Certainty and its artefacts

This chapter focuses on the concept of certainty artefacts in service design and their role in creating a sense of control in uncertain contexts. The author argues that certainty artefacts are important tools for service designers to navigate complex environments and create structure and predictability. Four types of certainty artefacts are identified, including personal, procedural, institutional, and paradigmatic, with the latter two having a significant influence on service design processes and results. The chapter also highlights the importance of making certainty artefacts visible and understood as constructs, rather than mistaking them for reality. The author argues that forming, reforming, and disrupting certainty artefacts can encourage engagement with complex realities without denying the inherent uncertainty. The chapter concludes by discussing how certainty artefacts are crafted by multiple actors in service design processes, and the importance of collaboration in their creation.