abstract
- This chapter investigates power dynamics that service design professionals face during their career. Power can be understood in different ways, in particular in regard to how individuals can influence people. We assess the dimensions of power and use ecological systems theory to describe social relations in power formation. The study consisted of workshops involving service design experts that engaged participants to position their own experiences of power into a framework template derived from Bronfenbrenner¿s ecological system model. Four main themes emerged in the findings: Hierarchies, diversity challenges and communication. We see that these three themes create the experience of power that service designers or professionals from similar fields face while coordinating activities in service design. The ecological system model served as a useful boundary object to facilitate conversations around power in the workshops and might be helpful in other contexts. We hope to see further studies that continue the dialogue around power to gain more reflexivity regarding how service designers can individually be influencing power relations and also externally influenced in the design-relevant power dynamics. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Mari Suoheimo, Peter Jones, Sheng-Hung Lee and Birger Sevaldson; individual chapters, the contributors.