Abstract

This article explores a pedagogical strategy that aims to smooth the transition from the Research to the Conceptualization stages by incorporating ideation and solution-oriented activities from the beginning of the design process. It presents a case study of a design-led innovation project executed in a service design course in partnership with a community partner (CP) from a public organization. This approach seems to have been successful overall. It also enhanced the ability to trace back the origins of solutions and highlighted the occurrence of multiple creative leaps throughout the project. It emphasizes the importance of external feedback, especially from CPs, in shaping and refining solutions. Additionally, it revealed the complexities involved in solution validation and the necessity for a more structured and robust framework to guide students through this phase, especially when collaborating with large public organizations on complex and systemic issues.