PraiseLab
Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration
In today's dynamic world, addressing complex challenges often requires collaboration across diverse disciplines. However, siloed working practices within organisations can hinder positive change and lead to frustration among communities. To overcome these barriers, our project aims to design a device, apparatus, or set of interactions that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration
Project Type
Methodologies
Cognitive Mapping
Love Breakup Methodology
Interviews
Rapid Prototyping
Crazy Eight's
Physical Prototyping
Thematic Analysis
Tools
Project in Collaboration with DK-CM
DKCM is a practice of architects, researchers and strategists who work in public to create spatial, environmental and social change.
Design Journey
Primary Research - I
Interviews
Interview Formulation
The interview formulation and research aim to delve into individual experiences and perspectives within professional settings, particularly focusing on miscommunications and cultural backgrounds. Through storytelling, participants reflect on challenges in workplace communication and propose potential solutions such as cultural sensitivity training, clearer feedback systems, and structural diagnoses of common problems. This research seeks to cultivate a deeper understanding of interpersonal dynamics and foster more effective communication strategies in diverse workplaces.
Cognitive Mapping
Reflection on individual experiences, perspectives, and insights
Sharing of stories regarding miscommunications and navigating cultural backgrounds in a professional setting
Deeper understanding of challenges in workplace communication
Brainstorming potential solutions:
Implementing cultural sensitivity training
Creating a clearer feedback system
Structural diagnosis of relatable problems experienced by the group
Formulating interview questions
First Interview
Senior Placement Officer (London Borough of Brexley)
Second Interview
Principal Policy Officer (Greater London Authority)
Third Interview
Sustainable Growth Manager (Southwark Council)
Analysing Interviews
Thematic Analysis
Love Breakup Methodology
Insights
Work not appreciated or celebrated enough
Importance of good Management
The system being incredibly complicated
Importance of personal relationships
Truly believe in the mission
Lack of free-flowing information/ Confidential information
Cultural and working differences in the teams.
Communication between teams
Balancing offline and online work dynamics.
Exercises used in the the Workshop
Metaphor Elicitation
We asked people to interact and explain their work using metaphors. This approach aimed to facilitate communication of complex ideas and make it easier for individuals outside their department to understand. This exercise received positive feedback and proved to be quite popular among participants.
Gamified Interaction Study
Team-Tac-Toe exercise
In this activity, one team played a game with another team they didn't know. However, people seemed reluctant to engage with the large board we had set up, possibly feeling intimidated by it. Some participants also hesitated to participate, assuming it would consume too much of their time. Unfortunately, this exercise did not generate much engagement.
Question Relay
This exercise involved individuals writing down a question for the next person to answer, followed by leaving a question for the subsequent participant. People found this exercise highly engaging, and we received enthusiastic participation. It seemed that the exercise's appeal lay in its simplicity, fun nature, and the minimal time investment required
Conducting Workshops
Insights from Workshop
Anonymity and Indirect Interaction Preference
People feel more comfortable sharing personal information anonymously in public settings and tend to favour indirect interaction over face-to-face interaction with strangers.
Unequal Information Reception
Individuals are less inclined to engage in interaction when they perceive the reception of information to be unequal, impacting the willingness to communicate.
Uncertainty in Availability
Hesitancy in approaching others in public settings often stems from uncertainty about their availability for interaction, influencing social interactions.
Activity-Based Interaction Enhancement
Engaging in enjoyable activities can effectively facilitate interaction and nurture the development of collaborative relationships, particularly in the initial stages.
Generating Ideas
Linking Ideas Together
Some Ideas Generated
Focusing on fostering appreciation.
Incorporating an arcade machine-inspired display with rewards in the form of arcade tickets.
Introducing physical badges integrated with employee ID cards.
Implementing a Company Integration Mentorship Program.
Facilitating appreciation through physical letter posts.
Broadcasting daily company-wide appreciation posts via email.
Establishing a reward system based on the accumulation of appreciation.
Showcasing posts on a large screen in the lobby.
Encouraging inter-team appreciation.
Testing Ideations
Concept of Connect Loop
Appreciation Platform: The concept of appreciation is chosen for its potential to merge various ideas, spread positivity, foster connections, and recognise individuals' contributions.
Bridging Gaps: It aims to bridge gaps between different departments or silos within the organisation.
Handwritten Notes: Employers will use handwritten notes to express appreciation, adding a personal touch to the gesture.
Facilitating Interactions: The approach facilitates interactions between teams and individuals who share mutual interests.
Promoting Recognition: It promotes a sense of recognition for individuals' efforts within the organisation.
User Journey
Insights from Prototype Testing
Anonymous Expression
Employees are encouraged to write down their frustrations, challenges, or suggestions on slips of paper.
These slips can then be placed through the window into a designated receptacle on the other side.
By maintaining anonymity, employees feel more comfortable expressing themselves openly and honestly
Conflict Resolution and Support
The feedback gathered from the room is used to identify areas of improvement within the organisation.
Issues requiring immediate attention, such as workplace conflicts or systemic problems, are addressed promptly and discreetly.
The room also serves as a platform for employees to seek support and guidance, with resources provided for counselling or conflict resolution if needed.
Promoting Transparency and Trust
The existence of the room demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to transparency and open communication.
Employees feel valued and heard, knowing that their concerns are taken seriously and addressed appropriately.
Trust and morale within the workplace are strengthened as a result of fostering a culture of openness and accountability.
Research In GLA (Greater London Authority)
Step 1: Contextual Understanding
Recognising the distinctive context of the GLA (Global Learning Academy) and acknowledging potential differences from a college setting.
Understand the need to explore interactions within this specific environment to tailor interventions effectively.
Step 4: Utilisation of Insights
Utilising the insights gained from the observations to guide the subsequent trajectory of the project.
Determining how the findings can inform the development of interventions aimed at enhancing interactions within the GLA
Step 3: Observation and Analysis
Conducting observations and gathering findings from the interactions facilitated by the introduced elements.
Analysing the observed interactions to gain valuable insights into the dynamics and patterns within the GLA environment.
Step 2: Introduction of Interactive Elements
Introducing a range of interactive elements on the cafeteria tables at the GLA to facilitate engagement and observation.
Implementing various elements designed to encourage interaction and participation among individuals in the GLA community.
Step 5: Analysis of Spaces
Conducting a thorough analysis of the various spaces within the GLA to identify potential areas for intervention implementation.
Identifying spaces where interventions could effectively facilitate interactions and foster a sense of community within the GLA environment.
Spatial Analysis
Closed roundtable room with microphones and speakers, adjacent audience area separated by a glass wall
Smaller council rooms for intimate meetings
Spacious informal gathering area to the right of the entrance
Communal cafeteria frequented by the public and employees
Fixed furniture arrangement restricting mobility
Formal and serious atmosphere, minimal informal conversations
Individuals fully engaged in work
The cafeteria buzzing with conversations during lunch
The overall ambience is quiet, clean, and organised
Kiosk Design
The iPad app is where users tap their ID card and share their appreciation note.
You can choose from a list of tags or create your own. This is how all the notes will look when you publish them
Intro screen
Introductory Page
You can search for colleagues to appreciate
This is the screen where you can hand-write you praise note
You can choose from a list of tags or you can create your own
This is how all the notes will look when you publish them
App Design
Step 1: Recipients receive notifications within the app when they receive praise notes.
Step 4: Recipients can also share praise notes on their LinkedIn page if desired.
Step 7: The database generated through PraiseLab notes and badges facilitates this search functionality.
Step 2: Notifications provide details about the sender of the note, the content of the note, and the reason for appreciation.
Step 5: The app offers a comprehensive overview of all received notes, including associated tags or categories.
Step 8: Overall, the app enhances recognition and collaboration within the organization by fostering a culture of appreciation and making it easy to connect with colleagues based on skills and traits.
Step 3: Recipients can view praise notes within the app, where they have the option to save them.
Step 6: Users can search for individuals within the organization based on specific traits or skills using the collaborative space.
Working Prototype
Give your colleague a badge of appreciation:
Dedicated Contributor
Inspiring
Innovator
Supportive Mentor
Creative
Visionary
Strategic Thinker
Dynamic Force
User Testing Insights
It was observed that the initial pages lacked clickable buttons, making it less evident that interaction was required.
The participant initially assumed they could only select their immediate colleagues, overlooking the option to search for all colleagues within the organization.
The participant expressed a desire to include the ability to upload colleagues' work in the notes, facilitating visibility across the organization.
The participant found the option to share notes via email appealing, given the prevalent use of email in the organization.
The participant suggested the addition of a "go-getter" badge.
The participant highlighted the absence of a current system for appreciating individuals within the GLA.
Additionally, the participant mentioned the potential integration of this system into employee appraisals
The TV display
This is where all the published notes will be displayed for everyone to see. The lobby of the GLA has a large TV screen where we plan to display all the published notes. Our plan is to prominently feature the most recent note and gradually reduce its size over time until it eventually fades away.
Testimonials
"Connecting people together through this web of like endorsements."
Participant at Borough of Bexley
"An appreciation message and kind words at a time when someone is having a bad day go a long way in improving someone's mood and helping them get through the rough patch."
Employee from Afiniti Software Services Pakistan
"Really touched receiving appreciations from other
employees. This kind of activity should happen once a month to bond."
Employees at Silicon Rental Solutions India
"It helps with the alienation that one might feel within large corporate jungles, one such that I am a part of."
Employee from Toyota Motors Pakistan