UT 360 - WINTER 2025
UT SERVICE DESIGN & URBAN NEEDS
UT 360 - WINTER 2025
Alex Johnston
This course explores the principles and practices of service design with a focus on urban contexts. Through a blend of theory, real-world case studies, and practical applications, students will learn to address complex urban challenges using citizen-centered design methods. The course emphasizes collaboration, creativity, and iterative problem-solving to build innovative solutions for equitable and inclusive urban services.
URBAN TECHNOLOGY
UT 360 - WINTER 2025
PROFESSOR
Alex JohnstonThis course explores the principles and practices of service design with a focus on urban contexts. Through a blend of theory, real-world case studies, and practical applications, students will learn to address complex urban challenges using citizen-centered design methods. The course emphasizes collaboration, creativity, and iterative problem-solving to build innovative solutions for equitable and inclusive urban services.
STUDENTS
Owen Woertink, Sean Kim, Norris Hsu
Seasonal weather in Ann Arbor leads to a decline in community around outdoor third spaces. Generating a cultural chill which slows local business.
Hearth is a solution to these cultural changes with outdoor third-spaces during the winter. Easing the process for individuals to engage each other on the street scape, while supporting small local business.
STUDENTS
Hannah Bernstein, Ethan Casler, Huy Dung Lou, Adilzhan Nazarov
Commercial Composting in Ann Arbor In Ann Arbor, restaurants generate significant food waste, yet only 0.042% is composted ("ReFed Insights Engine"). To understand this system, we conducted eleven stakeholder interviews and led a co-creation workshop with representatives from restaurants and the City of Ann Arbor. Attendants constructed a service blueprint of MyGreenMichigan's commercial composting onboarding process. A key pain point identified was the lack of transparent pricing options for composting. Our Compost Service Price Estimator addresses this by providing transparent cost and impact estimates to streamline onboarding for MyGreenMichigan. This concept would help convince restaurants to compost and avoid sending food waste to landfills.