The service design education program offered by FOURDIGIT in Thailand has been approved as an Industry-Academia collaborative program by The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) and was conducted in January 2025.

 

AOTS is an organization that aims to contribute to the mutual economic development of Japan and other countries through the development of industrial human resources in Japan and abroad. The organization’s Industry-Academia collaborative program has received high recognition for supporting practical industrial human resource development at universities and other educational institutions.

 

FOURDIGIT has partnered with King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), a national university renowned in the design field, to develop a short-term, workshop-based course to nurture practical service design professionals in Thailand. The program was approved as an AOTS Industry-Academia collaborative program in recognition of its contribution to human resource development for KMUTT students.

 

The approved Industry-Academia collaborative program was held at the university over four days in January 2025. Leveraging FOURDIGIT’s expertise and experience in service design, the program was developed to provide beginners with fundamental knowledge of service design. We plan to continue offering this program regularly to contribute to developing the next generation of digital talent in Thailand.

Practical Learning Program in Service Design for Future Leaders
By gaining insight into the state of design in the new era, changes in design values, and historical background, and by experiencing the same process as actual practice, students can acquire a broader perspective from learning that cannot be obtained from lectures alone.

 

<Features>

– Practical curriculum based on real service design practices
– Interactive learning environment with small class sizes
– Systematic learning combining lectures and hands-on practice

<Program Structure>

– Lectures, Individual Work & Team Discussions

Participants learn about experience design, service design, and the value of design in the digital market based on FOURDIGIT’s practical experience. The program emphasizes understanding through individual work and team discussions rather than passive lecture attendance.

 

– Design Workshop

Participants experience workshop methodologies used by FOURDIGIT in their business operations. They engage in the design process of creating new services using accessible themes.

 

– Presentation and Summary

Participants consolidate workshop discussions into a service concept and deliver presentations. Following worksheets, they discuss various service-related areas and package their ideas for clear communication to others.

This four-day training program allowed students studying technical design in architecture and interior design to imagine and consider user experience value while creating new services. On the final day, each group confidently presented their services. It was imposing to see the students’ eyes light up as they gained new insights. We hope FOURDIGIT will continue to develop more students in the future.

 

Organization Overview

The Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS)

Head Office: 1-30-1, Senju-Azuma, Adachi-ku, Tokyo

URL: https://www.aots.jp/

Established: August 10, 1959 (Establishment date of the merged surviving corporation (former AOTS))

We conducted workshops for students with the cooperation of KMUTT, an institution with a rich history and achievements in Thailand’s design education. Having our program approved as an AOTS Industry-Academia collaborative program has enabled us to expand our capacity through multiple scheduled sessions. We received many positive responses from participating students, such as ‘It was an opportunity to learn something entirely new’ and ‘I could understand how digital services are conceived.’ We aim to provide learning experiences that can inspire the next generation of digital professionals to pursue careers in service design.