The implications of the choice overload effect on users to the design of Product-Service Systems

Product-Service System consists in a set of tangible products and intangible services, which are produced and combined in order to satisfy the user’s needs. However, in formulating the off er through a combination of products and services, the number of alternatives available to the user is dramatically increased. Within this context, literature systematically indicates a phenomenon known as choice overload, which reveals that large choice sets tend to be more attractive to consumers, however, they compromise the user’s satisfaction regarding the decision made. In the look for knowing the implications of these effects on design, this paper aims to discuss how the design of Product-Service Systems can be qualified in order to offer better strategic paths to organizations. Results indicate that designers can intentionally deal with the context in which choice overload is produced, acting strategically in organizations, improving the choice set to be offered to consumers. Keywords: Strategic Design, Product-Service System, Choice overload.

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