1. The Future of Home Service: Integration of User Behavior and Scenario Planning in the Domestic Plumbing Service Design

In the present era, with rapidly changing measures and uncertainty, it is beneficial for researchers, organizations, as well as for the government to anticipate future events. The substantial economic boost in the on-demand service sector leads to the development of home services in India. As increasingly products and services sold over the Internet, it becomes all the more essential to build up knowledge of design in planning and anticipating future events. This paper proposes user behavior analysis and plausible futuristic scenarios with the practical case of domestic plumbing services. The research aims to identify the interrelationships and significance of service aspects in domestic plumbing. The study also aims to understand the future in this context through scenario development. We conducted in-depth interviews, including exploratory surveys. Structured questionnaires were developed to study various aspects of stakeholders of the system viz. plumbing service provider, plumber, and users. Further, insights from the survey result were incorporated into scenario planning. Scenario planning was used to discover new strategic options for the future and to gain a deeper level of foresight. This study provides an integrative approach of user behavior study and scenario planning for service design with special emphasis on domestic plumbing. It acts as a road map for service design in general, primarily to similar service sectors viz. electrical maintenance, domestic appliances maintenance, and carpentry. The study will benefit students and practitioners in the field of service design. It would finally contribute to design for development.