Using Design Thinking as an Educational Tool for Conceptualizing Future Smart Hotel Guest Experiences

Authors

  • C.K. Bruce Wan School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Kate Sangwon Lee School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Daniel Leung School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Sangwon Park School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Keywords:

Design Thinking, Smart Hospitality, Smart Tourism Innovation, Experience-driven Design

Abstract

Design thinking (DT) is the foundation of smart tourism innovation. This study extends the theoretical foundation by showcasing how DT was deployed in a tertiary classroom setting during a smart hospitality innovation project. The study involved 30 students who were asked to design tomorrow’s smart hotel guest experiences for business and family travelers. The study used an explanatory case study to report the curriculum design, the DT methods used, and the way they were applied to the design practice. We made suggestions for tourism professionals and educators who want to deploy DT in their smart tourism innovation projects.

Author Biographies

C.K. Bruce Wan, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Bruce Wan is an assistant professor at the School of Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is interested in technology-mediated experience design that supports human flourishing in the field of tourism and leisure. He is currently working on experience-based design literacy, a knowledge base that facilitates the co-design process with multidisciplinary researchers for smart tourism innovation.

Kate Sangwon Lee, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Kate Sangwon Lee is a PhD student in the School of Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interest includes social media and its role as social infrastructure to induce users’ socially responsible behavior. She worked as User Experience designer and researcher in SK Telecom and Naver since 2008. Kate holds master’s degree at KAIST, Bachelor’s degrees at Seoul National University.

Daniel Leung, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Daniel Leung is an Assistant Professor in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests are in the areas of electronic word-of-mouth, electronic marketing as well as hotel and tourism website evaluation.

Sangwon Park, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Sangwon Park is Associate Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests include Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Tourism.

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Published

2019-12-12

How to Cite

Wan, C. B., Lee, K. S., Leung, D. and Park, S. (2019) “Using Design Thinking as an Educational Tool for Conceptualizing Future Smart Hotel Guest Experiences”, e-Review of Tourism Research, 17(3). Available at: https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/521 (Accessed: 26 April 2024).

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 3 (2019)

Section

Articles

License

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