1. Helsinki Central Library as
a Gateway to the City
For years, many tourists have required a new type of travel expe-
rience, one in which they are more physically and emotionally in-
volved in the destination, rather than just being entertained. How
can we create a better tourist experience that could turn out to be a
meaningful life experience? How do we make tourists experience
SeYoung Kim,
Service Designer, Kuudes genuine local culture beyond a staged tourism experience? This
Kerros, Helsinki, Finland.
SeYoung Kim recently article introduces a new service proposal for authentic tourist ex-
obtained her MA in
Industrial and Strategic perience, emphasising the role of service design as a strategic tool
Design from Aalto
University School of Art both in tourist engagement and in creative tourism development,
and Design. For the last
three years SeYoung has in relation to libraries. This project was carried out at the concept
been involved for various
multidisciplinary projects stage in collaboration with Helsinki City Library and is an MA
on design for services and
strategies, and she has prior thesis project for the Aalto University School of Art and Design.
experience in graphic and
web design for seven years.
In recent years, the needs for authenticity tourists as a valuable destination where
in the tourist experience has emerged due they can find the opportunity to discover a
to the commoditisation of local culture by vivid part of the local culture2.
emulating the successful place-making Helsinki City Library has been
strategies of cities1. Although, depending broadening its responsibility by plan-
on what tourists encounter, the meaning of ning the New Helsinki Central Library,
‘authenticity’ could be diverse, the authen- based on a long and proud tradition
tic experience can frequently be achieved in Finnish society. This project aimed
Satu Miettinen, through local reality with genuine contact. to develop the new service concept
PhD, Professor of Applied This is why many tourists seek the oppor- offering from the library that would
Art and Design
University of Lapland tunities for participative experience to help support tourists in discovering a way
Faculty of Art and Design immerse themselves in the destination. of understanding their own authentic
However, public libraries, where all local experience of Finland, while, at the same
knowledge and characteristics is gathered time, making a positive contribution
and are created, are rarely considered by to the library and local community.
54 touchpoint

2. LE V
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P r ov i d e t
s e rv e c
traditional, modern, broad,
stable, progressive
narrow, collective
individual
library service engagement platform for community
level 4:
expanded service stages for tourist bring people together
as a cultural hub
level 3:
foster communication and
exchange cultural diversity
in the community
level 2:
become multi-use destination
that individual development
advocates
level 1:
being conduits of wealthy
knowledgeable resources
Figure1: Four stages of library service
platform expand the service capability in
a broad context from only local residents
to international visitors for improving their
experience in the new tourism service.
touchpoint 55

3. Service Design in Creating Authenticity cal element, the aim of the Welcome Package is to lower
In order to design a tourist experience in connection the barrier to entry to the library. The tourist can simply
with libraries, the service design approach worked as the order the package through the AITO website before de-
essential medium. The customer journey map was used parture, and they can pick it up in the library when they
to discover the probable touchpoints that make the target arrive. The Welcome Package is designed for each tourist
tourists step into the library, engaging with the new with a temporary library card in their name, and it pri-
service based on their needs. A co-design workshop with marily consists of a list of selected local culture, library
the tourists, the librarians and local residents was also materials and programs – including the AITO service –
carried out to reveal service opportunities, since these based on personal interests, selected in advance through
are the focal stakeholders who have great potential to the website. Through the service, the tourists have not
enhance the capability of the service, both as experts in only the same rights as locals to access all the materials
the local culture and as regular customers of the library. and services of the library, but also have more self-moti-
The most crucial finding driving this project was vation to visit the library without any preconceptions.
the target tourists’ prejudice against the public library. The ‘AITO Story’ is developed from the fact that
This meant that the tourists felt like outsiders, invad- many tourists invest time in searching through reliable
ing the local residents’ everyday life, and so they were resources in order to reduce any travel-related uncer-
reluctant to consider the library as a destination. Thus, tainty. The library offers exclusive and reliable local
the need for service element to motivate the tourists to knowledge in cooperation with local residents to support
visit the library, led to the service vision of: “This new the tourists in gaining a distinct and profound view of
service makes visitors feel part of the city, and able to the city. ‘AITO Kits’ are the various resource kits with
interact more easily with the day-to-day culture, espe- specific themes, provided by the library, that give the
cially with locals with whose lives they can identify.” tourists an opportunity to encounter hidden, uncom-
mercialised aspects of Finnish culture. For instance,
Aito, a New Service Concept Proposition ‘Bike Kits’, including a free city bike, a map with recom-
‘AITO’ is a service concept for authentic tourist experi- mended routes for cycling and a bicycle repair guide
ence that offers a diverse way of engaging in genuine and tools, can assist the tourist in exploring a differ-
Finnish culture, based on an emotional interaction with ent side of Helsinki. The aim of ‘AITO Culture’ is to
local people. ‘AITO’ means ‘authentic’ or ‘genuine’ in open all library-based cultural programs to all visitors,
Finnish, thus it reflects the philosophy of this service, including tourists. A successful experience at this level
along with the service slogan, ‘look closely, think widely’. would make locals and tourists feel connected to each
The AITO service, targeted at those tourists who other, while respecting their differences in a practi-
prefer off-the-beaten-track Helsinki, is structured by cal activity, such as a one-day Finnish cuisine class.
considering different levels of tourist desires, from pas- As the vital phrase, the last level of service,
sive to active involvement in the destination, based on ‘AITO Buddy’, aims to ensure that the focus of tourist
personal interests and needs. The root of this idea was attention shifts away from external cultural objects and
from one striking finding that a different expectation of instead looks deep into themselves through authentic
‘authenticity’ regarding Finland exists among people, travel practices. Both tourist and local can find someone
depending on their cultural background or their per- who shares similar interests among the various AITO
sonal context. In order for this finding to frame a service buddy profiles containing specific personal prefer-
system, it was developed on the basis of the four stages ences that they create in advance. They can then design
of a library service platform for the community. There- all sorts of experiences together in Finland, such as
fore, the library service model developed by this project having a cup of coffee, discussing shared interests,
expands the service capability in a broad context, from language-learning exchanges or short day trips. The
only local residents to international visitors (Figure 1). tourists are able to participate in real local life through
AITO consists of a ‘Welcome Package’ and four genuine contact, and local residents can also have the
stages of participatory services (Figure 2). As the criti- opportunity to meet, on their own home turf, people
56 touchpoint

4. eat, sleep, play
aito service website
LEVEL 1
AFTER-TRAVEL aito story
To provide the tourist with novel and
LEVEL 4 reliable information that creates
aito buddy in cooperation with local and library
To encourage the tourist and locals
in developing their own context
from mutual interest as forming
a relationship by involving in the process aito buddy; travel card
aito PRIOR-TRAVEL To create the Travel Card to describe
service tourists and locals themselves
in advance, if they want to
LEVEL 3
use AITO Buddy service
aito culture ON THE SPOT
To open the all cultural programs
with tourist to initiate them
into engaging in the community
welcoming
LEVEL 2 package
aito kits Tourist can order the package before depature,
To offer various resources kits and the contents of package can be selected on the
for the tourist to assist realization lists via the website e.g. a temporary library card,
of their expectations and aspirations recommened information based on tourist interests
e.g. Bike Kit with a free city bike, a map and
bicycle repaire guide and tools
the helsinki
central library
Pick up the Welcoming package
Figure 2.: ‘AITO’ Service Diagram. The service considers different levels of tourist’s desires from passive
to active involvement in the destination, covering not only during their stay, but before and after travel.
from all over the world who share common interests. So, we, hope that this service experience
The role of the library is a reliable and safe platform will enrich lives by offering internal
that empowers all visitors to openly and freely create stimuli for self-discovery both for
their own authentic stories from mutual interests. the tourists and locals, and will also
offer the library an opportunity to
Final Thoughts strengthen its responsibility as a real
As the cultural diversity of societies grows rapidly cultural-based foundation for a wide
the world over, the role of service design will become range of audiences while, at the same
more important in uniting different fields to cater for a time, leading the way in promoting
wider range of demands. Although AITO is still at the Helsinki as a city which places a high
concept stage, its full or partial implementation is being value on social equality for all.
considered for the New Central library. Developing
the detailed service process using a service blueprint
and service scenarios has supported this project in
References
envisioning positive impact both in tourism and in the 1
Richards, G. & Wilson, J. (2006): Developing Creativity
library domain. In the pilot test, an interviewee said in Tourist Experiences: a Solution to the Serial
Reproduction of Culture?. Tourism Management, 27,
that this concept has inspired him to check out the local
1209-1223
library next time before travelling, and he is becoming 2
Whitman John R. (2003): Libraries and Tourism. The
more and more active in using his local library. UNESCO Network of Associated libraries.
touchpoint 57