Enhancing experiences with digital tools in artist residencies

FACULTY OF DESIGN

CEPT

University

DIRECTED RESEARCH PROJECT

Enhancing Guest Experiences through Digital interventions

in Artist Residencies

A Case Study of Spacehouse Himalayas

GUIDE:

Dr. Priti Rao

Anvi Vijh UG190155

Enhancing Guest Experiences through Digital interventions in Artist Residencies

A Case Study of Spacehouse Himalayas

FACULTY OF DESIGN

CEPT University, Ahmedabad

Anvi Vijh | UG190155

DRP SPRING 2024 | GUIDE: Dr. Priti Rao

FACULTY OF DESIGN

Student Name & Code : Anvi Vijh UG190155

DRP Title : Enhancing guest experience through digital interventions in artist residencies

APPROVAL

The following study is hereby approved as a creditable work on the approved subject carried out and presented in the manner, sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a pre-requisite to the degree of Bachelor of Interior Design for which it has been submitted.

It is to be understood that by this approval, the undersigned does not endorse or approve the statements made, opinions expressed or conclusion drawn therein, but approves the study only for the purpose for which it has been submitted and satisfies him/her to the requirements laid down in the academic programme.

Name &

Signature of the

Guide Dean, Faculty of Design

Dr. Priti Rao

KASTURBHAI

Declaration

This work contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other Degree or Diploma in any University or other institutions and to the best of my knowledge does not contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text.

I consent to this copy of thesis, when in the library of CEPT Library, being available on loan and photocopying.

Student Name & Code No:

Anvi Vijh UG190155

Signature of student:

Date: 24.04.24

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have contributed to the completion of this research project.

First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Priti rao, my research guide, for her unwavering support, insightful feedback, and invaluable mentorship. Her expertise and guidance have been instrumental in shaping the direction of this research and navigating through its challenges.

I am indebted to the staff and management of Spacehouse Himalayas for their cooperation, hospitality, and willingness to participate in this study. I also extend my sincere thanks to the artists and guests of Spacehouse Himalayas who generously shared their experiences and contributed to the data collection process. Their insights, experiences, and perspectives have enriched the research process and provided valuable insights into the dynamics of artist residencies.

I am grateful to my colleagues and peers especially Diya, Pratika and Harshavi for their support and encouragement, and throughout the course of this research. Their feedback and discussions have challenged and inspired me to think critically and push the boundaries of my research.

Last but not least, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my family and friends for their support and encouragement throughout this journey.

I am grateful to all those who have played a part, big or small, in the completion of this research project. Your support and contributions have been invaluable, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity to undertake this endeavor.

Abstract

Since the digital revolution, technological innovations have always been viewed as a way to streamline operations and cut costs in various industries. Gradually, the focus is now shifting towards taking a more user centered design approach and designing the experience provided to the users along with improving operational efficiency. With experience design becoming increasingly popular amongst various industries, one such industry highly benefited from experience design innovations is the hospitality industry. Within this industry, this research particularly focuses on artist residencies. Since there is a lack of research on artist residencies, this study uses the existing literature on the experience design in hospitality industries to understand guest experiences. It also employs service design methods to carry out primary design research. The aim of this research is to examine how digital tools can help in enhancing the guest experience while also streamlining the operations of artist residencies. Set in the context of Spacehouse Himalayas, an artist residency located in the remote village of Satoli, Uttarakhand, this research was conducted on site by understanding the context, needs of the stakeholders and implications on the staff and the guests. Using digital tools became even more necessary in a context like this that was remote and had low literacy staff. This research also acknowledges that the human touch in providing personalised and empathetic experiences can not be replaced but can be aided by these digital tools. This is when a holistic experience is created for the users. Through this research, insights were gained into the potential of digital tools to enrich the guest experience, offering valuable implications for the hospitality industry at large.

Keywords

Experience Design, Digital tools, Guest experience, Hospitality Industry, Artist Residency

This research examines how digital tools can help in enhancing the experience design in artist residencies and aid the experience of both, the staff as well as the guests.

Objectives

1. To identify the opportunities in artist residencies where digital tools can be used to enhance guest experience and streamline operations.

2. To create innovative digital tools and prototype them on site to evaluate their effectiveness.

3. To examine how prototyped digital tools enhanced the experience of artists and staff at artist residencies.

4. To understand the importance of designing the guest experiences in the hospitality industry, especially in artist residencies.

5. To explore how digital tools can be beneficial in experience design without replacing the human touch but assisting it.

Scope and Limitations

1. This research focuses on studying the impact of innovative digital tools in experience design in the context of the hospitality industry, specifically artist residencies.

2. This research emphasizes on understanding the needs of the user and designing keeping in mind the user experience.

3. This research highlights the use of digital tools not to replace humans but to aid it.

4. This research uses the literature available on guest experiences in the hospitality industry to make up for the lack of research on the same in artist residencies.

5. By conducting on site prototyping, this research was limited to the site of Spacehouse Himalayas which may impact the generalizability of findings to other hospitality contexts.

6. This research was conducted by finding and using existing digital tools to create an impact on the users. It does not focus on creating new technologies from scratch.

7. Due to time and logistical constraints, the prototypes could be tested with only a few users. The long term effectiveness of the prototypes is yet to be seen.

Preface

01. Introduction

1.1 Technology in the hospitality industry

1.2 Artist Residencies

1.3 Spacehouse Himalayas

02. Methodology

2.1 Design Research

2.2 Research Structure

03. Potential for digital interventions at the pre arrival and arrival stage

3.1 Get to know the guest

3.2 Hiking maps

04. Potential for digital interventions during the stay

4.1 Kitchen Inventory Management

4.2 The Maintenance manual

4.3 Studio Space Infographics

4.4 Video testimonials for potential guests

4.5 Photo album

4.6 Wifi QR code

05. Potential for digital interventions at the departure andpost departure stage

5.1 Departure Cards

5.2 Community Building

06. Application and Impact of digital interventions

6.1 Key Insights

6.2 Analysis

07. Conclusion

Design is no more limited to products and buildings. While tangible products are one aspect of designing, there is a new and upcoming aspect of designing the service and experience of providing that product to its user. This is called service design. It is not only important to design a well thought building but also to put as much thought and innovation into the process, experience and systems that surround that building especially in the service sector. While these process innovations are mostly used to streamline operations and cut costs, this study examines how they can act as a tool to enhance the user experience especially when aided with digital technologies. When you design the experience that a product provides to its users keeping in mind various touchpoints and senses, it's known as experience design. Imagine you have two coffee shops right next to each other selling the exact same coffee at the exact same price. The service and experience design is what makes you walk into one and not the other, come back often and tell your friends about it. (Fonteijn, 2020). Hence, Experience design provides the user with a holistic experience and makes the tangible product more impactful and memorable.

In recent times, the advent of technology has opened up new horizons for the service design industry. From communication methods to logistical procedures, technology has influenced virtually every facet of service design. It makes the collection and organization of large volumes of data easier and more insightful. It frees up human resources and helps in automating the repetitive processes to focus on more value added tasks of service delivery. Various digital tools like visuals, sound, haptics etc, help in creating a more engaging experience for the users. It also paves way for tailored and personalized experiences which can be more impactful for the user. One such industry that can highly benefit from technology driven experience design innovations is the hospitality industry. This study focuses on how digital tools can be used to enhance the experiential features of a guest’s stay in the hospitality industry and make their stay more memorable.

Chapter 01: Introduction

1.1 Technology used in the hospitality industry

Since the 1980s, service design has become increasingly popular amongst the hospitality industry due to an increase in competition. In order to differentiate themselves and stand out, hotels have had to drive their services on the basis of innovation and creativity. Since the tangibles such as the interior ambience, furniture, room facilities etc are more or less similar in every hotel, they can only differentiate using the quality of their services. With global developments, the service dominant logic has gained importance. According to Lusch and Vargo (2014), “Service-dominant (S-D) logic, which focuses on services and/or intangibles as the key interest in an exchange, can dramatically alter an organization's operations, culture and overall strategic outlook to create mutual benefits for buyer and seller groups”. Intangibles such as experience and services are gaining more prominence now as compared to the tangibles like location, architecture etc. The intangible services also have two aspects, the experiential features and the logistical aspects. The experiential features are front end experiences which enhance the quality of the guest’s stay and directly influence their perception of the stay. The logistical aspects are the necessary services like technological infrastructure, supply chain management, productivity and training of employees which are back end tasks. While guests may not directly be affected by these logistical aspects, they play a crucial role in ensuring the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of the overall service delivery. Digital tools have aided the service design in hotels but it is used more towards the development of these logistical aspects rather than experiential features. There are management softwares which are used to organise large data efficiently like room bookings and availability. Revenue Management softwares is used to carry out revenue management tasks more efficiently. Energy efficient, technology powered systems reduce costs by using smart lighting and temperature control devices. Self check in and check out kiosks have become increasingly popular to make these processes onvenient and hassle free. Robots are being used as concierge, chefs and for housekeeping. Chatbots are being used to give swift answers to guests at any time of the day. While some of these features do affect the guest experience directly, the end goal of these features is not to enhance guest experience but to cut cost, gain competitive advantage, or make operations more efficient. The aim of this research was to focus on this relatively unexplored realm of designing the experiential features of a guest’s stay and study its effects of their overall experience.

A sector of the hospitality industry where these experiential features matter even more is the Artist Residencies. In today’s fast paced world, artist residencies are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide the artists with dedicated space and time for their creative explorations away from the busy city life. The artists visit these residencies for the experience of how their residency will make them feel and inspire them to be creative. This is an upcoming and growing sector of the hospitality industry with various artists and communities across the globe adopting this program.

1.2 Artist Residencies

An Artist Residency is a program where an artist or any other creatives are invited to the residency to spend time away from their home environment, possibly in another country, and frequently in another city. This is an opportunity for them to reflect, introspect, experiment, explore new bounds of creativity and artistic skills. Maguette, an artist at the Spacehouse residency program quoted that for him “It wasn’t just about the art but more about what I can learn from the artists”. Residency programs focus on the creative process rather than the final result. The various resident artists not only get to interact with each other but also with the culture and locals of the new city and engage in collaborative learning. Artist residencies have gained importance in the contemporary art ecosystem in recent years. They are now vital hubs for global exchange and professional advancement, as well as valuable platforms for cross-cultural collaboration and artistic experimentation. (Undiana et al., 2020)

Most of the artist residencies are located away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, in some remote location in order to give the artists the peace and quiet that they need. But then such a geographical location comes with its own set of challenges. Technology aided experience design for the staff can help with optimization of operational processes to ensure smooth and efficient service delivery in a remote location.

Chapter 01: Introduction Chapter 01: Introduction

Experience design for guests is a crucial aspect for artist residencies because it shapes the overall perception, satisfaction, and impact of the residency experience on the artists. For artists, experience design cultivates an atmosphere that inspires and stimulates creation. A hospitable community, , well-curated locations and engaging events and experiences all work together to create an environment that encourages artistic experimentation and creativity. Hence, apart from ensuring operational efficiency, technology aided experience design can also enhance the guest experience and foster creativity amongst the artists.

1.3 Spacehouse Himalayas

This particular research has been conducted in the context of Spacehouse Himalayas, an artist residency located in the lap of nature with a mesmerizing view of the Himalayan peaks. The aim of this residency program is to provide the artists from all disciplines a chance to pursue their creative passions while being immersed in the beauty of nature as seen in Figure 01.

Away from the hustle bustle of city life and immersing themselves in this serene and tranquil forest, the residency seeks to offer a space for artists to explore, experiment and collaborate. Being away from the everyday distractions also gives them time for self reflection and deep exploration. Keeping this in mind, Spacehouse is built such that it is a 700m hike from the main road and 26 kms of driving away from the town of Almora. The reason for being a hidden gem is to encourage artists to draw inspiration from their surroundings, be it the culture of the few local villages, breathtaking landscapes or the sense of solitude provided by the Himalayas. Provided with a comfortable stay and luxury facilities, they are encouraged to enjoy the slow life of the hills. A few months of a year, Spacehouse is also rented for private stays to groups of guests who want to enjoy these beautiful landscapes and take a break from everyday life. It allows them to relax, rejuvenate and recharge in a private and intimate setting.

But this context also has its own set of challenges which can be seen as opportunities for service design. Since it is not located on google maps and is away from the main road, guests have a hard time finding their way on their own and have to be guided by the staff. Being in a remote location also means that the usual city facilities are unavailable. There is no swiggy, zomato or blinkit and hence the meal planning and ingredient sourcing has to be done in

It is important to keep the guests also informed about this so that they can let us know their requirements in advance to avoid any last minute hassles. Along with this, getting to know your guest before their arrival is key to a personalized experience and to make them feel welcome. The staff at Spacehouse had not been previously trained in hospitality and only understood basic English. This was an opportunity to design the services in such a way that the staff can be onboarded easily and comprehend the tasks of daily operations, maintenance of the house and communication with the guests. The behavior of the staff in a remote location like this is what makes or breaks the guest experience so this is a key factor in the success of the residency.

Keeping this context and challenges in mind, in this research project, we will address how technology can be used to not only make operations efficient and affordable but more importantly to enhance the guest experience and build a community. The following chapters are an insight into the on site research and prototyping done at Spacehouse Himalayas that led to the final analysis and conclusions at the end.

Figure 01 : Spacehouse Himalayas situated amidst lush forests

02 Methodology

2.1 Design Research

After studying the concept of artist residencies all over the world, this research was done primarily on site at Spacehouse Himalayas through first-hand experiences. Qualitative analysis and observational studies were carried out to identify the opportunities and possibilities that existed on site, where digital interventions could successfully be made. After understanding the context, the users and the needs of the space, design research was carried out on site. Design prototypes were made and feedback was taken from the guests/staff/stakeholders. Once designed, the prototypes were tried and tested and changes were made accordingly to incorporate the feedback from all stakeholders. Keeping the whole designing process and the impact of these prototypes in mind, analysis was done and conclusions were made.

Service design provided the framework for the designing of these digital prototypes. In their book, This Is Service Design Thinking, Stickdorn and Schneider (2012), have identified five core principles that form the foundation of service design. (Figure 02)

Figure 02 : The five principles of Service design as stated in the book ‘This Is Service Design Thinking’

1. User Centricity: A service only exists when the user is able to successfully use that service. Hence getting to know the user and understanding their psychology and behaviour was a crucial step to designing the prototypes

2. Co-creative: Making the prototypes was a collaborative process with the Spacehouse staff. They knew the space and its requirements better than anyone else and it was important to account for their inputs in order to make the design impactful.

3. Sequencing: It was important to understand the user journey map and the sequence in which the service will be experienced. Every service is an integration of processes that need to be identified and justified while designing that service.

4. Evidencing: Visual clues were used at various stages to add more depth to the process, make it more efficient and comprehensible by all. Photography and videography were the key elements used to document the site.

5. Holistic: Every service contained various smaller processes and touchpoints which were connected smartly to create a seamless holistic experience for the users.

The prototypes were designed keeping these principles in mind and applying them to the provided context.

2.2 Research Structure

As mentioned previously, sequencing is an important aspect of designing services. In order to identify the aspects of services that need digital intervention, complex services were broken down into simpler steps and user actions. This allowed for insightful information into every step of the service and its implications on the stakeholders. Since this research was carried out at the Spacehouse Himalayas, in Figure 2, the user journey map of a guest visiting the residency is illustrated. This map also identifies the aspects where interventions were made along with other possible gaps that were identified.

The journey was broadly categorised into three parts:

1. Before: Pre Arrival & Arrival at the residency

2. During: The stay at the residency

3. After: Departure and Post Departure from the residency

This research has also been structured on the same lines and the digital interventions have been explained in that particular order after which their impact and application is discussed.

BEFORE

DURING

DURING AFTER

3.1 Get to know the guest

As cliche as it sounds, the first impression is the last impression. The experience of arriving at a place is what sets the tone for their entire stay. Maguette, a guest at Spacehouse mentioned in his interview “My first feeling when I got to Spacehouse was the warmth, the kindness and the welcome of the people of Spacehouse. Immediately I felt welcomed and this was really important.” By focusing on making the guests feel welcome when arriving at Spacehouse, their residency needs to start on a positive note. In order to make guests feel welcome, the first step is to get to know your guest. Mayank, another guest at Spacehouse said that if he was curating an experience for a guest at Spacehouse, he would like to get to know the guest a little more and understand their expectations so that those expectations can be exceeded. “Delight is exceeding expectations”, he said.

Potential for digital interventions at the pre-arrival and arrival stage

Spacehouse is not like any normal resort that you go to stay in for a few days. At Spacehouse, a warm and homely environment is created for the artists, along with curated personalized experiences that foster their creative passion. Since 3-4 artists live together in the residency, it is also important to understand all of their schedules and preferences, to try that they are not disturbed by one another and that the staff is prepared to meet everyone’s needs and requirements.

Since multiple guests are invited from different parts of the world all around the year, it is not possible to personally get in touch with each of them to understand their needs. To make this process more efficient, there was a requirement of a common platform where their preferences can be listed down so that they are noted down somewhere and always accessible whenever required. In order to achieve this, an online form was created on a website called Fillout. The information gathered through the form helped in gaining insights about the guests and planning their stay.

The process of creating this form started by asking the right questions. It is important to ask the right questions to get the required answers. For this, an analysis was done to identify the aspects where we need guest inputs, like their daily schedules, their meal timings, their basic personality traits, their allergies, their plan for the residency and if they require any tools etc.

Chapter 03: Potential for digital interventions at the pre arrival and arrival stage

Once the questions were ready, the next step was to find a way to create an interactive form which was customized to the Spacehouse design language. The form was intended to be fun and not time consuming so that people are actually tempted to fill it out and don’t find it as yet another chore that they have to do. The easiest way to do this was to use slider questions. According to the theory of affordances “to see things is to see how to get about among them and what to do or not do with them.” (Gibson 1980, p. 223). This implies that certain objects trigger a certain sort of reaction from us. Similarly, when we see a slider, we inherently, effortlessly and naturally want to slide it. Another reason to use a slider was the non-binary nature of the answers that we required. For example, personality traits are non binary and some people might not want to classify themselves as completely social or completely antisocial. Hence majorly slider questions were used and the language was kept as simple and meaningful as possible. The questions were also framed in first person to give that sense of importance and value to the guest and not make them feel like they are one in many.

Other than understanding their personality and preferences, the form also inquired about their arrival and departure times, allergies and required tools to streamline operations and be logistically prepared for their stay.

Chapter 03: Potential for digital interventions at the pre arrival and arrival stage

When first prototyped and sent to guests, some basic mistakes came to light. For example, initially, the form had no question where the guest could fill in their name. This caused issues at the backend when we had to identify which guest had filled which form. Once this mistake was identified, the form was amended and asked the names of the guests. Another issue faced by the first guest who filled the form was the unclear nature of the arrival and departure questions since the question did not specify if its arrival/departure from Spacehouse or Delhi or India. These questions were also then re-framed to be as clear and direct as possible since the aim was only to know about their arrival and departure from Spacehouse to be able to arrange for their transport facilities. Once this form was prototyped, the back end task of organising the data also had to be tackled. Since the multiple guests gave multiple answers, a convenient way of viewing and comprehending all the information together had to be found. The Fillout website allowed us to view all the answers together and organised in such a way that the answers are comparable with each other. It also allowed users to download it in an excel sheet format if required. The only drawback was that the questionnaire had to be kept open in order to understand the slider answers as the slider options were not shown in the excel sheet.

Chapter 03: Potential for digital interventions at the pre arrival and arrival stage

Figure 05 : Slider questions used in the get to know the user form for questions with non binary answers

Figure 04 : The get to know the user form made using Fillout forms asking about the guests travel details

After prototyping this form with a few guests, they were asked for feedback on the forms. Ruchita, a guest at Spacehouse said that “The form was very helpful and it was a good idea to send it out. It was good to be able to clarify our needs before coming for the stay, especially for things like food allergies. It was also very quick to fill and only took 5 mins.” She added that “The questions were all self explanatory.” She also mentioned that some information about the accessibility of Spacehouse can be added in it “For example, maybe you can inform us about the number of luggage pieces that we should bring to be able to hike up comfortably”. This prompted us to think about adding a question asking about how many luggage pieces will they be bringing so that accordingly the staff can be arranged to assist them on their hike up to Spacehouse. Aditi, another guest at Spacehouse said that “ The form only took 3-4 mins to fill. The design was clean and non overwhelming. The questions were also clean and thoughtful. Although some questions were unexpected like the one about being an early bird or night owl. I had myself never given it much thought until I had to answer it in the form” She also appreciated the slider questions as they were more convenient. Talking about some shortcoming she said that the question about the ideal studio space was confusing for her since she is not from an art background but she is a lawyer working on her own book. So it took her a while to understand what ‘studio space’ meant. She added that maybe preferences and intolerances regarding food can be two separate questions since being intolerant to a food item is different from disliking it and answering them in the same question can be misleading. Overall, the feedback for the form was positive and the digital tool of online forms proved to be helpful in enhancing the guest’s stay at Spacehouse.

3.2 Hiking maps

Once the guests have begun their journey to arrive at Spacehouse, the next challenge is to find their way to Spacehouse. Since it is not located on google maps, the route to hike up to Spacehouse cannot be found on Maps. Without any wayfinding signs for the hike up, the guests might get lost in the forest alone. Up until now, staff members have had to go to pick up the guests from the point where the car drops them off. So everytime a guest had to go anywhere, a staff member had to guide their way. This is not only an inefficient use of human resources and hampers daily operations, but also creates a dependency for the guests where they cannot roam about independently and freely whenever they want. Another issue faced

by people while hiking to Spacehouse for the first time was the lack of proper information about the hike. They are told that it is a 20 min hike without giving any information about the inclination or difficulty level of the hike. Abhishek, a guest at Spacehouse said “I am from the beachside. So this was a surprising trail for me. After 6 hours of train journey and then by road and then climbing up for 20 mins, I was breathless and I was feeling like ‘where am I going now I don’t know’”. While hiking up, the trail seems never ending with no clue as to how much is covered and how much more is left.

To solve this, a map was created which can guide people on the hike to Spacehouse or vice versa. Since it is a forest with no real landmarks or signages, the only way is to use photos to denote the path. But it posed a challenge to create such visuals with the path as well as multiple photos and illustrations. This is where technology came to rescue. Digital interactive infographics were used to create these maps. An interactive infographic is where you can use interactive buttons and visuals to communicate to the users. There are websites which can be used to create such interactive maps for the guests which can guide them on their hikes. Interactive elements such as clickable icons, tooltips, and interactive overlays provide immediate gratification, reinforcing users’ engagement with the map.

To make the maps, first all the possible ways to hike to Spachouse were prototyped. This was done with the help of physical fitness apps like Strava, and Apple fitness app. These apps allowed an accurate tracing of the path on satellite maps and gave their total distance and elevation. There were 2-3 paths with different advantages and challenges for each of them.

Figure 06 : The path tracked on the Apple Fitness app used in creating the hiking maps

Since these paths were in a forest, finding landmarks to illustrate on the map was another challenge. This required multiple walks along the same path and an attention to detail while you do the same. It also required an engagement of all senses to identify, for example, the sound of water somewhere, or the fragrance of a particular flower elsewhere. Even the smallest of things could be used to create signages on the map, like a stone with some text on it, or two trees creating an archway, or a lone tree in the middle of a big ground. Then there were of course some actual landmarks, like houses, swings, benches etc. Once the overall paths were mapped and landmarks were identified, it was important to address the real confusion that occurs when you arrive at a fork on the hike and do not know which way to take. To tackle this, photos were taken of the forks and the correct path was marked on them as seen in Figure 10. Photos were also taken of the starting and ending points of the hikes as seen in Figure 09. Another issue that people faced when hiking there for the first time was the lack of demarcated rest points. When you have demarcated rest points, you divide the journey into parts. This makes it easier for a person to think of the journey as a sum of its parts and not as a whole. According to research in psychology and behavioral economics, humans tend to view tasks as less intimidating and overwhelming when they are divided into smaller, achievable segments. This concept, known as the “chunking” effect, suggests that individuals find it easier to tackle larger tasks when they are broken down into smaller, more digestible components (Miller, 1956). As seen in Figure 08, these rest points were also marked on the map to give people a sense of accomplishment and relief when they reach there. Research suggests that individuals derive satisfaction from achieving intermediate goals, which can enhance motivation and perseverance (Locke & Latham, 2002) Psychologically, having a map also motivates individuals when they can see the bigger picture, and know how much they have covered or are yet to cover. Genially was the website used to create interactive infographic maps which made it easier to overlay all the information into one single map. It also generated one single shareable link for all the maps making it easier for guests to access all the maps in one click.

As shown in Figure 07, The first page of the presentation shows you all the possible options of path to take and the context of each of these paths in relation to one another. It also provides you with google map links of the nearest drivable point for ease of navigation.

Figure 07 : The cover page of the hiking maps displaying all three possible paths and google links to the nearest drivable point

When guests are informed about the constraints and advantages of all possible paths, they can make their call on which one they wanna take. Once they click on their choice, it guides them to the map of that path. This map, consisting of contours, key maps, illustrations and clickable tooltips provides them with all the information they need and makes it a fun activity for the guests to find their way to Spacehouse.

When this map was prototyped and guests were asked for feedback, they said that they found the map really helpful. Ruchita, a guest who used the interactive map mentioned “The map was really great for orientation during the hike and especially the photos were really helpful and reassuring that we are on the correct path”. However an issue faced by the guests was that because the map was online, a working network connection was required at all times to access it. So without the network, the guests felt lost. To resolve this problem, the map could be downloaded offline if the premium of the app is bought. Abhishek, one of the guests at Spacehouse brought to light another issue faced by guests due to the digital nature of the map. The screen navigation of the map, zooming in and zooming out of the photos was a hassle and caused the guests to pause at one point to understand where they should go next. He also suggested that apart from visual cues, some other landmarks could be based on audio cues. For example, “On the walk, I was telling my friends that when you cross this corner you will always hear a dog barking at you, so his barking sound could become a landmark too” said Abhishek. Another suggestion made by Ruchita was that sub parts of a hike can also be assigned difficulty levels according to their elevations so that the guests are prepared for what is coming next. All these insights and feedback can be incorporated into the map to make it more relevant and useful for the guests and to use digital tools to enhance their guest experience.

Figure 08 : Hiking map 01, photos indicating the rest points

Figure 09 : Hiking Map 02, photos informing about the starting point of the hike

Figure 10 : Hiking map 03, where photos have arrows guiding the way

Potential for digital interventions during the stay

4.1 Kitchen Inventory Management

Another challenge posed by this remote location is the upkeep of the kitchen inventory. Spacehouse focuses on providing healthy delicious meals to its guests, and producing high quality food is one of the things guests have appreciated the most. Maguette, A spacehouse artist said “I have been eating so well here, I am thankful and amazed and I say ‘more, more’” Lyesha, another spacehouse guest mentioned “Whatever food we have eaten over here, it’s not over the top, but it’s simple, nice, healthy yet filling”.

But to keep this service going, there is a lot of backend inventory management that is required. To produce such meals, ingredients are sourced from all over India, from their indigenous sources like Chilli powder and Saffron from Kashmir, Oils from Gujarat, Coffee from Karnataka. The everyday vegetables and spices are sourced locally from Almora, a city 26 kms away from Spacehouse. Usually in major cities, grocery shopping can be done spontaneously since the stores are nearby only, but in a location like this if you have to go and immediately get something it will take you at least 1-2 hours to get it. That is not only a waste of the human resources’s time and efforts but also results in last minute hassles and chaos. Getting ingredients on a need basis rather than pre planning them, leads to a waste of money and labour.

Inventory management and meal planning was one way to solve this problem. But doing it manually in excel sheets and then maintaining it regularly, requires a lot of human effort. The staff is also not well versed with the digital word and would not know how to operate excel sheets like this. They would need laptops and proper teaching to learn this. Since some ingredients are also exotic and unheard of, the staff has difficulties in identifying it just by its names and requires visual clues.

This led to research on digital and better ways of inventory management. A lot of homes, airbnbs and smaller hospitality projects use inventory management apps which not only help you to keep a track of the inventory but also help in meal planning and grocery shopping. Apps are also user friendly and have an intuitive interface so that everyone, tech savvy or not, is able to use it.

Chapter 04: Potential for digital interventions during the stay

After a lot of research and trying out multiple apps like Sortly, Pantry, CozZo etc, one such app that best suited the needs of Spacehouse was the Kitchen pal app. In this app, you can create a shared kitchen which can be owned by one person but accessed by multiple people on their own devices. So the changes made by one person will be visible to all. Now to feed information into the app also requires a basic list of ingredients used on a regular basis. Once this list of 100 ingredients was prepared, they were fed into the app to create a basic prototype. You could add ingredients into the app by simply typing the name of the ingredient, by using voice search or even by scanning the barcode as seen in Figure 11. Once added, it automatically shows you the product photos and insights such as nutritional value and different ways to use it. Scanning the barcode for branded products is the most efficient way of feeding information as it requires minimum manual effort but infers insights such as its expiry date etc. If the product is about to expire or run out it shows you the number of days left so you can plan your next buy.

You can also use the app to create shopping lists. This is particularly useful because the founder has to order the ingredients but she is not always at Spacehouse. With the help of these lists, the staff can keep adding things in these digital lists so that at all times, the founder is updated on what all has to be ordered. This is an efficient and less time consuming way of communication. If you are going grocery shopping, the shopping list also organises the items by aisles for ease of shopping in physical stores. This app also has a calendar and multiple inbuilt recipe ideas that helps you in meal planning. It analyses what all you have in your kitchen and suggests recipes based on it. You can see your daily/ weekly meal schedules in one window giving you a more holistic idea of planning the meals and eases the mental load by storing all the information in the app. If you choose a recipe and you have an ingredient missing, it also gives you the option of immediately adding it to your shopping list as seen in Figure 12. A lot of the guests coming also have certain allergies or dietary restrictions which this app can take into account while showing the recipe options.

Figure 11 : The Kitchen Pal app lets you keep a track of your kitchen inventory, add ingredients with voice or barcode scanning and make meal plans

Figure 12 : The Kitchen Pal app suggests what recipes you can cook and lets you make a shopping list of all the missing ingredients of that recipe

Chapter 04: Potential for digital interventions during the stay

After the prototype was created, it was tested with the staff who are the end users of this app. This app was installed on their phones and they were taught how to use it. Feeding the information in the app was easy but once the app was used and discussed with staff is when the gaps and difficulties came to light. Since this was a generic app made for usage by everyone, it was not customizable to the extent that it was required to be. The interface and measuring units of the app were different on apple vs on android. The names of some ingredients were fed in English which were not understood by the staff. Some photos of ingredients were also misleading and incorrect. For example, even though the ingredient was black sesame, the photo that the app had automatically put was of white sesame. Hence it was realised that the app cannot be solely relied upon to put correct names and photos. The app would have to be adapted according to the needs and wants of the user, which was the staff. So changes were made in the information on the app, this time while asking and taking feedback from the staff. It was made sure that they understood the names and photos of all the ingredients. They were not introduced to all the features of the app all at once. It was important to slowly induce this app into their daily chores. Technology can assist you with your tasks, but it still needs human labor to keep updating the inventory on the app regularly.

When tested for a few weeks, it was noted that the staff was taking a while to get used to this new system of managing the inventory. Even though the idea and intent of the app matched the staff’s needs, this technology was something very different from what they were used to. Getting familiar with a new app and its interface requires constant usage for a continuous period of time. A few features of the app were also confusing to the staff and hard to get used to like the unit system. The unit system used in the app was not user friendly. It was pre-set to a particular unit and could not be changed. For example, the minimum unit for black soybean was 250 gms, it had to be multiplied 12 times to display as 3kgs. And the outcome always had to be input as a multiple of 250, a figure like 900 grams could not be input. Further research in this case can lead to finding a more suitable app for the staff’s needs or if possible, develop a new app catering to the exact context and needs of the staff at Spacehouse Himalayas.

4.2 The Maintenance Manual

Spacehouse aims at making the artist’s residency fruitful by providing them with great hospitality and an at home feeling. It has one manager and 2-3 employees who not only take care of the maintenance of the property but also of the well-being of the guests. Since this residency is located amidst the forests with not many people around, the only human interaction that the guests have is with the staff and vice versa. This forms a beautiful ecosystem where they both learn something from one another. The guests learn about the Indian cuisine from the staff and the staff help the artists in their creative processes in turn learning new skills. Another example is when a group of guests came to Spacehouse for their corporate offsite, they decided to cook brunch for the staff on their last day of the stay. This was their way of giving back to the staff for their warm hospitality. This human touch becomes really essential in a remote location like this and hence technology should not replace it. It should not automate operations to an extent that the staff becomes unnecessary. But what it can do is aid the staff to streamline operations which reduces their mental load and makes daily maintenance easier and fool proof. In order to do this, a maintenance manual was created which guides the staff on the duties of housekeeping and maintaining the property.

By sitting and talking with the founder and the staff, a list of daily, weekly, monthly, biannual and annual chores was made. Since the staff was not very well educated and could understand minimal English, the manual was designed in such a way that there was an abundance of visual clues so that the staff could comprehend it easily. Draft after draft, it was prototyped with the staff and their feedback was received and incorporated. Since they are the end users of this manual, it is important to know what they think of it and if it works for them or not. A checklist was also created for these tasks which aimed at habit formation among the staff and also to keep a check if everything was being done or not.

This manual will also be helpful in training any new staff that comes in and for their onboarding process. Since they might not be from the hospitality industry, they will require an understanding of what all operations are carried out here and how. Instead of the information travelling by word of mouth, it is always better for it to be written down somewhere so it is easier to teach.

Chapter 04: Potential for digital interventions during the stay

13 : The daily maintenance manual

Figure 15 : The daily maintenance checklist

After a few days of using this manual and testing it, when feedback was taken from the staff, the manager stated that this manual is extremely helpful for them. Putting all the maintenance tasks in one single booklet has made operations easier for them. They use the manual as a reference and to cross check if all the tasks are being carried out or not. The checklist is also being used every other day to train the staff, especially on days when there are guests present at Spacehouse. Hence it is seen that simple digital tools can also be used effectively to make interventions that aid the staff experience and operations.

Figure 14 : The monthly maintance manual

Chapter 04: Potential for digital interventions during the stay

Figure

4.3 Studio Spaces infographic

Spacehouse welcomes artists from all spheres of life pursuing a variety of disciplines. Since the main aim for artists to come here is to explore their creative passions, they require a studio space where they can conduct the activities in order to artistically express themselves. Usually, the artists just ask the staff where they can carry out their desired activity and then the staff guides them. But sometimes the staff might not also fully understand what the artists want to achieve and what would be the best place to do so. This also makes the guests dependant on the staff for their decisions. In order to make this process more efficient and independant, an infographic was created for artists to understand what all facilities does Spacehouse offer and what activities can be conducted in what part of the house. This was also like an orientation or house tour for the guests.

Apart from individual desks and chairs provided to all artists in their rooms, the whole house is an open studio for artists to find their sweet spot. There is no dedicated studio at Spacehouse but there are certain spaces that provide specific facilities that one might need to conduct their explorations. For example, there are only specific places in the house with a water facility, or there is a place out in the open where lots of wood logs are kept where one carries out woodworking activities. This infographic can help artists to make an informed choice about where they want to set up their own studio.

To make this infographic, first a 3D model of the whole house made using the Rhino software along with mapping the contours and surroundings. Once the model was made, an indoor and outdoor studio spaces infographic was created using photoshop and Figma. The colors and icons were chosen consciously such that the map is easy to read and understand even for people with language barriers. These infographics will then be distributed to the artists when they arrive for their residencies. Hence digital tools that helped in creating this infographic will enhance the guest experience and guide them to make an informed choice about their desired studio space.

16 : The studio spaces infographics, indoor and outdoor.

Figure

4.4 Video testimonials for

potential

guests

Once the artist residency is about to come to an end, the artists are requested to share their feedback on their overall experience and if there’s something they would like to improve upon. These testimonials not only give valuable insights about the experiences that were curated for them but when published on social media platforms, they help potential guests in gaining the trust in this residency program. The potential guests are always looking for a way to get to know the program better before their visit so that they are well prepared for it. These testimonials are an authentic and reliable way of reassuring them so that they know what to look forward to. Research shows 72% of users say positive reviews and testimonials make them trust a business more, and 88% of users trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. (SCS Agency, 2023)

The best and the most engaging way to record testimonials is through videos. When you have an actual person speaking to you, and you can associate a face with the words, it makes the testimonials more impactful. Video allows the viewers to see and hear a reaction, which makes it more credible, engaging and authentic. (Yec, 2020) Since every time a person cannot be assigned to record these videos, a system was set up at Spacehouse where visitors can record their own testimonials. This frees up the human resource required to record the videos and also makes the guests more comfortable when there is no one else in the room while they are recording. They can speak freely and openly. For this system of self recording, a tripod was set up in the meditation room, a small room with good lighting, decent audio quality and a place to keep the tripod on. Along with the tripod, some flashcards were kept as prompts for the artists with questions that they can answer. These included questions such as- ‘What is a pro tip that you would like to share with the next guest?’ Or ‘Were there any special touches in your experience that enhanced your stay?’. These questions were formed carefully considering the kind of insights that we wanted from the guests and the information that potential guests might want. Once they record this video on their phones with the help of the tripod, they can upload it on the Google drive through a QR code that will be provided on a card besides the tripod. (Refer to Figure 18) This way the whole system of recording testimonials is automated and the final result reaches the founder digitally and hassle-free. Once the founder has these videos, they can be edited and uploaded on the YouTube Channel

of Spacehouse Himalayas. A YouTube channel is a holistic and reliable medium to upload these videos on as all the information can then stay in one place and it can easily be shared amongst people. This channel will remain private and the link will only be given to the potential/past artists.

Figure 17 : User journey map made to understand the journey, touchpoints and back end work required to collect video testimonials from resident artists

Figure 18 : The QR code card that will be placed besides the tripod assisting the guests in recording and uploading the testimonials

In the next 5 years, Spacehouse aims to be the hub for creative professionals. Spacehouse does not want to just be limited to its tangible beauty , it wants to be a community of like minded artists who engage with one another. This requires a certain legacy to be created of all artists who visit Spacehouse. One way to record this legacy is through photos. Artists can click polaroid photos of themselves while in the residency and put them in a photo album. This album can then be kept in the Spacehouse library as a record of all the people who have visited Spacehouse. It is a tangible and visual representation of all the memories they have created here. It captures their introspective moments, artistic pursuits and their connection with fellow artists and staff members. They can also add dates and small notes along with their polaroids in the album to give context to each photograph and weave a story through the photo. Contributing to the album will also create a sense of community amongst the artist and they will also be able to get to know the past guests and have a look into their experiences and memories. Overtime, the album becomes a chronicle and testament of the growth and evolution of artists and artistic practices at Spacehouse. Beyond the immediate experience, the legacy that this album creates can be revisited and cherished by current and future artists, keeping the spirit of creativity and community alive.

LITTLE BOOK OF MEMORIES

4.6 Wifi QR codes

Another small but significant prototype is the creation of a QR code to connect to the wifi of Spacehouse. In today’s times, whenever a person enters a new place the first thing they need is the wifi password. Spacehouse has two different wifis for two different floors. So it gets even more difficult to communicate the password to everyone, each time and for each floor. To make this process easier and more efficient, a QR code was created to connect to the wifis. This QR code was created using the Shortcuts app on the iphone. When scanned it automatically asks to connect to the wifi provided you are in the range of that wifi. This QR code was then composed using digital softwares to make a comprehensive card with wifi name and password as well. This card will be put up on both floors and the guests can themselves connect to the wifi without asking someone for the password. It’s the smallest of details like this that make the guest experience efficient and comfortable.

20 : The Wifi cards made so that guests can easily connect to the wifi by scanning the QR codes

Figure 19 : User journey map made to understand the journey, touchpoints and back end work required to make a polaroid photo album for documenting the legacy of Spacehouse

Chapter 04: Potential for digital interventions during the stay

Figure

Potential for digital interventions at the departure and post departure stage

5.1 Departure Cards

The departure experience of guests is just as important as the arrival experience. The last impression is what stays with the guests and can influence their overall perception of the residency. It not only reinforces their positive experience of the stay but it also strengthens the relationship between the staff and guests when the staff bids them a warm farewell. Keeping this in mind, when the artists/guests are leaving Spacehouse, a small takeaway gift is given to them as a memory of their stay. Something that is personalised but also useful to them for the future.

This was prototyped with the private guests that had come to stay at Spacehouse for a few days. During their stay, multiple photos were clicked of them enjoying their stay. Since these photos had to be shared with them anyway, it was decided that sharing a google drive link with one person who will then forward it to others was a rather dry way of doing this. Instead beautiful departure cards were made, which were personally addressed to each guest and had a QR code that led to the drive of photos as seen in Figure 21. Making these personalised cards made each person feel seen and valued. Leisha, one of the guests at Spacehouse who

Chapter 05: Potential for digital interventions at the departure and post departure stage

Figure 21 : The departure cards given to the guests when they were leaving Spacehouse as a memory of their stay

received this departure card said that “When my colleagues and I received those personalized cards, it really added a personal touch to our interactions and our stay at Spacehouse. It made us feel valued and appreciated, knowing that someone took the time to create something unique just for us. It was a thoughtful gesture that left a positive impression.”

In a survey conducted to understand the primary reason as to why people scan QR codes, it was seen that more than 75% of the respondents scanned the QR code out of curiosity and 16% scanned it for fun. (Vidas et al., 2013) The action of scanning a QR code leading to the drive of their stay photos, creates excitement and curiosity amongst the guests. These cards will then always stay with them as a memory of their stay. Along with this card, each guest also took back with them a Himalayan lime, Himalayan salt and something to eat on the way back. This showed that we care not only about their stay at Spacehouse but about every person individually and their journey back home.

5.2 Community Building

Building a community is a process that takes place over the years. The ideas proposed under this section could not be prototyped due to the limitation of time, hence they are based on secondary research. Deriving from this study, these ideas can be prototyped and tested in the future.

Community building is an aspiration that Spacehouse wants to achieve in the coming years. It wants to not just be remembered as a residency that artists once visited, but it aims to make the artists feel like they belong to a community of like minded people even after they have left the residency. Artists who visit Spacehouse are from varied backgrounds, countries and all have their unique creative pursuit. Spacehouse is the shared space where a platform is provided for all these artists to meet, discuss and create bonds through shared experiences. It wants to foster a sense of camaraderie and connection among all the artists who have ever been a part of the residency, who may find common ground in their passion for art. Apart from alumni artists of the residency, it also wants to build a community of other artists all over the world, who may not be able to take part in residency. It wants to create an inclusive group of like minded people who are a part of the virtual community and enjoy its benefits.

Creating this Spacehouse community requires the help of digital tools through which the artist can engage with the community and help build it further. This can be done through various channels.

Newsletters: The simplest one being newsletter emails. A lot of Artist Residencies send a routine newsletter to their alumni or anyone else who signs up for the newsletter subscription via their websites. An example of this is the AiR (Artist in Residence) newsletters started by the organisation called ‘posAbilities’. This newsletter showcases the works from their artists in residence and other works from the posAbilities community. Their aim is to use this newsletter to inform and inspire people by giving insights into the creative projects. (Mike, 2020) This will not only reach new audiences who have never been a part of the residency, but also inform the alumni of what other works are being carried out in the residency. This is one special quality of online newsletters that is underappreciated. They have the ability not only to link the brand with various audiences but also to link the users with each other who share similar interests. (Zbuchea, Mocanu, 2013)

Once the artists have departed from Spacehouse, they can receive a newsletter every month or so by mail to keep them connected to the Spacehouse community even after they have left the residency. Like every newsletter, it will keep the people updated on the latest happenings at Spacehouse but it can also have personal notes from alumni artists. Each month a different artist can be given the opportunity to write this note, who can then nominate another artist for next month’s newsletter. This will build dialogue between artists and help in fostering bonds amongst the community.

On the same lines, a yearbook can also be made of all the artists who have visited the residency that year whose physical copy can then be sent to all the artists. Its softcopy can also be posted online and be available to see for the global audience. Fountainhead, an artist residency program founded in 2008, releases such yearbooks every year to document the practices and experiences of all the artists that visited the residency in that year. (Figure 22)

Published on their website, this yearbook showcases monthly the work of all the resident artists in that month. (The yearbook: 2023 — fountainhead, n.d.) This keeps a documentation of each years artists and artworks and creates a legacy of Spacehouse.

22 :

Virtual communities: Another channel is creating communities on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or even Slack. Slack is a cloud based communication platform that enables texting, voice and video calling, file sharing and makes overall communication and community building easier and efficient. Artists can keep sharing updates, events, opportunities, thoughts within this community and interact with each other. It also enables the creation of directories where all artists can introduce themselves, upload their portfolios and connect with others with a similar background. This helps in building professional connections within the industry. An example of a successful alumni community on Slack is the IDEO alumni community. A community of over 1000+ members, the people in this channel can connect on ideas, job opportunities, and more. It enables them to support each other and seek the support that they need. (AlumnIDEO, n.d.) In the context of artist residencies, Städelschule artist residency also has a strong alumni network that its residents can become a part of by signing up for an email list on their website. This open communication leads to

mentorship or feedback on art pieces, meetups, event organisations, career insights and just an overall vibrant and friendly network of alumni artists.

Social Media: The above mentioned channels are limited to the artists who have already been a part of the residency. But Spacehouse wants to be able to reach and impact everyone even if they can’t take part in the residency. For people who cannot visit the residency but want to experience the benefits of the Spacehouse Community, social media, especially Instagram and YouTube, are very powerful and important tools. Residencies like Casa Wabi and Paradise Air also make use of YouTube to build a community. Casa Wabi has a program called The Mobile Library of the Coast where a minivan travels with a collection of books in it for all age groups. Casa Wabi uploads videos on its YouTube channel under this mobile library program where children read out these books for others. Since Casa Wabi is popular for its Clay program it also has tutorials on YouTube for Clay making. Paradise Air, a residency located in Japan, has a YouTube channel where they upload various videos ranging from residency recaps to workshop videos. They also post videos of artists introducing themselves before they begin the residency program. This maintains transparency with the audience, builds trust and makes them feel like a part of the community. While YouTube is a great platform to create long form content that is insightful and helpful to the audience, Instagram is useful for posting photos, short form videos, and interacting with the audience. Instagram is a visual platform which can aid in reaching a broader audience by sharing captivating images and videos through posts and reels. It can be used to provide virtual tours of the residency giving people a glimpse into the life of Spacehouse from the comfort of their homes. Alumni artists can also share their work and their studio tours through Spacehouse’s social media. This can be done on Instagram live which can then be saved on the profile. Instagram lives are a great way to foster real and live communication between the artists, Spacehouse and its audience. This platform can also be used to talk about important issues in the design/art industry by conducting interviews with these artists on Instagram live. These interviews can also be conducted between different artists to foster communication between them. Instagram’s interactive features such as stories, polls, QnA can be used to interact with the audience and gather their insight, suggestions and spark conversations. This makes each and every audience member feel valued and seen as a part of a community. Digital tools like these play a crucial role in community building and enhancing guest experience.

Figure

The Yearbook of Fountainhead Residency showcasing and documenting the works of all the resident artists of 2023

Application and Impact of Digital interventions

6.1 Key Insights

Digital tools are a powerful asset that can help in creating impactful services and experiences. After testing and prototyping on site at Spacehouse Himalayas, a few key insights were noted :

01

In today’s world, there are a variety of digital tools available for everyone to use. It is important to use the right one, at the right time and for the correct purpose. They should not overcomplicate your service, rather make it easier to use. Service design is all about making the service you deliver useful, usable, efficient, effective and desirable. (Stickdorn et al., 2018)). Digital software used to make a checklist for housekeeping was aimed to make the checklist more useful to train the staff and help in habit formation. The interactive hiking maps made with the help of technology were aimed to become more usable because of the interactive features added to it. Otherwise they could have just been a very confusing and clustered physical map which might not be user friendly. The use of an app to keep the kitchen inventory was aimed to make the process of inventory management more efficient and staff friendly. Even though the app that was prototyped was not the best fit, further research can be done into finding a more suitable app. Recording video testimonials and creating a YouTube channel was aimed to be an effective way of making the testimonials impactful and reach a broader audience. Making a customised form to get to know the guest was aimed to increase the desire of the guest to fill that form and hence enhance its desirability

02

While using digital tools to design an experience, it can never be done in isolation from its context and users. In order for that service to prove effective, it has to be a collaborative process between the stakeholders and the designers. The needs and demands of the stakeholders have to be understood, only then can a service be designed that is useful for them and a digital tool can be chosen that solves the needs. Digital tools also have to be chosen wisely such that all staff members have the resources to be able to use it. For example, expecting staff members to make weekly updates on excel sheets from laptops for kitchen inventory is unrealistic since they don’t have regular access to a laptop. After they teach us about their needs, and the service is designed, we also need to teach them to use the technology that has been incorporated in the service. The staff at Spacehouse gave us insights on the kitchen

ingredients and the issues they face while managing the inventory, but once the app was prototyped, they also had to be taught how to use that app in order to achieve the best results. Designing is one aspect of service design, but the next step is to make sure that the service is implemented efficiently. This is done through educating the staff/users on using that service to its best capabilities about how to use the digital tools.

Most of the guests said in their video testimonials that one thing they appreciated the most about their stay was the behaviour and actions of the staff. The staff very well understood and gauged the needs of the guests, and provided them everything that they wanted and more. In a day or two, the staff understood if the someone is a coffee or tea person and then offered them only the beverage of their choice. Infact one of the most loved services was the hot water bottle that the staff had kept beside their beds at night during cold winter nights. Such personal and humanised touches cannot and should not be replaced with technology. It is a world of self-service technology now and all hotels and resorts are quickly adapting to it by introducing self check-in and check out kiosks or self order kiosks to order food. While these technologies have their own benefits and relevance in certain contexts, they also deprive the guests of that personalised service. Hence digital tools should not replace employees, instead they should help them and work with them to provide a better user experience.

Most companies/brands use technology to make people more aware of their brand by creating advertisements and campaigns. While this is one way to go about it, a better path is to take the help of technology to make people more aware of themselves using your brand as a platform. Every brand is engaging in the same marketing strategies nowadays and users are looking for something different, something that can provide value to them and their lives. When a brand makes people more aware of their own selves, people are attracted to it more as they feel the brand has something to offer to them apart from just their products. Spacehouse instead of just being a stay for artists, aspires to be that safe space or that sweet spot where people go to learn more art and creative skills. It can be a place where artists feel safe to express their creative desires in the company of other like minded individuals. This is where digital tools like Social media pages, Slack communities, or virtual workshops become important to facilitate this idea of making people more aware about their own selves.

6.2 Analysis

In order to analyse the outcome of these prototypes, it is imperative to understand how, where and why technology is presently being used in the hospitality industry. All of this data has been inferred from studies done on the deployment of technology in the hospitality industry.

Traditionally, technology has always been used to streamline operations, increase revenue or gain competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. This was done to satisfy the basic needs of the industry when technology was on a rise. Initially, the hotels were marketed through word of mouth or print ads. The bookings were made on call or in person. Actual physical lock and key was used to access the rooms. The payments were done in cash. The payments were recorded manually on handwritten tickets and done on cash registers. Hotels were dependent on manual paper-based processes to handle reservations, room bookings, guest check-ins, and other operational tasks. This approach was time taking, prone to errors, and made it difficult to maintain an efficient workflow. (Hotech, 2023)

With the advent of technology, all these operations were made easier and efficient. Marketing and booking of hotels is now done through online platforms or social media. Bookings are made on websites through internet booking engines. Key cards are used for room access instead of physical keys. Payments are done through credit cards or online bank transfers. Point of Sale (POS) systems automated the process of entering orders and calculating bills, which significantly increased the speed of service. Property management systems (PMS) were designed to centralize and integrate various aspects of hotel management, ranging from reservations and check-in/out to housekeeping and accounting (Hotech, 2023). It allowed servers to process orders more quickly, reducing waiting times for guests. Hotels maximised revenue with revenue management systems that use algorithms and data analytics to optimize pricing strategies based on demand, occupancy rates, and market trends. While all of these changes were necessary for the advancement of the hospitality industry, continuous efforts are still being made in the same direction to improve operational efficiency. Mobile apps are being made to replace websites for online reservations. The rooms are also made accessible through digital room keys available on the mobile apps. Mobile check in and check out services are introduced to reduce waiting time and make the arrival and departure experience seamless. In addition to this, self check in and checkout kiosks are also implemented to

reduce direct interaction with any staff members at all. Most of the guest rooms are smart rooms now with the use of IoT (Internet of things). All the amenities in these softwares are now controlled through apps acting as a universal remote, sometimes even with voice controls. These amenities include media sets, window shades, lights, air conditioners, etc. The smart rooms also have iPads that guests can use to make digital orders from on-site bars and shops and purchase tickets to city events, among other uses (Insights, 2023). AI is being used in chatbots to provide rapid answers to guests and reduce human labour. It is also used to analyze data from various sources (food preferences, purchase history, spa, and amenity usage, etc.) to help hotel operators provide a more personalized experience to their guests. (Insights, 2023) The initial purpose of these interventions was to improve operations and cut costs, but indirectly it started impacting guest experience as well. Slowly the importance of working on enhancing guest experiences began growing and technological interventions started coming up solely to enhance guest experience. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality is being used to give the guests an idea into what the hotel is going to look like before they go there. Bigger resorts and hotels like The Kandima resort in Maldives also have their own maps to help guests navigate through the hotel. They provide the guests with chic and fashionable RFID tags that free the guests from the stress of carrying their key cards everywhere. This wrist band also allows for easy transactions at the hotel restaurant and bars and recommends dishes based on their past purchase history. They also have an app that provides the guests with a checklist and packing tips before their arrival. These small but significant touches positively affect the guest experience and the impression of the hotel.

But in these contexts, the positive effect on guest experience implies a more seamless and unproblematic experience for the guest. The end goal is to make things easy for the guests but not memorable or impactful. Generic innovations like these do make the tasks simpler and efficient but they do not leave a mark on the guest’s mind. When they see an app controlled curtain, they are surely delighted and excited but those feelings might only last while you are in the hotel. You do not take them back with you. Interventions like these are useful and necessary for large scale projects which entertain hundreds of guests everyday and have large amounts of capital to invest in these kinds of technology. But for projects like artist residencies, these interventions might not be as impactful. Artist residencies are mostly

located in a remote area and entertain a very small and exquisite number of guests but for a longer duration. The smaller scale of the residencies allows for time taking and personalised interventions to be executed. For example, a gesture like making departure cards for every guest cannot be done in a large-scale hospitality project with hundreds of guests coming everyday. But it can be executed in an artist residency with lesser guests who come for a longer duration. Kanu, a guest at Spacehouse said “A positive unexpected surprise during our stay was the detail with personalisation like the fact that your name was there in a little bottle when you got here.” These small personalised gestures that can be carried out with the help of digital tools at a small scale is what makes the stay memorable for the guests.

These residencies also face the challenge of making their operations efficient more so because of their geographical location, lack of trained personnel and budget constraints but their goal is not to make profits, it is to foster art and creativity. This research analysed how simple digital tools can be used in different ways to create digital interventions enhancing the guest and staff’s experience. The digital tools used for making the prototypes were pre existing, budget friendly technologies which were leveraged to create an optimal guest experience. For example, instead of using AI assistants to guide the way for hikes or taking a virtual reality hike, interactive infographics were used to help the guests find their way the traditional way but with a modern and fun twist. Hence these digital tools were used in such a way that the experiences created were not only simple and easy but also impactful and memorable for the guests. In hospitality, the staff is also as important a stakeholder as the guest is. An efficient staff experience effectively ensures a satisfactory guest experience. The staff feels valued and seen when their work is given importance and interventions are made to make their work simpler. This in turn makes them responsible and motivated to provide the guests with a positive experience. And as mentioned earlier as well, in a geographical location like this where there is not an abundance of human interaction available, automation to replace staff is not the solution. Hence the prototypes were created keeping in mind that the staff’s experience working at these residencies should be aided with these interventions but they should not be replaced. For example, instead of hiring robots to do housekeeping, digital tools were used to create a manual to train the existing staff.

In conclusion, this research highlights the growing importance of using digital tools to enhance experiences in the hospitality sector, specifically in artist residencies. The various prototypes made on site in the context of Spacehouse Himalayas, allowed for a deeper and more practical understanding of how digital tools can be used to design experiences. By shifting focus from solely streamlining operations to prioritizing guest experiences, there is an opportunity for artist residencies, like Spacehouse Himalayas, to differentiate themselves and create meaningful and memorable experiences. It illustrates how digital tools can be used in compliance with service design methods to enhance the experience of both the guests and the staff. The outcomes of the study highlight the significance of an integrated approach that combines technology and human interactions to produce personalized and empathetic experiences. Digital tools can help increase productivity and convenience, but they shouldn’t replace the human touch when it comes to hospitality.

Moving forward, further research will be needed to look into the application of digital technologies and experience design concepts in the service sectors, taking into consideration variables like remote locations, staff members with low literacy levels, and unique user requirements. Enhancing the overall user experience and developing the area of experience design will require collaborative efforts from researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders. Furthermore, in order to guarantee alignment with user expectations and constant improvement of the user experience, digital solutions and service offerings must be continuously evaluated and refined.

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List of figures

Figure 01: Spacehouse Himalayas. (n.d.-b). Spacehouse Himalayas.

https://www.spacehousehimalayas.com/

Figure 02: By Author, 5 principles of Service design as stated in the book ‘This is Service Design Thinking’

Figure 03: By Author, User journey blueprint for Spacehouse Himalayas

Figure 04: By Author, Get to know the guest form.

Artist Residency. (n.d.). Artist Residency. https://forms.fillout. com/t/gDJbzbB4MZus

Figure 05: By Author, Slider questions used in the get to know the user form

Artist Residency. (n.d.). Artist Residency. https://forms.fillout.

com/t/gDJbzbB4MZus

Figure 06: By Author, Hiking path tracked on the Apple Fitness app

Figure 07: By Author, Cover page of the hiking maps

Figure 08: By Author, Hiking map 01, photos indicating the rest points

Little hikes to Spacehouse. (2024, March 25). Genially. https://view.genial. ly/65d063074851f100137396d5/interactive-content-little-hikes-to-spacehouse Little hikes to Spacehouse. (2024, March 25). Genially. https://view.genial. ly/65d063074851f100137396d5/interactive-content-little-hikes-to-spacehouse Little hikes to Spacehouse. (2024, March 25). Genially. https://view.genial. ly/65d063074851f100137396d5/interactive-content-little-hikes-to-spacehouse

Figure 09: By Author, Hiking map 02, photo informing about the starting point of the hike

Figure 10: By Author, Hiking map 02, where photos have arrows guiding the way

Figure 11: By Author, The Kitchen Pal app

Figure 12: By Author, The Kitchen Pal app

Figure 13: By Author, The Daily maintenance manual

Figure 14: By Author, The Monthly maintenance manual

Figure 15: By Author, The Daily maintenance checklist

Figure 16: By Author, The studio spaces infographics

Figure 17: By Author, User journey map for video testimonials

Figure 18: By Author, The QR code card for video testimonials

Figure 19: By Author, User journey map for photo album

Figure 20: By Author, Wifi cards

Figure 21: By Author, Departure Cards

Figure 22: Little hikes to Spacehouse. (2024, March 25). Genially. https://view.genial. ly/65d063074851f100137396d5/interactive-content-little-hikes-to-spacehouse

The yearbook: 2023 — fountainhead. (n.d.). Fountainhead | Artists Residency, Studios and Empowerment Programs and Artist Open Miami. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://www.fountainheadarts.org/2023-yearbook-1

Jharna Fernandes

Anshika Ahuja

Michal Andrsyiak Artist

Ruchita Madhok Artist

Aditi Singh Artist

Abhishek Khedekar Artist Residency