Service Design For Systemic Change

Course

Today, companies, public institutions, and third-sector organizations are facing profound transformations driven by digitalization, sustainability requirements, organizational change, and the rapid evolution of AI. In this context, Service Design is no longer limited to improving customer experiences: it has become a strategic capability for rethinking services, processes, and organizational models across entire ecosystems.
The Executive Course in Service Design for Systemic Change equips professionals with the tools and perspectives needed to use Service Design as a driver of systemic transformation in complex contexts. Here are the program’s goals:

• To design and manage systemic service solutions that generate measurable value for organizations, users, and communities
• To integrate systems thinking and speculative approaches to anticipate future scenarios and drive innovation
• To build robust Theories of Change and develop evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of services and innovation processes
• To define and apply qualitative and quantitative indicators to support evidence-based decision-making
• To leverage Artificial Intelligence both as support for the design process—enhancing research, creativity, prototyping, and insight generation—and as a key component of AI-enabled services and experiences

The Executive Course combines online lessons, practical exercises, and real case studies, providing advanced skills to drive change across different organizational contexts. It is modular, allowing participants to choose between three options: 1) attend the full program, including the optional in-person Design Jam; 2) join the online component only; 3) select three, four, or five modules according to their preference.
Main topics include:

• An overview of the Service Design approach
• Systems Thinking, Impact Evaluation, Speculative Design
• AI in Service Design, with a focus on the design of AI-enabled services and on the ethical and organizational implications of integrating AI into complex systems
• Impact and evidence-based decision-making: how to support design choices with data and evaluation methods, define meaningful indicators, and measure the outcomes of innovation processes

Testimonials

Didactics

Didactic Modules

The Executive Course lasts 53 hours in total: 36 hours online and 17 hours in person at the design jam in Milan (optional). It adopts a training model that combines methodological competencies with disciplinary and extra-disciplinary perspectives to expand and update the foundations of Service Design. The program integrates theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and direct engagement with industry experts through the following modules.

Module 1
Service Design Landscape in the AI era
September 30 and October 7, 2026
The first module introduces participants to the evolving role of Service Design within innovation and transformation processes. It explores how the discipline is expanding through the integration of systems thinking, impact-driven approaches, and AI-enabled practices. Participants will examine how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping both the design process and the nature of services themselves, influencing organizational models, customer experiences, and emerging professional competencies. Through frameworks, discussions, and real-world cases, the module reflects on the evolving role of designers — from problem solvers to orchestrators of complex human–AI service systems.

Module 2
Systems Thinking and Systemic Service Design
October 10 and 14, 2026
This module explores the relationship between Service Design and Systems Thinking, providing participants with theoretical and practical tools to understand, map, and design complex systems. Participants will learn how to identify interdependencies, analyze systemic dynamics, and recognize leverage points for organizational and social transformation. The module will also explore how AI technologies can support and enhance system mapping, insight generation, and decision-making processes, enabling more informed and adaptive approaches to systemic service design.

Module 3
Speculative design approaches
October 17 and 21, 2026
This module introduces methods and tools for imagining future scenarios and anticipating emerging needs, behaviours, and technological transformations. Through speculative design and participatory foresight practices, participants will explore alternative futures and develop long-term visions for innovation and transformation. Particular attention will be given to the role of AI as a speculative partner in scenario building.

Module 4
Service Evaluation Frameworks
October 24 and 28, 2026
This module introduces the core principles of evaluation and their integration within the service design practice integrating key evaluation stages seamlessly into the design process. Participants will learn how to define evaluation objectives and research questions, conduct stakeholder mapping, and design mixed-method evaluation strategies combining qualitative and quantitative indicators to comprehensively assess service performance and impact.

Module 5
Service Impact Assessment & Trustworthy AI
October 31 and November 4, 2026
This module focuses on impact evaluation methodologies and the development of Theories of Change to plan the social, economic, and environmental outcomes of service interventions. The module also addresses the implications of AI adoption in services and organizations, introducing key concepts related to Trustworthy AI, ethics, transparency, governance, and risk management. Through real cases and applied examples, participants will critically examine how to design responsible and human-centered AI-enabled services.

Module 6
Social & Environmental Service Impact
November 7 and November 11, 2026
This module explores methods and tools for evaluating the social, environmental, and economic impact of service design initiatives. Participants will work with approaches such as Social Return on Investment (SROI) and sustainability-oriented evaluation frameworks, learning how to integrate impact measurement into innovation and service development processes. Real case studies will support the application of these methods in organizational and public-sector contexts.

Design Jam
Applied service design for systemic change in the AI era
November 19, 20 and 21, 2026
The Design Jam is conceived as an intensive collaborative experience, allowing participants to apply the methodologies, tools, and perspectives acquired throughout the course to a real-world challenge focused on the design of an AI-enabled service.
Working in multidisciplinary teams, participants will address the strategic, systemic, experiential, and ethical dimensions of service innovation, combining Service Design methods with AI-oriented approaches and impact evaluation frameworks.

• Day 1 (3h) – Challenge launch and future scenario building
• Day 2 (7h) – AI-enabled service system design and prototyping
• Day 3 (7h) – Impact assessment framework development and final presentations

Title Released

Upon completion of the training program, participants will receive the open badge for the Executive Course in Service Design for Systemic Change by POLI.design.

Admission

Requirements

This course is intended for candidates with a high school diploma or degree in Design, Architecture or Engineering, as well as in non-polytechnic disciplines such as Economics, Communication Sciences or Social Sciences for which polytechnic disciplines can offer a significant contribution to previous professional training. 

To access the selection phase, please fill out the application form at the following link here  

Deadline for the application: August 31st, 2026. There are no pre-requisites for application.  

Price

Participation in the “Service Design for Systemic Change” course costs €3.000,00 including VAT.

The course includes both the first part online and the in-person jam event.
It is possible to purchase the online course separately for a cost of €2.300,00 including VAT or choose among 3 modules (1100€ ), 4 modules (1500€), 5 modules (1900€).

It is not possible to pay for the Design Jam alone.

PROMO

EARLY BIRD: -10%*
The promotion for those who have clear ideas, know which educational path can enrich their future, and can’t wait to get back to the classroom.

*The promotion is subject to spot availability.

BACK TO SCHOOL: -30%
The discount for those who have already trusted POLI.design and Polimi, and wish to return to study and build their future.

FAMILY SUPPORT: -50%
A chance to gift your siblings the encouragement they need to invest in their future.

POLI.NETWORK: -50%
A promotion designed to strengthen the bond and identity among members of the Politecnico di Milano community.

FRIEND TO FRIEND: -20%
An opportunity to gift to a friend to make education the foundation of their growth.

MORE THAN ONE: -15%
A discount for those who want to perfect their skills, for those who continually invest in education, not just once but multiple times.

BUSINESS BOOST
The discount designed for companies that recognize training as a crucial factor for growth.
The “Business Boost” discount provides a variable reduction on the participation fee for two or more employees in catalog courses. Specifically, the discount amounts to:

• 15% on the participation fee for the second employee’s enrollment
• 20% on the participation fee for the third employee’s enrollment
• 25% on the participation fee for the fourth employee’s enrollment

Furthermore, companies that purchase more than one Course for two or more employees in the same calendar year can access an additional 10% discount on the total. 

The fee reductions listed above are not cumulative. 

EDENRED
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Faculty