Development of an activity-based service design model for improving older travellers' inclusion in future Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)

This thesis is concerned with the inclusive service design of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), an emerging concept of integrated transport service, and explored the inclusive design approach and iterative insights with the example of older people aged 65+. 

The thesis began by reviewing the current concepts related to MaaS and the early real-world pilot results, then investigated the older travellers’ characteristics and the inclusive service design theoretical approaches (Chapter 2). The causal relationships between the knowledge gaps were summarized. It shows that the lack of perspectives and methods of MaaS inclusive service design leads to the consideration of differentiated needs of users, which may lead to the risk of exclusion. However, the specific crux still needs to be explored. In response to this, the thesis discussed the philosophic features (Chapter 3) and considered that the research could apply the methodology of pragmatism and interpretivism. 

An exploratory qualitative study of MaaS stakeholders’ views on inclusive design verifies that the involvement of older people has not been fully considered. Combined with subsequent interviews with stakeholders, the research preliminarily estimated that the cause of the potential exclusion risk might be the lack of appropriate design methods applied in the early stage of service development (Chapter 4). A qualitative study of MaaS service providers (Chapter 5) shows that the current design of MaaS is based on Service-Oriented Logic (SOL), with which the service providers stand at a higher position than the users to define their needs and set up services for management purposes. The study used the three-level structure of Multi-level Service Design (MSD) to decompose the current MaaS system, refine the general user experience as a framework and the key actors with their responsibilities (e.g. Platform Operator, MaaS Provider, Data Provider, Transport Provider and Transaction Solution Provider). To supplement the lack of user-centred view (or understand it as the Customer-Oriented Logic, COL), Activity Theory (AT) was introduced to interpret the original motivation of travel. The Activity-based Inclusive Service Design model was developed based on MSD and AT as the core theoretical framework of this research. The model emphasizes two temporal contexts of MaaS iteration-short term and long term. Therefore, Studies 3 and 4 were designed based on the two contexts, respectively.

In Study 3 (Chapter 6), qualitative data were collected with the support of a storyboard. The older participants indicated that the application of MaaS would not change their travel behaviour in the current context, but they hoped it would improve their existing travel experience, increase their perceived control during the journey and refine the closed-loop of both travel experiences and customer experience. Study 4 (Chapter 7) organized an in-depth interview with the same participants and found that in the future context, the older travellers are more willing to use MaaS for the medium- and long-distance trips driven by flexible activity purposes, that is, the trips with flexible destination and purposes (e.g. entertainment, social, exercise and tourism). The older travellers expect to achieve their preferred lifestyle through future MaaS, so the activity-based perspective can be applied to explore possible scenarios to stimulate user motivation.

This thesis then focuses on the iteration insights at the three levels of MSD, their relationship, and the possible implementations (Chapter 8). It also emphasizes the significance of setting up the closed-loop of user/customer experience as an effective adaption before influencing user behaviour and habits. Finally, the thesis concludes with the highlights of this inclusive service design approach. It points out the feasibility of introducing the activity-based perspective into service design and the contribution of this research to the development of MaaS (Chapter 9).