HCI concerns, although research within several European funded projects has started to address this issue. Overall, in developing the call for papers for this special issue, we felt the time was ripe to explore the new opportunities at the intersection between HCI and Services research.
and other research outputs Channels, consumers and communication: online and offline communicatio... more and other research outputs Channels, consumers and communication: online and offline communication in service consumption
This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel con... more This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. To develop a deeper understanding of what makes consumers decide to use the online channel, and contrary to most HCI studies on the use of e-services that focus on the use of the online channel in relative isolation, this study examined consumer channel-choice beyond the instances of internet use. The consumption behaviour of its participants was investigated across channels in an in-depth qualitative study. The analysis of the elicited rich data focused specifically on the investigation of voluntary consumer movements between online and offline channels during the course of a consumption process. The results indicate that participants often use multiple channels in parallel and frequently switch between channels. Literature from marketing and consumer research was used as the perspective to explore the rationale for the complex and dynamic reported consumer behaviour.
One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and... more One of the issues in research on the increasing use of online services, or e-services, is how and why people are combining the use of conventional service channels with using the electronic channel. This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. The consumption behaviour of the participants in the study has been investigated across channels in a case study-based approach. The findings indicate that even though consumers prefer the convenience and control of the electronic channel, they often use it in combination with conventional channels (shops, mail order, telephone). The reported parallel channel use and switches between channels were in many cases not triggered by problems in the e-service design or delivery, but based on voluntary decisions by the consumers. The objective of the study presented here was to investigate the occurrence of and possible patterns in this voluntary multi-channel usage.
As one of the largest academic publishers in the world, Elsevier is always looking for innovate s... more As one of the largest academic publishers in the world, Elsevier is always looking for innovate services to offer to clients. In this Open Innovation project, STBY was commissioned to conduct a Lead User Research among academic researchers in The Netherlands and The United Kingdom. The insights gained from this research were used as input for a series of Co-Creation Workshops, where a multi-disciplinary team from the client organisation and a selection of lead users explored potential opportunities for new online tools and services. The workshops were guided and facilitated by STBY and Radarstation, who regularly collaborate as partners in the Global Innovation Group. This paper reflects on the process and methodology used in this Open Innovation project, and how these may contribute to the emerging framework of service design.
Research teams face continual pressure to design research engagements that are both affordable an... more Research teams face continual pressure to design research engagements that are both affordable and meaningful to act upon ‐ to multiple business needs across different teams. Project specific studies were beginning to duplicate outcomes and analysis from different areas could be seen to contradict in some instances. This raised difficult questions about the best method to unify projects, methods, data captured and consumer types. The challenge this paper describes was to shift away from project focused studies to a method of gathering a ‘global kit’ of user observations and analysis resources which could benefit any project, in the context of varying design and business planning requirements (assumed to be on strategy). This was seen as an opportunity study users a broad range of ages and abilities to in order to improve universal human factors, rather than resort to typifying consumers according attitude and lifestyle.
When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of t... more When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of the core themes is the decision-making process on channel choice. Most of the literature on channel choice addresses it as a single decision during the consumption process. The study reported in this paper describes how consumers often make several channel choices throughout the consumption process. The described study is an ethnographically inspired, in-depth case study that examined online and offline travel preparations. From the raw data travel stories were developed as the unit of analysis. The consumer behaviour observed from the travel stories shows evidence of multi-channel use and of movement between online and offline channels. The study has identified two types of movement between channels: parallel channel use and channel switching.
In order to understand how consumers move between online and offline channels in the context of m... more In order to understand how consumers move between online and offline channels in the context of multi-channel retail environments, an exploratory study has been conducted. To prepare for this study, the literature on consumer channel choice and contemporary consumption behaviour together with relevant HCI literature was reviewed. The initial findings from the research show that consumers move between online and offline channels in a straightforward, almost matter-of-fact way, though the factors influencing their multi-channel use are complex and dynamic. In their empowered parallel interactions with various businesses consumers are actively shaping the outcome of the service encounter. Introduction Several studies from the fields of marketing and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) (e.g. Ahuja et al., 2003, Forsythe and Shi, 2003, Goldsmith, 2000, Lee, 2002) report that although consumers regularly use e-commerce websites for browsing and searching, they often do not conclude this proc...
When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of t... more When investigating the consumer experience in multi-channel retail service environments, one of the more themes is the decision-making process on channel choice. Most of the literature on channel choice addresses it as a single decision during the consumption process. The study reported in this paper describes how consumers often make several channel choices throughout the consumption process. The described study is an ethnographically inspired, in-depth case study that examined online and offline travel preparations. From the raw data travel stories were developed as the unit of analysis. The consumer behaviour observed from the travel stories shows evidence of multi-channel use and of movement between online and offline channels. The study has identified two types of movement between channels: parallel channel use and channel switching.
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Papers by Geke Van Dijk