This hands-on project-based master's thesis focuses on enhancing organisations' design maturity by exploring a future thinking mindset and methodologies within the already adapted design-thinking corporate culture. The central part of the thesis study consists of two generative design workshops. In today's dynamic business landscape, marked by profit goals, relentless competition and a pressing need for process digitization, many organisations build their service strategies around short-term objectives. Such an approach may help with immediate gains but often falls short in long-term resilience.
The primary objectives of the qualitative research are to investigate the current state of design maturity in organisations in Latvia and to assess the potential benefits of integrating futures thinking – also called foresight – into the existing design thinking culture. The research journey encompassed various phases, including desk research, field research, observational research, ethnographic studies of corporate design processes, in-depth semi-structured one-on-one interviews, generative futures design workshops and corresponding unstructured feedback sessions.
The findings of this study reveal that futures thinking, as both a toolkit and a holistic mindset in small and large companies in Latvia, is currently almost nonexistent and should be promoted more widely. Despite the practical challenges faced in ongoing projects, research participants agree that integrating foresight methods into the broader design thinking culture is perceived as undoubtedly valuable. The practical recommendations and methods framework developed within this study provide a valuable resource for organisations seeking to navigate the challenges of customer-centricity, design methodology adaptation, and overall innovations in short-term and long-term service strategies.
Keywords: Strategic service design, Design maturity, Futures thinking, Generative research