Dynamic Multi-interface Services: An Application to the Design of a Multimedia Service

Abstract

The development and widespread market acceptance of recent technological devices, such as smartphones and tablets, poses new challenges and great opportunities for innovative service designs. In fact these devices no longer merely replicate the same functionalities in different contexts, they can also dynamically interact among themselves when in close proximity. Thus, this is a two-fold challenge for service designers, they must handle the additional points of contact between service providers and their customers independently, and also in combinations. In this paper we present the relevant concepts for designing multi-interface services, and also introduce the concept of dynamic service interfaces. We illustrate these dynamic service interfaces by presenting an application to the design of a new multimedia service. This service makes use of dynamic service interfaces to deliver an improved and innovative customer experience. Keywords-service design; multi-interface services; customer experience; dynamic service interface I. THE EMERGENCE OF DYNAMIC MULTI-INTERFACE SERVICESIn a recently published report, Google emphasizes how multiple screens/devices like the tablet, smartphone, computer, and TV have become intertwined with our daily activities and between themselves [1]. We now have an interactive device for every context. When we are on the move, and need to quickly access some piece of information, we choose the smartphone. For consuming content while commuting we use the tablet or, if we are at home, we use it concurrently with the TV. Content creation remains a laptop related task. In each task every screen can play a part using its distinct attributes to better support the task goal. Technology-wise this is hardly a novelty. So far the focus seemed to be on the synchronization of content between devices, but the market is quickly evolving towards an ecosystem of interfaces, which dynamically change their characteristics in the presence of each others.For service providers this new array of devices enables the orchestration of new experiences but also brings additional challenges, as they effectively multiply the number of touchpoints, or service encounters. Service encounters are defined by Bitner, Brown and Meuter [2] as moments of interaction between a customer and a firm. As customers cocreate their experiences through every contact with the company, perceiving it in an unitary and holistic way [3-5], a single, ill-designed touchpoint can severely compromise the overall experience. Service designers need to effectively deal with the increased complexity of the service provision by designing a coherent service throughout every interface. Rayport and Jaworski [6] define service interface as any place at which a company seeks to manage a relationship with a customer, whether through people, technology, or some combination of the two.These authors also emphasize how the portfolio of interfaces can be a company's best competitive advantage-or biggest liability if not correctly integrated. Service literature ...