Abstract
This chapter discusses the role of social structures in service design. Social structures, which are patterns in our social activities that provide order and predictability in society, guide people's actions and interactions with each other. The author states that social structures are fundamental to service design in two ways: first, service design is working to intentionally shape these patterns in our actions and interactions, and second, the process of service design itself is guided by social structures internalized by the people participating. Characteristics of social structures as service design materials include their invisibility, dual nature as both intangible and tangible, and their composition of multiple institutional pillars. The author suggests that when service design practitioners acknowledge social structures as their design materials, shaping these structures becomes their core activity. In order to avoid reproducing social structures in service design, designers need to be aware of existing social structures and build reflexivity.