On 9th October 2019, the 2018 master class from the Department of Innovation & Management in Tourism at the FH Salzburg (Salzburg University of Applied Sciences) were invited to a full-day excursion at St. Johann in Tyrol in the three hotels: Hotel & Wirtshaus Post, Hotel-Gasthof zur schönen Aussicht Superior, and Hotel Penzinghof. This project is part of Service Design course, guided by FH-Prof. Dr. Barbara Neuhofer.
Dare to think differently!
One of the main aims of service design is to break down silos and help people co-create. Though, what is more important is that if we are to design great products, services and memorable experiences, we need to understand how these experiences can be created. In the Service Design course, students learn how to develop innovative products, services and experiences through the principles of ‘design thinking’ and ‘design doing’ methods. Students also explore a range of creative and innovative approaches, tools and frameworks to make services attractive, unique and user-centered.
Instead of an in-class exam, students simulate the real world!
They build consulting teams and were invited by the client for an on-site inspection day where they implemented several research methods to collect data through observations, diaries and talks. The goal is to help the client to develop a unique selling point to differentiate them from the market.
Mein YAPADU – What is it about?
The main problems faced by the client is the fact that their core tourism products – amazing landscape, mountains, snow and sunshine – is shared by the whole region. So the question is: how to stand out? For this purpose, the world “YAPADU” is the output of the regional strategy-process. YAPADU, referring to the moments of happiness, reinforces the notion that happiness is the key to create rememberable moments for locals, guests and stakeholders. Currently, there are three pilot hotels pioneering the new “YAPADU philosophy”. Yet, since as a product “happiness” is applicable for every regional stakeholder, the ultimate goal is to strengthen the strategy inside the whole region – from the macro to the micro level.
When theory meets reality…
Built upon the moments of happiness, our master students were divided into 5 different consulting groups based on YAPADU quality standard, including reception, F&B, housekeeping, marketing, and info-management. Students analyzed the task quo and evaluated all high potential touchpoints of the customer journey by focusing on the assigned area. The five areas were selected due to its high potentiality for implementing or optimizing services and creating moments of happiness. As part of the excursion, students tried to get a picture of the current processes. At the end of the course, students apply various design thinking methods and deliver a presentation to the client, the DMO of St. Johann in Tirol to give inspirations and guidelines in creating moments of happiness.
Pictured from left to right:
FH-Prof. Dr. Barbara Neuhofer, Ms. Grander Elisabeth (CEO of Hotel-Gasthof zur schönen Aussicht Superior ), Mr. Gernot Riedel (CEO of TVB Kitzbüheler Alpen St.Johann in Tirol )
