ServDes’25 — Service Design and Innovation Conference
Theme: Empowering Diversity, Nurturing Lasting Impact
Dates: 6–8 October 2025
Location: Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
Author:
Linxuan Tan
Musashino Art University, Japan
Abstract:
This study examines the Participatory Local Public Relations (PLPR) initiative “Koba Output Lab” in Japan, analyzing how citizen engagement in graphic design fosters Civic Pride and social cohesion. Using the Modified Grounded Theory Approach (M-GTA), the study finds that participation enhances regional understanding, strengthens community bonds, and improves expressive abilities. Through Citizen Coproduction, participants transitioned from initial indifference to expressing local values. This study contributes to Participatory Design and offers insights for local governments, demonstrating how Service Design facilitates “diversity-driven” and “long-term impact” approaches in Social Innovation.
This paper is available here
Linxuan Tan is a researcher at The Japan Research Institute and a Visiting Researcher at the Research Center for Social Creativity, Musashino Art University. He works at the intersection of research and design practice, exploring how visual expression can open up new forms of civic participation.
Rather than studying communities from a distance, Tan takes part in local projects as a design practitioner—facilitating workshops, creating visual communication tools, and working with citizens to turn personal memories and local experiences into shared expressions. His work focuses on the small moments when people begin to notice the value of their own place, give words and images to that feeling, and recognize it together with others. Through photography, storytelling, graphic design, and co-creation, he explores how design can become a gentle but powerful medium for dialogue, civic pride, and long-term community engagement.