Surfboard as a Service: a novel kitesurfing experience

Abstract

This report describes the process of the graduation project: ‘Surfboard as a Service: a novel kitesurfing experience’, which was carried out from February to September 2019. The assignment of the project is to design a custom Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) concept for Appletree Surfboards, which: reduces environmental impact, benefits the company and its products, and gives the end-users (wave kitesurfers) a great experience. In the beginning of the project, research is done about the current context. Company activities and product properties that already contribute to sustainability are investigated, Besides, the theory behind sustainable models is consulted. After this orientation, some targeted exploration is done. Takeaways from interesting company cases and results from interviews with eight wave kitesurfers, result in the distinction of three different end-user groups and inspiration for idea development.
Ideation is then started and the first structural PaaS model ideas are developed. One of these ideas is chosen for further development. This decision leads to a focus on the end-user group of ‘potential customers that want to try out Appletree boards before acquiring one’. This direction leads to a certain model construction and the development of a board trial service. Two trial structures are then elaborated into two different concepts, with a different aim on experience, interaction and intended behavior. Findings from a extensive user test with ten participants, result in a final design proposal. The best of two concepts is merged together, and the last adjustments are made. The final design consist of a trial service and a PaaS-lease service, that can be set up alongside the company’s current activities. The last part of this report describes the features of the final design and presents a few additional elaborations. Recommendations for further development and suggestions for implementation are provided as well. Finally, there will be discussed how the design may contribute to wave kiters, Appletree and sustainability.