KLI - Fostering Remote Connection to Enhance the
Key Lime Employee Experience
Designed a solution to improve the Key Lime employee experience by fostering connectivity among remote workers.
Role
UX Researcher
Team
Stella Lim
Ben Habegger
Sowmyashree Bharathan
Daphnee Delisha
Damaris Adenji
Timeline
Aug - Dec 2023
My Contribution
My role in the project
I co-led a workshop with Key Lime Interactive's C-Suite, conducted employee interviews to assess remote connectivity, and led the research synthesis process through affinity diagramming, competitive analysis, and user journey mapping. Based on the insights, I developed a mid-fidelity design focused on enhancing remote employee connections.
Problem
KLI lacks tools that foster connection and community among remote employees
Key Lime Interactive is facing a challenge in creating a sense of community and meaningful connection among its remote employees, as existing tools prioritize productivity over fostering employee engagement.
Research
Exploring remote work trends to strengthen connection and community.
Our research started with peer-reviewed articles to explore how remote work impacts employee productivity, satisfaction, and well-being. Using statistical analysis, we uncovered key trends and patterns shaping remote work experiences.
Findings
Building Community and Trust
Creating a community fosters trust and effective communication among team members.
Welcoming and Setting Expectations
Welcoming new employees early and setting expectations fosters a positive remote work experience.
Feedback Opportunities
Providing frequent feedback opportunities enhances continuous improvement.
Opening Up for Communication
Discussion boards, email, and other outlets help remote workers voice concerns.
Non-work Interactions
Setting aside some time for non-work related helps employees build personal connections.
Tools
Utilizing a range of communication tools is essential for effective remote collaboraiton.
User Interviews
Understanding employee needs and connection challenges at KLI.
We conducted 8+ interviews with Key Lime employees to gain insights into the current state of remote connection among their employees. Additionally, we wanted to identify the specific user requirements of KLI workers to look in-depth into the software and services they are currently using and pinpoint any challenges they are facing when establishing connections with their colleagues.
Below is a sample of a question that was asked in the screener.
Affinity Diagramming
Identifying core themes to shape effective connection solutions
Following our interviews, we synthesized the data using affinity diagramming to uncover response patterns. Through two rounds of grouping, we organized insights by similarities and assigned headers to capture overarching themes, defining key topics clearly.
Findings
• Employees experience forced connection of KeyLime events.
• Employees feel a sense of isolation in the remote work environment.
• Importance of organic connections with minimal effort.
Prioritization Matrix
Prioritizing high impact solutions with a feasibility driven matrix
We crafted “How Might We” questions to turn challenges into opportunities, then used a prioritization matrix to assess and rank solutions. Focusing on feasibility and value, we honed in on high-impact ideas that balance effectiveness with moderate effort.
HMW Questions
• How might we mirror in-person (hallway) experiences to the digital space?
• How might we take the effort away from the individual, and still organically produce connection?
• How might we make new employees feel welcome in a remote environment?
User Journey
Navigating Connection and Isolation in Remote Work.
After completing our affinity diagramming, our team created a user journey to illustrate insights from interviews. This journey, based on a representative Key Lime employee persona, Kayla, summarizes our findings by integrating quotes, emotions, and key touchpoints to provide a clear view of the remote work experience.
Findings
• Overall engagement and interaction is low throughout the work day.
• Low points tend to fall during client meetings and solo work.
• Work events like Pre-Happy hour are poorly timed and often fall when employees are just trying to go home.
C-Suite Workshop
Collaborative workshop with KLI leadership.
Our team had the opportunity to workshop with Key Lime Interactive’s C-Suite. Our main objectives for this workshop were to gain perspective from company leadership, create a space for idea generation, and to leave with a solidified plan moving forward.
Participants: chiefs, chairs, and/or directors at KLI (4 participants) | Time: 1 Hour
Findings
Post-Workshop Analysis
The workshop offered valuable insights into Key Lime leadership’s perspective, equipping us with actionable feedback to drive the project forward with a growth mindset. In hindsight, we would have appreciated more time, especially to account for transitions, explanations, and sharing.
Prototyping
How might we mirror in-person experiences to the digital space?
Features
Calendar Integration
The ability to integrate calendars into screens.
Activity Room / Collaboration Room
A designated space for collaborative activities.
QOTD (Question of the Day)
A daily posed question for user engagement.
Notification Stream linking to Google Workspaces
A stream of notifications connected to Google Workspaces for seamless communication.
Usability Testing
Evaluating Intuitive Navigation and Task Completion.
• Comprehension and Interpretation
Assessing how users interpret visuals and navigate information.
• Functionality and Usability
Evaluating the ease of performing tasks like contacting individuals and navigating rooms, alongside assessing the value of features like poking, RSVPs, and bulletin boards in a work context.
• User Expectation and Satisfaction
Gathering insights into how well the service aligns with users’ workflow and whether it fulfills their need.
• Feedback and Improvement
Identifying any issues or areas of improvement based on user feedback.
Final Solution
Fostering connection by bring in-person experiences to Key Lime's remote teams.
Created shared digital spaces within Key Lime’s Google Workspace ecosystem that seamlessly bridged in-person and digital communication, fostering natural opportunities for employees to connect and collaborate.
