Bridging academia and industry through service design: The proposal of edu.co platform

LearnXDesign Conference 2025 , Aveiro, Portekiz, 22 - 24 Eylül 2025, ss.1-13, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

This paper explores the application of service design methods and tools to develop edu.co, a

proposed digital platform aimed at enhancing interaction and collaboration between academia and

industry. Addressing the growing need for sustainable academic-industry networks, the study integrates a

comprehensive literature review on recommendation systems, academic social networking, and multi-

stakeholder collaboration through qualitative research methods. The study involved semi-structured

interviews with 12 participants from arts and design fields, a co-design process with six participants,

followed by thematic analysis. Findings reveal key challenges such as miscommunication, difficulties in

identifying the right collaborators, and time management barriers. The co-design approach was

instrumental in surfacing user needs and expectations. In light of these findings, service design tools were

used to inform the process of forming the proposed platform, namely edu.co. This proposed platform

integrates AI-driven and user-centered features to facilitate meaningful connections and support knowledge

exchange. This study contributes to the field by providing insights into the design of digital services that

foster multi-stakeholder connection making and by emphasizing the importance of user-centered and

participatory approaches in academic and professional ecosystems.