Aged 20-35
IT Employees with heavy workload
This project aims to support employees with their mental health and increase more productivity in their work while they are working in hybrid or a remote. This project also aims to bridge the gap with the employee and workplace.
Problem
Employees who work hybrid/remotely with a high workload have a detrimental influence on their mental health, and long periods of work have a negative impact on productivity and their well-being.
Companies want to connect with their workers and do something for them that will benefit their well-being, as well as demonstrate their support and concern for their employees.
Solution
The proposed solution comprises a smartwatch application for the company and it's employees designed to enhance employee well-being.
The application prompts employees to take a break from work, engaging in a different activity everyday either individually or with their designated "work bestie" (through the mobile app). These activities contribute to both mental health and the cultivation of social connections among colleagues.
The app adopts a gamification approach, rewarding employees with points upon successful completion of breaks, which subsequently earn as bonus benefits for the employees.
Primary Research
In the primary research phase, I conducted interviews with 3 participants to gather in-depth insights into their personal experiences with their colleagues and company. Each interview was structured to explore individual perspectives on job roles, daily work habits, and the influence of the well-being initiative on mental health.
Some insights from the interviews:
Namrata
Remote Worker
"It's peaceful but i miss being in the office. Low on creativity and productivity due to the lack of an office environment. I miss meeting people"
Pradnyesh
Hybrid Worker
"No measures for mental health from my company. We have insurances for physical health but no one really talks about mental health. Everything is very formal, I keep it professional. I don't like to get indulged in personal talks."
Srishti
Remote Worker
"To cope up with over work I walk. I talk to different kinds of people. I paint. I feed some street dogs. I sleep."
Secondary Research
During this phase, I explored literature emphasizing the significance of mental health in the workplace and the beneficial effects of incorporating breaks into the work routine.
As highlighted in insights from Harvard Business Review, the regular practice of taking breaks, or microbreaks, is instrumental in enhancing employee performance. The literature suggests that organizations can proactively foster a culture of well-being by introducing "wellness moments," similar to safety moments, where employees share strategies for taking meaningful breaks and collaboratively brainstorm enjoyable break activities.
According to study by Alfac conducted in 2022, remote and hybrid employees are far more likely than on-site employees to have felt the negative impact of mental health on their job performance, perhaps because they may be more isolated from their colleagues and may have a harder time separating work and home life. Percent saying their mental health has negatively influenced their work:
52%
Hybrid Workers
49%
Remote Workers
41%
On-site Workers
User Flow
I created a user flow after ideating some ideas for the application to get a clear picture on how I wanted the smartwatch app to be.
Paper Prototype
Feature 1
Employees are notified by the application to take a break. The user may complete the task on his or her own/solo and gain points for doing so.
Feature 2
The user may also do the task with his or her coworkers or "work besties". They might invite their colleagues and wait for them to join for 2 minutes. There is a time restriction of "2 minutes" imposed here to ensure that their working time is not squandered.
(User can set their work besties with RefreshMe app)
Feature 3
Users may also track their progress, which displays their overall points, how much those points are worth in bonus money, and when they will get that bonus.
More Screens
Findings
Here are some notable painpoints of the users that I noted from the interviews:
People use some of the other coping methods to relax themselves.
They want to be in touch with people
Companies do care of their employees but do not completely understand their problems
Pain Points
Here are some notable painpoints of the users that I noted from the interviews:
Employees work long and continuous hours due to work load and don't even get time to cook meals
Company doesn't bother about their mental health
Difficuilty in connecting with colleagues
Lack of motivation to work
All interviewees emphasized on long hours draining them which leads to lack of motivation.
Using HMW to conceptualize Ideas
Some HMW that I considered while thinking of a solution to the challenge.
HMW help employees to improve their productivity?
Idea: Introducing at least 2 breaks with different activities to make the employees from away from their desk and deviate themselves from hectic work and relax.
HMW foster a sense of community and social interaction among remote or hybrid teams to reduce feelings of isolation?
Idea: Every employee may have a coworker with whom they like talking, or they may have some work besties with whom they can have breaks even from afar by requesting them to join them when they are on break.
HMW better align company support with the diverse well-being needs of employees to create a more supportive environment?
Idea: The company may help its workers by using a gamification system that rewards them with points for successfully completing the break, which they can later use as part of their bonus.
