Prof. Shera Hyunyim Park is an Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design. She is the founding programme leader of both the BA Service Design and the MDes Smart Service Design, and currently serves as the Specialism Leader of the MDes Smart Service Design. Since joining PolyU Design in November 2020, she has played a leading role in establishing Service Design as a distinct area of education, research and industry engagement within the School.

Prof. Park holds a PhD in Service Design from the Royal College of Art in the UK, where her research investigated digital mapping platforms, service ecosystems and service design from a human-centred and systemic perspective. She also holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Westminster in the UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Product Design from Hong-Ik University in South Korea. Her academic background informs an interdisciplinary approach to service systems, digital platforms, AI-enabled service design, customer experience and design education.

Before transitioning fully into academia, Prof. Park built nearly 15 years of professional experience across South Korea and the UK. She began her career as a designer at Hyundai Group, working across graphic, multimedia and corporate communication design, before moving into digital strategy, brand activation and platform development at LG Electronics UK & Ireland and LG Ad Europe, where she served as Head of Digital Communication. In this role, she led digital brand communication, customer engagement and digital platform strategy across European and global initiatives. Her industry work included the LG.com rollout across 17 European countries and its later rollout to 67 global subsidiaries. She also led UK digital marketing and brand activation programmes worth £4M for LG’s consumer electronics portfolio, including the “Life’s Good” campaign and the “Human Face of Technology” social media and marketing activation programme. Her work further included digital brand partnerships and sponsorship activations with Formula 1, UK National Exhibition Centre LG Arena, Fulham Football Club, Arsenal Football Club Mobile Category, Piccadilly Circus outdoor media, London Olympics outdoor media and the Harrods OLED TV VIP digital programme, as well as digital product-service-platform development with Sky, Dixons and Amazon. Her professional achievements were recognised through multiple LG Global, European and UK Best Practice Awards, including LG President’s Awards.

Prior to joining PolyU Design, Prof. Park was an Associate Lecturer at Loughborough University London, teaching on the MA/MSc Design Innovation programme (2019-2020). At PolyU Design, Prof. Park has translated her international industry and academic experience into programme building, curriculum leadership and research-informed education. She founded and led both the BA in Service Design and the MDes Smart Service Design, creating a vertically integrated Service Design education platform across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This platform supports students from foundational service design inquiry to advanced service systems thinking, co-creation, critical reflection and industry-facing innovation. Through industry-partnered studio projects, her master’s students have showcased and exhibited their projects at Cyberport and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Prof. Park’s research focuses on service systems, digital platforms, servitisation, customer experience, AI-enabled service design practice, data-driven service innovation and human–AI collaboration. Her recent work investigates how AI, data and digital platforms shape service experiences, value co-creation and institutional relationships, with a growing focus on how GenAI reshapes studio-based learning, assessment, creative collaboration and students’ design capabilities in Service Design education.

Her work in service design has appeared in leading journals and international venues including The Design Journal, Journal of Service Management, Tourism Review, Current Issues in Tourism, ServDes, DRS, IASDR, DMI and The Design Society. Her earlier research on mapping, open data and transport services contributed to a service strategy and business model for improving London air quality in collaboration with Transport for London (TfL), which received the first prize of Service Design Network (SDN)Business Innovation Award.

Prof. Park contributes to international academic and professional communities as a Senior Scientific Committee Member for ServDes and a jury member for the Design for Asia Awards in Service and Experience Design. She also supports the wider field through peer review, academic leadership and professional service across design, service management, tourism and service experience research.

Through her combined experience in global industry, academic research, teaching, programme founding, curriculum leadership and interdisciplinary Service Design, Prof. Park has developed a distinctive profile as a design academic who connects education, research and industry practice. Her work contributes to the development of Service Design in Asia while maintaining strong links with international research communities, professional standards and industry transformation.

• 2014 - 2019     Doctor of Philosophy in Service Design | Royal College of Art, UK
• 2011 - 2012     Master of Arts in Design for Communication | University of Westminster, UK
• 2004 - 2005     Master of Arts in Art and Media Practice | University of Westminster, UK
• 1997 - 2001     Bachelor of Arts in Product Design | Hong-Ik University, South Korea

• Sep. 2019 – Sep. 2020     Associate Lecturer, MA Design Innovation, Loughborough University London, UK
• Jan. 2012 – Mar. 2015     Head, Digital Communication, LG Ad Europe, United Kingdom
• Sep. 2005 – Dec. 2011     Digital Marketing Manager, LG Electronics UK & Ireland, United Kingdom
• Jul. 2001 – Jul. 2004     Graphic Designer at Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, South Korea
• Jan. 2001 – Jul. 2001     Graphic Designer at Hyundai Engineering & Construction, South Korea

• Service Design
• Service Systems
• Service Innovation
• Digital Platform