Using Design Thinking to Create Social Innovation in Digital Services for International Mobility

Abstract

The mobility between different cities and countries has improved greatly in the last few decades, but it is still lacking in some areas. In this research paper, we propose a concept for a digital service application that helps drive international mobility forward by using the Design Thinking methodology. The lack of a technological infrastructure for international mobility—from digital services to auto vehicles, has been the starting point of building the app concept. We wanted to make international mobility safer and faster for people by using cars and buses. Through analyzing the existing literature and using the Design Thinking methodology—empathizing: conducting user research, framing the problem, ideation: coming up with solutions, prototyping, and in the near future, implementing and testing it, we built the app concept. We analyzed the existing solutions in terms of services, and we correlated the functionalities of our app concept with the social impact they have. Taking as a reference Romanian citizens, we found out that a high percentage favored land transport for outbound trips. Moreover, based on our research, a high percentage of the interviewed citizens favor sustainable means of transport. As a conclusion, we used Design Thinking to create social innovation in international mobility through a digital service that provides a better connection between drivers, travelers, and the environment.