Major Project
Design Research for the Workplace Gifting System [Read more]
Hero shot
GiftEasy is a friendly and intelligent system that helps new workers with workplace socializing and getting to know each other.
GiftEasy is powered by an AI assistant and machine learning process to create a handy channel for new hires to get to know and socialise with their colleagues. The feature that shows a real-time sending process and the receiver’s status could significantly enhance the gifting experience in the workplace. Furthermore, it is witnessed that GiftEasy could link up with instant messaging platforms to align different channels in companies.
The challenge
Lots of new graduate employees face problems with both working and socialising at the same time when they are on the onboarding period, which brings about a poor onboarding experience. It was witnessed that the workplace social bond is associated with the job performance, engagement, and wellbeing of employees. At the same time, the potential of gifting is to shape the ties and relationship. Therefore, this project aims at the value of gifting for maintaining and devleping workplace friendship and tries to enhance the onboarding experience through creating a better workplace gifting experience.
User research
The semi-structured interview was undertaken in this research. The general goal of this method is to collect information about the research theme in an organised way, besides, there might be more probe when new problems come up (Wilson, 2013). To collect the data systematically, the interview of this research is made up of three parts:
Interview with target users
To collect general information (doing, thinking, and feeling) about the central topic form their personal experience.
Interview with stakeholders
Based on issues captured within the target user group, stakeholder interview was conducted to collect data from different perspectives.
Call-back interview with participants of the diary study
Utilise the diary study results during interview to capture more detail and deeper thoughts of the target users, in order to explore the emotions and thoughts which are normally hidden.
To explore more paths to collect data from users, the researcher creates creative games for this research.
Onion Game
A template for inspiring participants to constructively review their workplace relationships.
Experience Emoji Map
The map is used for helping participants express their feelings through the gifting experience.
Card Sorting
This session focuses on detecting what’s the participant attitude on different types of gift in the context of the workplace.
Key insights
The key insights from the user research include:
The goals of new hires
They set avoid mistakes as their goals because lacking confidence, however, there is a gap between their goals and the team goals.
How they define the relationship
They are reluctant to disclose themselves to team members because they separate colleagues from friends and don’t see the positive effects of workplace friendship.
The meaningful gifts for them could be intangible
They feel encouraged/moved when they got gifts are priceless, also helpful and suitable for their situation.
The personalised features are valuable
It becomes much more meaningful even 'surprising gifts' when the gift contains some features related to the receiver.
Design iteration
Specify the user requirements
Insights were specified by MoSCoW method and evaluation matrix for the HMW statements. The statements in ‘big bites’ area are treated as the opportunities with higher potential and will take forward.
Initial concept
The researcher combines the HMWs with emerging technology trend then takes forward to crazy 8’s whereby the design opportunities are transformed into initial ideas. Then the HOW?WOW!NOW matrix is utilised at this stage to allocate the initial ideas and move forward with the ideas that have more potential
The future state journey
The future state user journey was mapped out to present the big picture that how the user interacts with the gifting system on each touchpoint. A paper-based prototype was created to visualise the digital touchpoints. Moreover, user testing was conducted to test out what’s the user experience on the touchpoints within this journey.
Final design - Feature 1
Final design - Feature 2
Final design - Feature 3
Ruiting Yang
I come from China and I have another masters degree in Industrial Design and Engineering from Nanjing University of Acience and technology.
I come from china, and I have a master’s degree in industrial design. I have been working as an interaction designer for a few months before entering Loughborough University for the degree of UXD M.A.
With the study experience of industrial design and working experience, I made efforts on combining my strength that modelling and data visualising to build up the empathy and uncover the user needs. I really enjoy the user-centred design process because creating fantastic user experience, not the fancy screen page is my end goal as a designer.
Major Project
Design Research for the Workplace Gifting System
Awards
UXathon19 - Best Branding