Human-Centered Service Design and Client Desirability in Digital Agencies: A Design Thinking Case Study of Pitoeng

The growth of the digital industry in Indonesia has led to increasingly fierce competition among digital marketing and branding agencies, requiring the implementation of service strategies that are not only technically superior, but also focused on client experience and sustainable business relationships. In this context, strengthening human-centered service design is relevant to support business practices that are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). This study aims to analyze why and how Pitoeng is perceived as a desirable digital agency from the client's perspective through the application of the Design Thinking approach. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study design that refers to the five stages of Design Thinking, namely empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with internal parties, supported by observation and document analysis. The results show that Pitoeng's desirability is shaped by human-centered factors, such as a deep understanding of client needs, transparent communication, flexibility in collaboration, and clear and adaptive service mechanisms. These findings confirm that the Design Thinking approach not only plays a role in creating value and client trust, but also contributes to the development of innovative, responsible, and sustainable digital agency service strategies.印度尼西亚数字产业的蓬勃发展，使得数字营销与品牌代理机构间的竞争日趋激烈，这要求机构推行兼具技术先进性、且聚焦客户体验与可持续商务关系的服务策略。在此背景下，强化以人为中心的服务设计，有助于支撑契合可持续发展目标（Sustainable Development Goals，SDGs）的商业实践，具体涉及可持续发展目标8（Decent Work and Economic Growth，体面工作与经济增长）、可持续发展目标9（Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure，产业、创新与基础设施）以及可持续发展目标12（Responsible Consumption and Production，负责任消费与生产）。本研究旨在通过应用设计思维（Design Thinking）方法，从客户视角分析Pitoeng为何及如何被视为一家极具吸引力的数字代理机构。本研究采用质性研究方法，结合案例研究设计，参照设计思维的五大阶段——共情（empathize）、定义问题（define）、构思创意（ideate）、原型制作（prototype）与测试验证（test）开展研究。数据收集通过对内部人员的半结构化访谈实施，并辅以观察法与文档分析。研究结果表明，Pitoeng的品牌吸引力源于多项以人为中心的要素，包括对客户需求的深度洞察、透明化沟通、协作灵活性，以及清晰且具备适应性的服务机制。本研究结论证实，设计思维方法不仅有助于创造客户价值与获取客户信任，还能推动创新性、负责任且可持续的数字代理机构服务策略的构建与发展。