The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the viability of Speculative Design in the creation of Service Design prototypes. Specifically, how speculative prototypes can facilitate participants' dialogue regarding their genuine visions. Second, this paper examines the performance of seven different speculative prototypes in a single carbon neutrality project in order to elaborate on the necessary characteristics of a speculative prototype. Our findings indicate that it is advantageous to create a service design prototype using Speculative Design. We argue that policymakers and governments can use Speculative Design to increase citizen engagement and collective imagination in projects such as carbon neutrality. In addition, Speculative Design facilitates the transition from facilitator to provocateur for the service designer. Not only does Speculative Design fill participants with imagination and energy, but it also provides designers with continuous energy, which can promote continuous learning among designers and stakeholders.

Burnout significantly impacts employee well-being and organisational efficiency, particularly in high-intensity and rigid environments such as Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). This study examined a novel intervention that combined cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and doodle theory to mitigate burnout among grassroots employees in Chinese SOEs. Over two years, the Happy Doodle Toolkit (HDT) was developed through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and co-design methods. A four-week field experiment involving 38 participants measured outcomes using the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey and collected 152 doodle diaries. Mean scores demonstrated significant improvements in burnout inventory measures, including emotional exhaustion (ΔM = −0.38), cynicism (ΔM = −0.25), and professional efficacy (ΔM = +0.27), all p < 0.001. Notably, younger employees (≤35 years) exhibited more substantial improvements, with cynicism declining more steeply than in older employees, as confirmed by a significant interaction between measurement time and age group (F = 5.759, p = 0.022). Qualitative data revealed enhanced emotional expression, cognitive reframing, and more positive work attitudes, aligning with the quantitative improvements. This study offers insights into the effectiveness of combining CBT and doodling as an intervention to reduce burnout. It provides new perspectives on enhancing mental health and job satisfaction among SOE employees and underscores the potential for personalised, cost-effective interventions in organisational settings.

This study explores the emotional support of ‘left‐behind children’ in rural China by integrating Participatory Design (PD) methods into art education to foster emotional expression and self‐care. Drawing on an eight‐year longitudinal case study involving questionnaires ( n = 189 children), multiple workshops, semi‐structured interviews and the development of pedagogical tools, this paper focuses on two PD practices: ‘A Cup of Story Time’ and ‘My Parents in My Mind’ and one collaborative art education toolkit. Findings indicate that PD‐based teaching can disrupt the traditional technique‐oriented paradigm of rural art education, transforming the classroom into a space for emotional exchange between children and their absent parents. Children were encouraged to express love in their creations, cultivating a sense of self‐care and peer support. Moreover, the art classroom functioned as a trust‐building environment that strengthened children's subjectivity and emotional identity. As a low‐cost, participatory, and emotionally restorative intervention, this model reshapes relational dynamics in rural education, positioning children as collaborators and active agents in teaching and learning.