Complementary currency design as resilient service systems: Transforming limits into strategic innovation opportunities

Authors

  • Ida Telalbasic Loughborough University London, Politecnico di Milano

Abstract

The socio-economic crisis of 2008 persists in creating a need for structural change and radical transformation by applying systemic thinking and holistic approaches to design solutions. This paper questions those limits with regards to economic failures of income distribution among social entrepreneurs in co-working spaces. The argument focuses on exploring the potential for introducing alternative solutions where design can cut across traditional models and lead to economic transformations through new service models. Complementary currency systems structurally diversify monetary eco-systems and act as a mechanism for territorial and social cohesion. Strategic design is summoned here to focus on a new currency through the development of an integrated and resilient service system, a model for activating idle capabilities of community members into innovative collaboration opportunities. On-field research encompassing interviews, survey and persona design methods have been conducted with members of the Impact HUB social business network. The analysis of existing collaborative service models serves as an enabling action platform for service innovation to take place, driven by bottom-up behaviour changes towards social innovation. This research sets the stage to open up possibilities for empowering professionals and capacity building approaches to be implemented in emerging collaborative economies.

Keywords: complementary currency systems, strategic design, service system design, resilient strategy.

Author Biography

Ida Telalbasic, Loughborough University London, Politecnico di Milano

Product-Service-System Designer Researcher in Service Design for Social Innovation & Sustainability Ida's education includes a double MSc. degree in Product-Service-System Design from Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with Politecnico di Torino granted by Alta Scuola Politecnica. She completed a PhD in Product, Service & Strategy Design at Politecnico di Milano, researching the topic of design in times of socio-economic transformations and investigating how social innovation can contribute in proposing new service systems. She is currently working as Lecturer in Design Innovation/Management at the Institute of Design Innovation, Loughborough University London. She is a visiting lecturer at Central Saint Martins College (Innovation Management) and at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication (Business Design) in London. Ida's research focuses on service design innovation and systemic structural change, where design is given a role in leading economic transformations rather than simply responding to them. The approach of designing people-powered services and in turn people-powered economies demonstrates the potential of design to simultaneously do problem setting, problem framing and problem solving. Ida's experience includes developing scaling-up methodologies for social innovations and contribution in a start-up project aimed to design collaborative services to boost social innovation. Her work focuses on innovation in products, services and user experiences, using a design-driven approach for social innovation and sustainability. Main fields of work: Design research / service system design & strategy / co-design facilitation / user-centred design / design thinking / UX design

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Published

2017-05-01

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2017): May/Aug

Section

Special Issue: Strategic Design Research Journal Volume 10

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