Problem

According to a study by PwC, 83% of employers say the shift to remote work has been successful for their company. 55% of employees are willing to have a hybrid model (remote work at least three days a week). One of the challenges facing remote work is connecting with team members on a visual and interpersonal level.

To fix the lack of human interaction, video conferencing tools have taken control of how team members and virtual teams communicate. But even this fix also has its downside. According to a study by Stanford, (the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab), there were also psychological consequences of spending hours per day on these video conferencing platforms (not that these tools are particularly bad), but it was highlighted how these videoconferencing tools technologies can be exhausting causing overall fatigue.

I volunteer at a local church, every afternoon we have a huddle (which is where the name of this application was inspired from). In this huddle, many teams gather around a circle and listen to the plans for the day. This simple 10-minute meetup every Sunday is where everyone can feel closer together on an interpersonal level.

Solution

I designed a tool that can bring remote teams closer together. Users can send async videos and voice notes in a threaded manner while keeping operations going limiting scheduled meetings while helping the lack of communication and connection a remote environment can bring.

Role

UX Designer

UX Researcher

Tools

Figma

Notion

Otter.AI

Timeline

5 Weeks

Design Outcome

Secondary Research

I started the project already having knowledge of a majority of the popular messaging and video messaging tools. But I knew I needed to understand and research the use cases of these niche applications and what was their purpose. I focused more on the audience these applications were going for.

Understanding the Domain

In order to understand more about these messaging tools, I needed to research these tools one by one, put them side-by-side for special insights, and visit the product to understand the product and find out how features were used and implemented.

Here are some key insights from the secondary research:

• Branding and overall design increase company image.
• A messaging tool that does too much (many features that do not connect with the brand's values) will spread itself too thin and has an increased potential of unstructured design.
• It is better to focus on a niche and core audience and stick with it. This removes future confusion about what the product does.
• Remote work and hybrid format are here to stay. A company that has a proper system in place to connect with virtual teams and communities will have longevity in their respective business.