Rebirth Part A
Service Design | Innovation Integrated Design
My Role
Ground Research; Stakeholder Analysis; Service Blueprint
Timeline & Status
Aug 2022 - Dec 2022
Project Summary
Stall markets, vital for low-income employment, struggle with outdated operations and government regulations.
Despite a temporary revival in China for economic relief during the pandemic, they face imminent shutdowns, highlighting the need for innovative reforms to match societal evolution.
The aim is to design a system that alters the roles of communication between city officials and hawkers, to solve conflicts among hawkers, city officials, and customers, and to elevate the stall economy industry.
Research Methods
Secondary Research
I conducted secondary research to understand the background of the stalls market, and its relationship with economy, employment, and social stability.
I also did research on how stalls economy performed during the pandemic.
Through research, I uncovered the deeper implications of stall markets on the economy and cityscape. To progress, I identify objective factors from the effects previously outlined and categorize them into three main market aspects: Market, Society, and Policy. This will guide my interviews and provide a better understanding of the street stall industry stakeholders.
Interviews
According to the research, I identified three groups that participated the most in setting up stalls: hawkers, consumers, and city officials.
However, I questioned what led them to act like those in a problem situation, so I asked them about the phenomena I found in the research to explore their reasons.
I selected six stall owners, four consumers, and three urban managers to conduct interviews.
I then used Affinity Mapping to analyze the interview results.
Stakeholder Map & Multilink Analysis
Through research and interviews, I've gained insights into stall operations and identified involved participants.
This Stakeholder Map clarifies relationships and conflicts in various scenarios, guiding my next design phase.
Additionally, the Multilink Analysis highlights how stakeholders collaborate and addresses vulnerabilities.
Regarding the main issues of street stall operation, I used the Stakeholder Map to identify the most critical stakeholders in generating these issues and sorted out their needs under the problem scenarios. Then I found that these needs have a particular intersection, which can be roughly divided into six plates.
Insight from Stakeholder Map & Multilink Analysis
Communication between the city officials and hawkers is passive
Conflicts of stakeholders’ objectives constrain collaboration
Problems with the participants concentrated in retail link
Persona
According to the conclusion above, I need to study further the three groups of hawkers, consumers, and city officials. The interviewees vary in terms of age, family background, financial status, needs, participation goals, etc., thus leading to their different behaviors. Thus, the persona of this project can sum up to two consumer roles, two official city roles, and three hawker roles.
Conceptualization
Design Requirement
Meeting needs of residents and adapting to the amenities of the city is the starting point for the development of today's stalls
Senior city officials pay more attention on controlling or penalizing the stallholders and participating less in governance
Solve the weaknesses of stakeholders in some segments to improve management effectiveness
Using three core indicators, we identified areas for stakeholder improvement, leading to four strategic action directions. A new model was developed to involve more stakeholders, supported by two subsystems focusing on preparation, bidding, and workforce allocation.
