Customer orientation in development (5cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

Guidance webinars every two weeks during the spring semester 2026. The course can be completed at your own pace. The lectures are recorded.

Objective

After completing the course, you will have the ability to think customer-oriented in the context of development, you will master customer-oriented service development methods and know how to apply them in your own industry.
You recognize the importance of customer experience management in the development of services. After the course, you will have informed and skillful capabilities to utilize research data, which can be used to target and anticipate development needs in a customer-oriented manner. You know how to evaluate and promote the implementation of professional ethical principles and values in the development of services.

Competences of the course:
- Ethics
- Learning to learn
- Anticipatory development

Content

Note! This course is only for professionals or students in the welfare sector.

Customer-oriented thinking in service development (Design thinking) 1 cr
Customer-oriented service development methods and frameworks: experimental development and service design 2 cr
Customer experience and its management 1 op
Benefits and challenges of customer-centred service development in welfare services 1 op

Location and time

Guidance webinars, which take place in Zoom. All guidance webinars are optional. They cover the themes of the course and provide guidance on assignments in a student-centred way.

Materials

Note: Books are used in the course of study as appropriate and on a needs basis.

Hassi, L., Maila, R., & Paju, S. (2015). Kehitä kokeillen: Organisaation käsikirja. Talentum Pro.

Hujala, A., & Taskinen, H. (2020). Uudistuva sosiaali- ja terveysala. Tampere University Press.

Koivisto, M., Säynäjäkangas, J., & Forsberg, S. (2019). Palvelumuotoilun bisneskirja. Alma Talent.

Pakarinen, A., & Pakarinen, A. (2023). Design thinking in healthcare: From problem to innovative solutions (1st ed. 2023.). Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24510-7

Poskela, J., Kutinlahti, P., Hanhike, T., Martikainen, M. & Urjankangas, H-M. 2015. Kokeileva kehittäminen. Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriön juklaisuja 67/2015.

Saarijärvi, H., & Puustinen, P. (2020). Strategiana asiakaskokemus: Miksi, mitä, miten? Docendo.

Stickdorn, M., & Stickdorn, M. (2018). This is service design doing: Applying service design in the real world : a practitioner's handbook (First edition.). O'Reilly Media, Inc.

+ other material indicated during the course.

Teaching methods

Lecture recordings
Guidance webinars
Independent study
Working on assignments individually and in groups
Self-assessment
Reflection

Exam schedules

The course will follow the principles set out in the Degree Regulations.

Student workload

Join us to develop your skills as a customer-focused developer. The course will provide you with a wide range of tools and skills to take your development skills to the next level. The course is a challenging, timely and interesting addition to your customer-oriented developer toolbox. During the course, you will also strengthen your AI literacy and learn how AI can help you as a customer-focused developer.

Customer-oriented thinking in service development 1 cr
Customer-oriented service development methods and frameworks 2 cr
Customer experience and its management 1 cr
Benefits and challenges of customer-oriented service development in welfare services 1 cr

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

- Students will demonstrate the ability to think in a customer-oriented way in the context of development.
- The student masters a customer-oriented service development method and is able to apply it in his/her own context.
- The student understands what is meant by customer experience and the importance of managing it in service development.
- The student will have the knowledge and skills to use research to identify the needs for customer-centred development.
- Identify the ethical principles and values of the profession in the context of service development.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

- Students will demonstrate an advanced ability to think in a customer-oriented way in the context of development.
- The student masters several customer-oriented service development methods and demonstrates the ability to apply them in his/her field of activity.
- The student recognises the importance of customer experience management in service development and is able to apply his/her knowledge to practical workplace challenges.
- The student will have the knowledge and skills to use research knowledge to target and anticipate development needs in a customer-oriented way.
- The student will be able to assess and promote the implementation of the ethical principles and values of the profession in the development of services.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

- Students will demonstrate an advanced and critical ability to think in a customer-oriented way in the context of development.
- The student will have a command of several customer-oriented service development methods, be able to apply them in development and be able to evaluate the use of different methods in relation to the need for development.
- The student recognises the importance of customer experience management in service development and is able to apply his/her knowledge to demanding practical challenges in working life.
- The student will have the knowledge and skills to use research knowledge to target and anticipate development needs in a customer-oriented way. The student demonstrates the ability to apply knowledge to demanding practical challenges in working life.
- The student will be able to assess and promote the implementation of the ethical principles and values of the profession in the development of services. In addition, the student will identify and analyse future phenomena that challenge the implementation of the ethical principles and values of the profession in the development of services.

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in social and health care or equivalent.