Practical Use of Service Design, Personas: A Case Study on Alchon, a Franchise Small Restaurant

This study examines service operations of a small restaurant by using service design tool, personas in discovery and define stages of Double Diamond Design Process Model. Among many service design tools introduced to the industries, personas together with service blueprint are the ones wellknown to the public. Creating fictional characters, personas, help the understanding of the customers’ needs, expectations, experiences, behaviors and goals. As a case study, one of the Alchon franchises in Incheon, Korea, a small restaurant around the school area will be analyzed to examine its practical use in service designing. The design tool will be applied to the service process of the Korean style snack bar, bunshik, in order to bring attention on initial idea and determine problems of the store. Through this study, personas in real practice suggested several ways to improve the service process by making the menu more visible, rearrangement of the tables and seats, delegation of the servers’ tasks, and improvement in sanitation. In conclusion, the tool is found applicable and practical in service designing for a small restaurant.