Service Innovation Strategies for Sustainable Furniture Design: A Systematic Review

Bing Xi1,2, Norfarizah Binti Mohd Bakhir1, Weijian Yang3
1School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
2 School of Communication and Design, Longyan University.1 North Dongxiao Road, Xinluo District, Longyan, Fujian 364012, China
3School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangzhou City University of Technology.1 Xuefu Road, Huadu District, Guangzhou 510800, China
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70517/revcc272510
Published: 10/09/2026
: Bing Xi, Norfarizah Binti Mohd Bakhir, Weijian Yang. Service Innovation Strategies for Sustainable Furniture Design: A Systematic Review. Revista Cultura Científica, 2027 Issue 25. pg. 113-122.

Abstract

The furniture industry is a major consumer of natural resources and exerts significant environmental impacts, requiring urgent sustainable transformation to align with global sustainable development goals. Service innovation has been recognised as a vital driver of industrial sustainability, yet a systematic and targeted synthesis of service innovation strategies for sustainable furniture design, particularly Chinese bamboo furniture, remains absent from existing research. This study aims to identify and summarise service innovation strategies that support sustainable development in furniture design, with a specific focus on Chinese bamboo furniture. To achieve this aim, a systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Relevant peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2023 were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. Following PRISMA-guided screening, 46 studies were included and analysed using thematic content analysis. Six themes emerged: organisational capabilities for sustainability-oriented service innovation; product–service systems and digital servitisation; circular economy and life-cycle services; furniture design, digitalisation, and market transformation; material-specific sustainable design and value creation; and co-creation, user experience, and social sustainability. The synthesis indicates that these strategies can support environmental, economic, and social sustainability in furniture design. This review systematically integrates service innovation research within the sustainable furniture design domain and provides theoretical insights and practical implications for researchers, designers, and enterprises seeking to advance sustainable furniture development. It underscores the critical role of service innovation in advancing environmental, economic, and social sustainability across the furniture sector.

Keywords: service innovation strategies; sustainable furniture design; systematic literature review; product–service system (PSS); circular economy

Abstract

The furniture industry is a major consumer of natural resources and exerts significant environmental impacts, requiring urgent sustainable transformation to align with global sustainable development goals. Service innovation has been recognised as a vital driver of industrial sustainability, yet a systematic and targeted synthesis of service innovation strategies for sustainable furniture design, particularly Chinese bamboo furniture, remains absent from existing research. This study aims to identify and summarise service innovation strategies that support sustainable development in furniture design, with a specific focus on Chinese bamboo furniture. To achieve this aim, a systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Relevant peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2023 were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. Following PRISMA-guided screening, 46 studies were included and analysed using thematic content analysis. Six themes emerged: organisational capabilities for sustainability-oriented service innovation; product–service systems and digital servitisation; circular economy and life-cycle services; furniture design, digitalisation, and market transformation; material-specific sustainable design and value creation; and co-creation, user experience, and social sustainability. The synthesis indicates that these strategies can support environmental, economic, and social sustainability in furniture design. This review systematically integrates service innovation research within the sustainable furniture design domain and provides theoretical insights and practical implications for researchers, designers, and enterprises seeking to advance sustainable furniture development. It underscores the critical role of service innovation in advancing environmental, economic, and social sustainability across the furniture sector.

Keywords: service innovation strategies; sustainable furniture design; systematic literature review; product–service system (PSS); circular economy

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Bing Xi
School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
School of Communication and Design, Longyan University.1 North Dongxiao Road, Xinluo District, Longyan, Fujian 364012, China
Norfarizah Binti Mohd Bakhir
School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
Weijian Yang
School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangzhou City University of Technology.1 Xuefu Road, Huadu District, Guangzhou 510800, China

How to cite:

Bing Xi, Norfarizah Binti Mohd Bakhir, Weijian Yang. Service Innovation Strategies for Sustainable Furniture Design: A Systematic Review. Revista Cultura Científica, 2027 Issue 25. pg. 113-122.

Publication History

Copyright © 2026, Bing Xi, Norfarizah Binti Mohd Bakhir, Weijian Yang. Published by Revista Cultura Científica. This article is published as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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