AiDA
The Future of Work through a Product Experience Ecosystem
Product and UIUX Design Concept
NUS DID Platform Team Project,
Collaboration with JCI,
2021
Collaboration with JCI,
2021
The Problem
The future of work is facing a revolutionary change. In a post-pandemic world, it is evident that traditional workforce models are changing, and hybrid work is now the norm. What exactly is defined as the future of work then, and how might we design solutions that anticipates the user needs of new emerging trends?
I was the research, UIUX, and motion graphics designer in this multi-disciplinary team of Design, Psychology, and Engineering. Our goal was to support employee-centric experiences for productivity and wellness, through a data-driven, product ecosystem approach.
We decided to take a human-centric approach through service design research on the present state of work, and focus on conceptualising the solution through relevant scenarios that people in the future would have to go through.
TLDR: Envisioning the future of work that supports employee-centric experiences for productivity and wellness, through a data-driven eco-system approach in impacting space, people & technology
Research
In order to understand our stakeholders and target audience better, our team scoped our research with the following objectives:
- Understand current working experiences and corporate needs of Gen Z, Gen Y and Gen Xs
- Identify potential opportunity gaps in the current work experience
- Uncover factors that motivates and makes work fulfilling for employees
- Evaluate environmental impact on productivity
Problem Statement
How might we create personalized,
employee-centric experiences to improve
productivity in the new normal of hybrid work?
employee-centric experiences to improve
productivity in the new normal of hybrid work?
Approach
To tackle productivity in a hybrid workforce, we aim to address 3 broad areas:
Workforce
Work anywhere and everywhere to
your fullest, seamlessly.
Employer Desirability
Optimise current workplaces and inform future workplace and infrastructure.
Employee Visibility
Empower individuals with personalised
optimisation of productive state.
Workforce
Work anywhere and everywhere to
your fullest, seamlessly.
Employer Desirability
Optimise current workplaces and inform future workplace and infrastructure.
Employee Visibility
Empower individuals with personalised
optimisation of productive state.
Concept Development
We envisioned that the future of work will consist of flexible work arrangements, where we can work anywhere as a part of our daily work routine. Hence, to support the productivity and wellbeing needs of employees, and for companies to obtain non-intrusive data to optimise productivity on their end, we ideated a product ecosystem, consisting of:
Usability testing was also conducted through mockups and prototypes of the Superapp system.
- Collaborative work system for employees
- Superapp with a home product for employees
Usability testing was also conducted through mockups and prototypes of the Superapp system.
Design Concept
The AiDA ecosystem is the future companion of employees. It is a third party SaaS solution that aims to improve productivity of emplotees, and empower them to work anywhere.
Through the use of smart AI and IoT, AiDA’s ecosystem of products detects and creates a personalised working environment optimised to each employee’s productive state - from home to work.
Through the use of smart AI and IoT, AiDA’s ecosystem of products detects and creates a personalised working environment optimised to each employee’s productive state - from home to work.
Optimising Productivity
through the Environment
The environment is broken down into factors such as temperature, sound, lighting and scent. AiDA Homekit and Tag are equipped with sensors that measure these conditions, which will be sent to the app.
Users can then go to the AiDA app to adjust settings according to their preference. The app then adjusts the settings of the IoT conencted appliances via the AiDA homekit.
All these are integrated into AiDA’s smart AI system which keeps track and automatically optimises the environment over time.
through the Environment
The environment is broken down into factors such as temperature, sound, lighting and scent. AiDA Homekit and Tag are equipped with sensors that measure these conditions, which will be sent to the app.
Users can then go to the AiDA app to adjust settings according to their preference. The app then adjusts the settings of the IoT conencted appliances via the AiDA homekit.
All these are integrated into AiDA’s smart AI system which keeps track and automatically optimises the environment over time.
Productivity-driven Insights
AiDA measures the user’s productivity through a desktop extension that only activates when they log in to their work account. Users can run this extension in the background or set focus sessions, both producing productivity level insights in their working sessions.
AiDA measures the user’s productivity through a desktop extension that only activates when they log in to their work account. Users can run this extension in the background or set focus sessions, both producing productivity level insights in their working sessions.
Supporting personal well-being
When the user is stressed, AiDA can detect it through the Heart Rate Variability function in their smartwatch that is connected to the AiDA app. The AI can prompt the user, asking if they would like to adjust their environment to induce relaxation. This then activates the relevant IoT appliances to achieve user satisfaction.
Users can bounce back from stress and enable them to get back on track with their tasks, possibly reducing adverse effects of burnout.
When the user is stressed, AiDA can detect it through the Heart Rate Variability function in their smartwatch that is connected to the AiDA app. The AI can prompt the user, asking if they would like to adjust their environment to induce relaxation. This then activates the relevant IoT appliances to achieve user satisfaction.
Users can bounce back from stress and enable them to get back on track with their tasks, possibly reducing adverse effects of burnout.
Seamless Route Optimisation
In hybrid work arrangements, it is important to have a smooth workflow to minimise inconvenience. AiDA helps to optimise transits though booking platforms and smart planning your daily commute.
In hybrid work arrangements, it is important to have a smooth workflow to minimise inconvenience. AiDA helps to optimise transits though booking platforms and smart planning your daily commute.
Solution Potential
AiDA integrates existing technology (smart watch, IoT) with data analytics to offer users a new way of looking at work. It uses non-intrusive methods used to collect human-centric data (productivity and health indicators) and preferences, and informs the user on actionable insights.
Empowerment is key here. Using clear data-visualisation and AI-backed trends, AiDA empowers users to take control of their work-life balance. Users are able to identify the conditions for their most productive state and induce high focus levels with given conditions. Simple actionable insights also provide employees with self-awareness into the effectiveness of their working style, thereby increasing motivation for employees to make simple changes to their lives, increasing their quality of life in the long run.
Feedback loops (where AiDA collects environmental data wherever the user chooses to work) within the ecosystem allows for employees to truly work anywhere, everywhere. In a future where every cafe, buildings is integrated with IoT, users can easily have their workplace customised to their liking, inducing their most productive state.