Frontstage and backstage
The distinction between what the person sees of a service (frontstage) and what happens behind it to make it possible (backstage), separated by the line of visibility.
What problem it addresses
Explains why a service can’t be fixed only in what is visible: the problem is often behind the scenes.
An example
A night at a hotel, based on the example by Bitner et al. (2008).
If the backstage fails, the guest notices it in the frontstage, even without knowing why.
Why it happens
What is visible depends on what happens behind it.
The line of visibility separates what is seen from what isn’t.
Designing both sides avoids promising what can’t be delivered.
Applications in design
Use it like this
When something fails up front, look for the cause behind it: processes, systems or staff.
Avoid
Dressing up the frontstage to hide a backstage that doesn’t work.
Don’t fall for it
Decide what is worth showing: sometimes making the backstage visible (an open kitchen) builds trust.
3 lines
What the research says
The blueprint separates actions with three lines: the line of interaction (person and staff), the line of visibility (what is seen and what isn’t) and the line of internal interaction (staff and support processes) (Bitner et al., 2008).
Debated evidence. It is a way of describing a service, not a measured effect; it is widely used in research and practice.
Connections
Authors and works
- 1959
Erving Goffman
Distinguished between the front region and the back region of any social performance.
- 1984
G. Lynn Shostack
Introduced the line of visibility in the service blueprint.
- 2008
Mary Jo Bitner et al.
Defined the lines of interaction, visibility and internal interaction.
Sources
Original sources
- Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Doubleday.
- Shostack, G. L. (1984). Designing services that deliver. Harvard Business Review, 62(1), 133–139. View source: Shostack, G. L. (1984)
Academic reviews
- Bitner, M. J., Ostrom, A. L., & Morgan, F. N. (2008). Service blueprinting: A practical technique for service innovation. California Management Review, 50(3), 66–94. View source: Bitner, M. J., Ostrom, A. L., & Morgan, F. N. (2008)
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