During the course “Service design methdos and company case” we worked as a student team for Rovaniemi theatre. The greatest challenge and initiator for the case was the factor that theatre is currently in temporary premises, and is divided into several locations in the centre of Rovaniemi.  The framework for this case was to find out ways and solutions that help theatre to improve their services in under this unfortunate situation.

In the case with Rovaniemi theatre we focused on researching the service string that customers need to follow when going to the theatre. We investigated the different factors that include into the service string, and also focused on the customers experiences before they actually see the play. These factors were investigated by observing the servicescapes of the theatre service path and by interviewing customers that regularly use the services of the theatre. In this case our target group was women in the age of over 50 years.

We formed three different customer profiles after the conclusions that based on the observations and the interviews of the target group. SINCO prototyping laboratory gave us good settings to test and simulate the different customer journeys of each of these profiles. By empathizing to different roles of these customer types, it was possible to notice various needs and wants that appeared in the part of the service moment. Also problems and possibilities that related to the service path were considered.

After working in Sinco laboratory we formed up seven most important factors that belong to the service string and were especially taken into consideration in the process of working on the ideas.

1. Making the first impression and need to go to the theatre.
2.  Buying the ticket.
3. Importance of guides.
4. Servicescape and appearance.
5. Intermission.
6.  Postmarketing.
7. Personality of customer and the theatre experience.

SINCO prototyping gave us an effective way to get a bigger picture of the service moment, servicescape and all the important touch points like people, spaces, things and processes, that include to the whole journey of theatre service. After getting conscious of factors including the theatre experience as a whole, it was productive to form ideas, ways and solutions, that answered to the need of the target group and also the demand of the Rovaniemi Theatre. In this service design course we have learned that desing of services is like theatre. It`s like directing a play from a stand to the stage and seeing the process from the customers perspective.

Theatre team: Aleksi Brunni, Annukka Heinonen and Jenni Mattila
The authors are Ma students of the faculty of Arts and Design in University of Lapland.