VirtuOffice
Hackathon By BrainStation x Microsoft
— TYPE
Group Project
— TIMELINE
3 Days
— ROLE
UX Researcher, UI Designer
This is an online game but I'd like to take you through the process.
My team and I were given a topic, Working From Home. It was up to us had to find a problem and a solution for it.
During the first phase of the hackathon we chose to focus on the difficulties of employees who feel disconnected from their peers at work.
Game Interface
Problem Space
Problem Space
As we begun the research we found that this is primarily due to them missing out on key opportunities for social interaction with colleagues.
"For some people, working from home may add risk to their mental health because it causes feeling of isolation and disconnection” according to a Huffington Post article.
Proto-Persona
Proto-Persona
Jared Pataki
Works remotely for a Vancouver-based company
Places much importance on having strong interpersonal relationships at work
Feels excluded and forgotten by those at HQ
Lacks a comfortable means to put himself out there towards people outside of his team
How Might We...
How Might We...
HMW make it easier for remote workers to socialize with their colleagues and leaders so that they can feel more strongly integrated within their employer’s culture?
Solution + Key Insights
Solution + Key Insights
As a team, we decided on gamification, and after conducting research the key insights we found are:
Enabling communication and shared identity between geographically dispersed colleagues greatly increases their feelings of proximity to one another.
Games often provide a safe space to those suffering from social anxiety by giving them more control over how they communicate with others.
Games foster a positive work atmosphere by encouraging staff to get to know and appreciate each other.
Ideation + Inspiration
Ideation + Inspiration
The solution design was based on games like Sims, Animal Crossing, and Habbo Hotel
Design & Development
Design & Development
We used Zeplin for hand-offs of the design assets to the web development team.
Interactive Design
Interactive Design
The features we wanted to highlight:
Bump into co-workers
Employees can roam their virtual office and have lighthearted interactions with their colleagues.
Keep up with workplace events
They can stay connected with real-life work activities and milestones, without fear of missing out.
Earn rewards
- They can earn points to upgrade their in-game avatars and cubicles simply by interacting with each other.
Solution – Dashboard
Solution – Dashboard
In-Game Integration
Employees can access engagement and satisfaction surveys through the game’s virtual bulletin board and earn points for completion.
Talent Analytics
Survey responses generate insights on whether or not remote employees feel productive and connected to their organization.
Dashboard for productivity and connection to organization
Virtual bulletin board to see events and surveys
Survey from the bulletin board
Value Proposition
Value Proposition
User (Employee) Value
Expand social and professional networks (at work)
Feel connected with HQ staff and activities
Improve overall job performance (through reduced social stress)
Have fun on the job!
Business Value
Increase overall employee engagement
Promote organizational culture across the globe
Unlock insights on job satisfaction
Reduce occurrences of counterproductive work behaviour
Next Steps
Next Steps
Prototype Run-Through
Prototype Run-Through
Thank You For Taking The Time!
Thank You For Taking The Time!
If you'd like to check out the game click the link below:
Project Repo for Remote Employee Satisfaction:
UX Designers:
Data Science Team:
Web Developers:
If you’d like to get into contact with me: