Study Guide

Objectives (course unit)

In this course, you will form an understanding of the customer's experience, combining service and hospitality skills, design thinking, sustainability and well-being.

Student:
- recognizes the importance of hospitality and empathy in the service business
- understand the importance, challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in their profession
- is able to describe, evaluate and visualize the service and the customer experience
- is able to structure well-being as a value-added factor of the service
- identify the link between the creation of well-being and the implementation of the service
- is able to take into account the possibilities of creating well-being in the production of new services

Content (course unit)

WHAT do service competence, hospitality and empathy mean in the service business?
WHY does the service business play an increasingly central role in creating well-being?
HOW can the dimensions and importance of sustainable development and well-being in a responsible service business be taken into account?
HOW can customer experience and service be evaluated and modeled using design thinking methods?
WHY should a restoration student get excited about the continuous development of service, responsibility and well-being skills?

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student is able to define concepts related to sustainable and responsible service business. The student recognizes concepts related to customer experience and well-being.
The student is familiar with design thinking and its methods from the perspective of a restoronomist.
The student performs the given tasks under supervision. The student is able to look at and evaluate things from his / her own perspective and taking responsibility for his / her own performance.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student is able to structure the relationships between concepts related to sustainable and responsible business. The student is able to explain the concepts related to customer experience and well-being, combining them with service activities.
The student is able to apply design thinking and choose suitable methods, as well as justify their choices to solve service problems.
The student cooperates responsibly and commits to the activities of the team, developing their interaction skills.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student understands the entities of a sustainable and responsible service business that emphasizes well-being.
The student recognizes the relationships between sustainability, well-being and the customer experience.
The student is able to analyze and compare the customer's experience and the creation of well-being in service activities.
The student is able to evaluate different ways of working and solutions when creating a new type of well-being-generating service.
The student cooperates responsibly, flexibly and constructively, developing his or her own and the team's interaction. The student is able to reflect on his or her own and others' work.

Assessment scale

0-5

Objectives (course unit)

In this course, you will form an understanding of the customer's experience, combining service and hospitality skills, design thinking, sustainability and well-being.

Student:
- recognizes the importance of hospitality and empathy in the service business
- understand the importance, challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in their profession
- is able to describe, evaluate and visualize the service and the customer experience
- is able to structure well-being as a value-added factor of the service
- identify the link between the creation of well-being and the implementation of the service
- is able to take into account the possibilities of creating well-being in the production of new services

Content (course unit)

WHAT do service competence, hospitality and empathy mean in the service business?
WHY does the service business play an increasingly central role in creating well-being?
HOW can the dimensions and importance of sustainable development and well-being in a responsible service business be taken into account?
HOW can customer experience and service be evaluated and modeled using design thinking methods?
WHY should a restoration student get excited about the continuous development of service, responsibility and well-being skills?

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student is able to define concepts related to sustainable and responsible service business. The student recognizes concepts related to customer experience and well-being.
The student is familiar with design thinking and its methods from the perspective of a restoronomist.
The student performs the given tasks under supervision. The student is able to look at and evaluate things from his / her own perspective and taking responsibility for his / her own performance.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student is able to structure the relationships between concepts related to sustainable and responsible business. The student is able to explain the concepts related to customer experience and well-being, combining them with service activities.
The student is able to apply design thinking and choose suitable methods, as well as justify their choices to solve service problems.
The student cooperates responsibly and commits to the activities of the team, developing their interaction skills.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student understands the entities of a sustainable and responsible service business that emphasizes well-being.
The student recognizes the relationships between sustainability, well-being and the customer experience.
The student is able to analyze and compare the customer's experience and the creation of well-being in service activities.
The student is able to evaluate different ways of working and solutions when creating a new type of well-being-generating service.
The student cooperates responsibly, flexibly and constructively, developing his or her own and the team's interaction. The student is able to reflect on his or her own and others' work.

Location and time

Course runs from August 25 to October 9, 2025. Divided into two parts: the Visit Ylöjärvi project takes place during weeks 35–39, and the teacher-led theory and reflection part during weeks 40–41.
Weekly rhythm in the schedule: Mondays 8:00–10:30 (on-site at TAMK), Thursdays 8:00–10:30 (mainly online via Zoom, team coaching, etc.; exceptions: August 28 at RestoLab and September 25 in Ylöjärvi).
The opening session on August 25 and subsequent sessions will clarify the format and location of each session.
Additionally, teams will independently schedule their own working time during the week to work on the weekly theme.

Exam schedules

There is no exam in this course.
Required individual and team assignments must be completed within the course schedule.
The project assignment concludes with presentations to companies in Ylöjärvi on September 25.
Other course assignments must be submitted by October 9 and 12.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Lectures – Weekly theme-based lectures on Monday afternoons starting from August 25.
Assignments – Based on the weekly theme (information retrieval, working on the project assignment, team presentations and materials prepared by the team based on exercises given by teachers, team’s own creative work).
Team Guidance – According to the weekly theme on Thursday mornings and additionally by separate agreement if needed.
Collaboration Project – With small tourism companies in the Visit Ylöjärvi network as a practical assignment – applying service design in practice using the double diamond model (customer understanding, definition, ideation, and modeling).

Learning materials

Teachers will provide source material suggestions during the course – materials available in Moodle.
Literature and digital sources related to hospitality, customer experience, well-being, sustainability, and service design.
Students will also conduct independent and team-based information retrieval.
Examples of relevant literature for service design:
Koivisto et al. 2019. The Business Book of Service Design
Tuulaniemi 2011. Service Design
Visit Tampere 2025. https://visittampere.fi/yrityksille/palvelumme-matkailuyrityksille/kestavan-matkailun-kehittaminen/
Visit Ylöjärvi 2025. https://www.visitylojarvi.fi/

Student workload

Course scope: 5 ECTS; 1 ECTS = 27 hours of student work, so 5 ECTS = 135 hours of student work.
Contact teaching and guidance sessions = 35 hours (approx. 5 hours per week over seven weeks)
Independent and team work = 100 hours

Content scheduling

Week 35: Course introduction (Aug 25), team formation, orientation (INFO), company assignment presentations (Aug 28); case assignment draw, interview questions, company website and marketing communication analysis
Week 36: Service design in practice for company needs: 1. Gathering customer understanding
Week 37: 2. Synthesizing data and modeling, exercises based on service design tools
Week 38: 3. Ideation based on customer understanding, defining and describing the service concept
Week 39: 4. Presenting results to the client companies
Week 40: Hospitality and customer experience & Sustainable well-being
Week 41: Course reflection and recognition of learning

Completion alternatives

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) demonstration.
If a student has prior knowledge aligned with the course learning objectives, they may apply through the Hyvähot system by August 22. If accepted, they will receive separate instructions.

Practical training and working life cooperation

The course applies service design to a real-world project assignment.
In autumn 2025, the collaboration involves five tourism, hospitality, and/or event companies in the Visit Ylöjärvi network: Teivo Ravikeskus (Horse racing event centre), Tahloventure, Pepper Restaurant Ylöjärvi (Restbar Group), Muotiaisten Cottages, and Gruupperi.
Students work in five groups (10–12 students each) and may also form sub-teams within their assigned company projects. Two teams will be randomly assigned the same project.
The assignment includes building customer understanding (e.g., customer research), modeling and developing aspects of customer experience, and ideating and describing one new or improved service concept.

International connections

Some learning materials may be in English, and international examples may be used in teaching and research.
Some partner companies may be interested in information about international tourists.

Further information

See Moodle course page