Ollie, Your Office Pal - Tim Hsieh's Master of Industrial Design Thesis RISD 2019 by Tim Hsieh

COMBAT WORKPLACE STRESS WITH BETTER COMMUNICATION DESIGNING TO BRIDGE THE PERSONAL, GENERATIONAL, AND HIERARCHICAL COMMUNICATION GAP AT THE WORKPLACE. TIM HSIEH

A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Industrial Design in the Industrial Design Department of Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island.

Approved by Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Examination Committee

Thomas Thwaites Associate Professor at RISD, Industrial Design

Mattia Casalegno Critic at RISD, Experimental and Foundation Studies

Kristen Westbrook Founder of Calm City

Content

7 – 9 Abstract 11 – 14 Introduction 12 Inevitable stress 12 – 13 My Story 14 Stress in the Workplace

17 – 25 Preliminary Research 18 – 21 Creating a De-stressing Experience 20 – 24 Experiments 25 Breakthrough and Change of Direction

27 – 33 Research Phase II 28 Insight Analysis 29 Environment 30 Workload 31 Communication 33 Conclusion

35 – 51 The Solution 36 – 37 Design Opportunity 38 – 51 Final Proposal

53 – 63 User Testing 54 – 59 Early Concepts 60 Birth of Ollie 2.0 62 – 63 Professional Validation

65 - 66 Conclusion 67 – Resources

ABSTRACT 7

Starting a new chapter in life after college is exciting yet stressful. The moment you are handed your diploma, suddenly there is so much more to consider. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next? How are you going to pay off your student loans? What kind of job are you going to get? And even after youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve secured an offer, how will you excel at this new job? How do you impress your new colleagues? Worries and stressors never seem to end, and too often they pile up and start eating away at the joy in our lives. I see a great opportunity to intervene in the transition of young professionals from campus to the workplace. It is a pivotal moment where big and exciting changes happen. It is a time to be celebrated, not a time to be overwhelmed and held back by stress. After extensive research, I have come to the conclusion that there is no cure-all for workplace stress. While it proves easy to design gadgets or entertainment for temporary stress relief, a controlling boss or condescending colleague will not just vanish with a ten-minute escape into virtual reality. In trying to figure out the root of the problem, I found out that cross-level communication within a company is the biggest source of stress, and interpersonal issues contribute most to the dread of going to work every day. To minimize stress-inducing miscommunication, I have designed communication tools that help bridge the gap between the hierarchical structure of a company, provide a smoother onboarding experience, and create a more positive workplace for newly-hired young professionals.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION 11

Inevitable Stress

For centuries, the word “stress” was used in physics to explain a material’s ability to return to its original state after receiving external pressure. It wasn’t until about 50 years ago that “stress” became a term to describe the mental or emotional toll caused by frustrating situations.1 Stress is relative, but everyone experiences it regardless of age, gender, race, or background. A five-year-old might tell you “stress” is having to be in bed by 10pm, but a college student might tell you “stress” is not being able to sleep until 3am. More than just an unpleasant feeling, stress can lead to anxiety, social withdrawal, depression, heart disease, and more.2 As serious as it can be, people tend to brush it off because of how “common” stress is, and they will “get over it.” However, stress doesn’t just go away; rather it is embedded in our lives no matter how hard we try to ignore it. The stress and pressure of cluelessly adapting to changes, especially for young professionals who are just entering adulthood, can be suffocating. Therefore it is important for good companies to have the right tools and strategies to support young professionals along the way and provide them with a medium to tackle lack of clarity in workplace communication.

My Story

I consider myself lucky. I was born and raised in a pretty ordinary family, financially stable, with parents who love me, siblings who don’t hate me, and most importantly two adorable dogs who are always there for me. Moreover, I was fortunate enough to be given the option to shape my own future. Unlike many, my parents gave me complete freedom to choose my own career path, and they trusted and supported me to pursue my passion for industrial design in the United States. That is why dealing with stress never really came across my mind until I started my new chapter in life abroad. Thanks to technology, distance is mostly just a concept. I can still talk to my family as often as I want. However, when Thanksgiving and Christmas come around, I see my friends driving back home with their laundry to reunite with their loved ones. Like distance, my safe haven has also become a concept. When life gets overwhelming with school, relationships, or jobs, I don’t have the option to fall back on the support of home. Despite the freedom I was given to become whoever I want, the only choice I had when facing stress was to “fake it till I make it,” which was detrimental to both my mental and physical health.

Introduction

In my final year of undergraduate studies, I encountered one of the most stressful moments in my life. Graduation was fast approaching, and not only was I drowning in school work, I was also clueless about the future. I wasn’t sure where to settle — back home in Taiwan? Here in the U.S.? If so, which state? How do I move to an unknown destination all by myself? What kind of company do I want to work for? Could I even get a job? The weight on my chest made breathing difficult and being thousands of miles away from my support system made the situation even worse. I was drowning in stress, and wishing I had a better way to fight back. That is why after growing over the past few years, accumulating many professional and educational experiences, I decided to devote my creative power to help others combat their stressful moments. Particularly, I want to design for millennial young professionals like myself who are going through big life changes. Navigating the path to adulthood is scary, and nobody really knows what they are doing. We are no longer just trying to pass a class. We have earned our diplomas and now it is time for us to show the world what we are made of. However, many times reality doesn’t pan out as imagined. I have witnessed too many cases where my friends have finally found a job just to find out that they are being held to unrealistic expectations, doing things they don’t feel passionate about, all while workplace conflicts and tension between colleagues and bosses brew around them. We have worked hard up until this point, and I believe instead of letting stress hold us down in the future it should be the time to take action and proactively work to live a truly fulfilling life.

Family: My greatest motivation and support system.

Tim Hsieh

Stress in the Workplace

Stress is built into the DNA of corporate America. While most of us don’t have to worry about being starved, forced to work at a young age, or losing our lives at our jobs, new forms of stress are hitting white-collar workers today. Poor office setup, work overload, miscommunication, and the rapidly changing infrastructure; various studies performed by the American Institute of Stress show that occupational stress has been and still is by far the most prominent stressor for American adults.3 According to the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), 80% of workers feel stressed at their job, while more than 40% of them describe their work as “very or extremely stressful.”4 However, what does occupational stress for the current generation look like? If you asked people to identify workplace stress a generation ago, you might get completely different responses than you would from people today. Our society is growing with the advancement of technology in different industries, and a plethora of new issues, the likes of misinterpreted emails and the barrage of group chat messages present new challenges. Before labor unions started forming in the 20th century, workers’ happiness was very low on companies’ priority lists. Fortunately as our societal structure evolved, employee well-being became pivotal to a company’s development, and companies today are more willing to invest in their employees’ well-being than ever before. Especially common in bigger companies are various perks, facilities, services, or programs that are implemented to compensate stressed employees – a fully-stocked snack bar, massage appointments, green office, arcade room, soccer field, you name it. Yet instead of treating stress as the problem, most actions are only taken to deal with the aftermath. Since stress is deeply rooted in the nature of modern work, it is difficult to help young professionals combat the stress they face at work. There exists a void in the market for a seamless solution that does not simply temporarily patch up the problem.

A classic example of employers investing more in their employees’ work environment: Trees and water are thoughtfully incorporated at the headquarters of W.W. Grainger in Lake Forest, IL.

I am on a mission to uncover the visible and invisible stressors that young professionals today have to contend with. My goal is to identify these pain points and create interventions for a truly positive work environment that accommodate our generation.

Introduction

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH 17

Creating a De-stressing Experience

To break out from stressful situations at work, my first instinct was to craft an escapist experience that helps burned-out employees relax and recharge. I believed that an immersive experience has the emotionally liberating power to send users to the right “headspace” and replenish them with the energy they need to face incoming challenges. Ever since I stumbled upon American artist James Turrell’s “Skyspace” at the Museum of Modern Art PS1, I was in awe of the abundance of emotions and self-reflection I felt just by sitting in a space constructed of natural and artificial light. I was stunned by the work of Turrell, who utilizes the physical presence of light in his work to spark viewers’ wonder around human perception. I have also been inspired by Japanese studio teamLab Borderless, which uses interactive projection mapping technology to blend the physical and digital world, creating dreamlike realms in which people may become lost, wander, and explore. With two successful precedents in mind, I too wanted to create a powerful and mesmerizing sensorial experience by blurring the boundary between digital and physical realms.

People gazing upon James Turrell’s “Skyspace” at the Museum of Modern Art PS1.

I envisioned a successful immersive experience to have a couple components: soothing and pleasant visuals and sounds, along with an active user participation. To this end, I looked into ways to construct a scientifically-proven effective experience to achieve my objectives. While my research shows that our brains respond almost instantly to these sensorial cues, it also led me to suspect the longevity of these de-stressing effects.

Girl exploring teamLab’s surreal environment created with the latest technologies. Photo courtesy to teamLab Borderless

Preliminary Research

Designers and companies spend tremendous effort and money to investigate color psychology. But how do colors develop meanings to influencing our perception? To answer that, American psychologist Gordon Bower presented the associative network theory.5 Each time we encounter a color, we modify existing meanings or attribute new meanings to that color. For example, if we see clear blue sky and azure ocean on our beach vacation, then we are then reminded of the pleasantly relaxing and refreshing feeling at the beach the next time we see blue. Of course, the association varies based on personal experiences, culture backgrounds, and contexts. However, as humans we have adapted to associate some universal meanings with certain colors and feel a specific way when we see them:

Soothing Colors

Purple - Tranquility, Isolation, Peace. Has the strongest electromagnetic wavelength, hence the most impactful to viewers.6 Blue - Calmness, Serenity, Reflection. Proven to enhance cognitive performance and boost creativity.7 Orange â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Energy, enthusiasm, happiness. Proven to improve oxygen supply to the brain, increasing awareness and mental stimulation.8 Green - Renewal, motivation, joy. Resemblance of nature is proven to calm people down and reduce death rate.9

How humans perceive color according to Kolenda Color Model by Nick Kolenda. Photo Courtesy to Nick Kolenda

Tim Hsieh

Pleasant Shapes

Similar to color psychology, the psychology of shapes is just as important when creating soothing visuals. We develop an abundance of symbolism, meaning, and associations with the shapes we encounter each day. Shapes are used in various psychological tests to gauge a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character and personality and are carefully considered during the creation of logos that are intended to generate certain emotional responses. Visually, circles are pleasing to the eye because they are smooth without sharp angles. The presence of shapes with circular lines generates positive responses within the emotional response centers of a person. When used correctly, a circle ignites a sense of safety and happiness.10

Healing Tones

Music is known to evoke a broad range of emotions; many of us use music to regulate mood and arousal, just as we use caffeine or alcohol. Neurosurgeons use music to enhance concentration, improve attention and vigilance, as well as increase stamina and motivation. Elaborate studies have been conducted and there is concrete evidence showing how certain types of sound can cause neurochemical changes in the following four domains: 1. Reward, motivation and pleasure (dopamine and opioids); 2. Stress and arousal (cortisol, CRH, ACTH); 3. Immunity (serotonin, POMC); and 4. Social affiliation (oxytocin). The Neurochemistry of music, Mona Lisa Chanda and Daniel J. Levitin.11

The free, organic, and rounded appearance of jellyfish make them mesmerizing to look at.

Preliminary Research

There are two opposing nervous systems in your body:

Breathing Technique for De-Stressing

PSNS (brake) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; slows down various functions in your body (heart rate, digestion, etc.) SNS (gas) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; speeds up various functions in your body. When you inhale, your heart rate increases and PSNS (brake) drive decreases. When you exhale, blood returns to your body from your lungs and your heart rate slows back down as PSNS drive increases. The increase of PSNS drive means slower respiratory rate and better self-regulation. High PSNS tone is associated with trait happiness, relaxation and resilience to stress. The Slow Deep Breathing Technique is a perfect remedy for petroleum-fueled anxiety which emphasizes exhalation in order to maximize the PSNS tone.12 The Slow Deep Breathing Technique: 1. Sit in an erect posture 2. Bring chest forward, allow shoulders to fall back 3. Relax gaze, rest hands on lap 4. Breath with abdomen 5. Inhale through nose - 4 sec 6. Exhale through nose - 6 sec 7. Repeat 6 times More than just increasing mindfulness, this particular breathing technique activates a chain reaction in your body that helps you physically reduce stress and anxiety.

Tim Hsieh

Backed up by science, I designed animated visuals that pulsate like jellyfish to guide users along the breathing exercise for a de-stressing experience.

Next, I conducted a series of experiments to find out the best way to deliver an immersive experience to my users. Although my experiments were generally successful and well-received, my participants confirmed my suspicion about the escape being temporary.

Experiments

“It was nice in the moment, but stress immediately returns once I come back to reality.” – Josh, 26 What is the minimum I can do to provide a sensorial experience that helps people transcend to another mental space? In this experiment I created a small private space on people’s desks, separating them from the outside world, with just a scented candle burning inside one of the compartments of the box and sounds of nature playing from a speaker in another.

The Nap Box

“It’s more than just the scent, I could sense the fire glistening even with my eyes closed; I heard the candle wick cracking, and the smoky smell from slightly burnt cardboard. It sent me right back to a summer orientation in 2012, where we had campfire by the river. I got surprisingly emotional.” – Melody, 24 SCALE : SMALL TYPE: DESKTOP DEVICE SENSES INVOLVED: SMELL AND HEARING LEVEL OF IMMERSION : ** EFFECTIVENESS/REFRESHING-NESS: ** USER-FRIENDLINESS: *

Nap Box

Preliminary Research

I then came up with a prototype that offers a low-fidelity VR experience. I made a paper lantern into a headset and compiled many POV panorama photos I look from my past travels to make the VR content — from the moment I get on the bus, to the airport, to sceneries across the globe, and back to my room. My previous intervention was heavily dependent on users’ imagination, but this iteration prescribes a specific journey while only engaging one sense — sight. While not involving multiple senses, this attempt was surprisingly successful, because sight is our most commonly used sense, and what we perceive 80% of all impressions with.13

Low-Fi VR Tour

“Now I get what it feels like to have your life flashing before your eyes! I did not expect this at all, and I want to go on more trips with this headset.” Shrikant, 27

SCALE : SMALL TYPE: WEARABLE DEVICE SENSES INVOLVED: SIGHT LEVEL OF IMMERSION : *** EFFECTIVENESS/REFRESHING-NESS: *** USER-FRIENDLINESS: *

Low-Fi VR Headset

Tim Hsieh

Next, I decided to up the scale of my intervention. Instead of a portable device I wanted to construct a space that allows complete immersion. To build a space with controllable and customizable lights and sounds, I built a white box with nothing but a chair and a color-changing LED light strip inside The participants were able to pick their own playlist and adjust the light settings (colors, flash stroke, gradual fade) accordingly, creating an environment that best complemented their moods at the time.

The Party Booth

“It looked like a trigger for claustrophobia, but it’s actually somehow soothing to be in there.” – Rebecca, 26 SCALE : BIG TYPE: CONTROLLED SPACE SENSES INVOLVED: SIGHT AND HEARING LEVEL OF IMMERSION : **** EFFECTIVENESS/REFRESHING-NESS: **** USER-FRIENDLINESS: ****

Party Booth

Preliminary Research

While the research and experiments helped me learn a lot about de-stressing and led me to an interesting direction, I quickly realized I was only brushing on the surface of the problem. Helping people have a temporary getaway does not change the fact that work can be daunting. As a result, I decided to take a detour and get to the roots of the problem with more extensive user research.

Tim Hsieh

Breakthrough and Change of Direction

RESEARCH PHASE II 27

Insight Analysis

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

While the two base tiers of Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”14 (basic physiological and safety needs) are met in most work environments, more problems stem from our need to feel appreciated, accomplished, and fulfilled. To pinpoint what is causing young professionals the most stress today, I interviewed corporate employees during their lunch hours in the financial district of Providence. In this chapter I will share my findings from random corporate employees around the area, to employees from BIF, Loft, and W.W. Grainger, with whom I have established long-term connections. Before conducting the interviews, I was too drawn to my initial idea of creating an office getaway. It led me to overwork on prescribing a linear solution to a way bigger and more complex problem, which I later realized was lacking in depth. Stress at the workplace is not just about having too much work to do. Stressors are hidden in every little aspect of the workplace, from the physical environment, the actual workload, to interpersonal communication.

An array of stressors categorized from my stress study with young professionals.

Research Phase II

The office environment varies drastically based on the scale and type of each company. Some people still work in cubicles, while some others work in completely open spaces.

Environment

Interestingly, about 55% of my interviewees listed lack of privacy as a stressor, regardless of the space they work in. Not only have more American companies been reducing employees’ physical privacy by pushing for open space offices, they have also been invading employees’ intangible privacy. To elaborate, the moment an employee accepts their job offer, they surrender their privacy in some way. While it is standard to let companies review employees’ background checks and medical records, companies today also monitor laptops, emails, web activity, and in some cases, movements. The idea of being watched not only increases anxiety of workers but also installs distrust within the company. Noise at the workplace could also be irritating when one needs solitude and quietness to concentrate. It seems like an easy problem to solve, but there’s also fear of looking unapproachable or unprofessional when someone has their headphones on, especially if they are younger or newer at a company. Immobility comes third. Since not every job requires physical labor, it is easy for employees to be in the same position hour after hour. Before they know it, neck, chest and back pain catch up and negatively impact on them from accomplishing their tasks.

Employees give life and meaning to the office, without them an office is just a space with cold hard furniture.

Tim Hsieh

Workload

Young professional Nathan has had a long day at work.

Workload is the most obvious source of stress. Trying to meet various deadlines, feeling like things are beyond your control, taking on more than what you’re capable of, hitting roadblocks, and having to depend on others to finish your task. Employees go through different obstacles everyday trying to complete their tasks. One shocking finding is that employees work off the clock way more often than expected. An eight-hour workday is just a general guideline; employers don’t reinforce it, and employees don’t live by it. It is almost natural for people to stay past their usual work hours especially during busy seasons. Even when an employee leaves their office, they are never really “off”; a text can make one put their lunch away and send them to a last-minute meeting. A recent study shows that more than 39% of Americans use their phones to deal with work-related emails outside of work hours.15 For example, a previous colleague never has his phone on silent because he needs to make sure that his manager can reach him anytime.

Tip of the iceberg: My stress surveys show that various forms of interpersonal issues are what stress employees out regardless of occupation.

Research Phase II

Communication is a category of stressors that turned out to be the most ubiquitous and toxic for an employee’s wellbeing. I learned from my interviewees that, while deadlines can be tight and a more user-friendly workstation is preferred, a bad interaction with a boss or colleague is what stresses them out the most and that trauma can linger after work.

Communication

Poorly designed offices or heavy workloads are nothing new to employees. However, miscommunication is fast becoming the biggest source of stress with almost 80% of the employees listing communication as one of their main stressors. This is due to changes in work dynamics and millennials’ desire to seek more than just orders to follow. The current generation is more likely to think independently and isn’t afraid to speak their minds. While they really just want a more transparent work culture and interpersonal relationships, they are often perceived as rude or entitled. Inexperienced millennials tend to lack guidance on how to address their needs and problems appropriately, planting seeds of misunderstanding and conflicts as they join a team of all ages and backgrounds. On top of the generation gap, the hierarchical structure within an organization makes communication even trickier. A significant portion of communication problems occur between different levels or positions as millennials either struggle to express their concerns to their superiors properly or are forced to keep them in. The cross-level communication gap is the result of the lack of understanding, transparency, and proper team building. Without them, negativity and tension brew across the office, affecting employees’ moods, productivity, and work ethics.

Two young designers trying to work out a design challenge.

Tim Hsieh

While the list of stressors goes on, I have decided to tackle the communication issues at the workplace because they are the most problematic. My insights have informed me to design a better onboarding process and a simpler communication channel to help young professionals adapt to new cultures and environments from the start, as well as tools to guide them through difficult situations.

Conclusion

THE SOLUTION 35

Design Opportunity

After boiling down firsthand insights from stressed millennial workers across industries, it became evident that solving the issue of workplace stress as a whole was impossible. It is a multi-faceted problem with a plethora of factors that contribute to a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stress level at work. However, I did learn that most of these stressors stem from a communication gap that is personal, generational, and hierarchical. As a result, I aim to bridge this gap by providing a friendly yet professional communication platform to encourage transparency and minimize misunderstandings. I am using millennials as an entry point because they are not only the biggest generation to date, but also the largest portion of American workforce, according to the Pew Research Center of U.S. Census Bureau.16 Before we dive deeper, it is important to clear some of the stereotypes millennials tend to carry. This generation is often perceived as entitled or self-absorbed. However, my interviews show that these workplace entrants are really just more idealistic and ambitious. They value meaning over blind obedience and seek purpose in their tasks. Instead of quietly finishing what they are asked, they want to know the impact that they are making and are eager to grow. Millennials are also known for challenging the hierarchical structure, but from their perspective, they just prefer a more well-rounded relationship with their superiors. Since communication at the workplace is very different than it is at school, they occasionally come off as unprofessional in work settings. Clearing these misconceptions and establishing genuine connections between team members is the first step to designing strategies for better communication. The goal is not to tailor the workplace to this particular generation, but to have a system that includes them in the picture and connects people with different mindsets and job titles.

The Solution

Young professionals are great to design for. They are the first generation to have grown up with smart Internet of Things devices, making them highly adaptable and open to change. Given this fact, a mobile app and website are the ideal platforms for addressing such a multi-faceted problem, offering centralized control and a high degree of accessibility and adaptability. I, along with many millennial young professionals that I talked to, see an opportunity to design for a better onboarding process, more robust interpersonal relationships, clearer communication channels, and guidance on stress management. Improving on such aspects ensures a great start that drastically reduces a new hireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anxiety, sets them on the right track and minimizes the potential for miscommunication later on.

image: Freepik.com

Tim Hsieh

Final Proposal

This is Ollie, an empathetic parrot that ensures newly hired young professionals for a smooth transition into a new work environment. Ollie continues to make communication easy and stress manageable as they progress in their careers. Ollie is an app that feels more like a wise friend.

The Solution

Ollie, the app, consists of five components: the Message Center, My Onboarding Checklist, My Team, Support and Feedback, and Log My Stress. Backed up by ethics and etiquette training, personality tests, and machine learning, the app enhances a new employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s onboarding process, helps tie a team together, creates a culture of open communication, and implements effective stress management strategies.

Users login as mate, navigator, or captain based on their experiences and job titles, seasoned hires and managers are authorized to give feedback and recognitions to their subordinates.

Tim Hsieh

Message Center

The Message Center is where users check their message exchanges with co-workers. In this section, one can find updates for hangout invitations, taskrelated support and feedback, stress reports, and so on. This is not only a place to keep track of usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; interactions with colleagues, it is also where Ollie comes to life. Ollie sends employees shoutouts, workplace stress-related news, and useful resources to help combat stress. More than just sharing resources, the inbox makes Ollie more lively and personable as a character, and helps him stay relevant even after the new hires have transitioned into the workplace.

The Message Center is for efficient in-app exchanges, it does not compete with existing communication platforms.

The Solution

Tim Hsieh

My Onboarding Checklist

The next section of the app is an interactive checklist to streamline the logistics of the onboarding process. This section keeps paperwork (W-4, I-9, insurance, direct deposits, NDA forms, etc.) all together, has a portal to schedule appointments with supervisors to discuss role,goals, and incoming projects, as well as tool/software access, the employee handbook, and training materials all in one place. The checklist is not only clean and concise, but also self-explanatory and keeps everything centralized, saving new hires the anxiety of asking questions and seeking help from multiple people on their first day.

The Solution

Tim Hsieh

The Solution

The third section of the app is for team bonding. The process begins with a personality test and completion of a self-introductory profile. Next, the new employee is granted access to the biographies and availability of other team members, allowing them to arrange meetups and connect with existing team members over coffee or lunch. Nothing shows more respect and sincerity than taking the time to get to know someone in person in a casual setting. Moreover, when potential conflicts arise in the future, people will be more likely to think from a place of empathy, putting themselves in each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoes because of this extra layer of connection. The goal is for everyone, both seasoned and new employees, to get a chance to meet in person and then get to know each other.

My Team

A handshake icon shows up once the user has hung out with a new team member.

Users can invite other team members to join if they find one-on-one hangouts too intimidating.

Tim Hsieh

Responses will be sent to Message Center, users can simply reschedule if someone cannot make it.

Support and Feedback

The third component is dedicated to an approachable support and feedback system. One of the biggest stress factors of new employees is not knowing how they are doing while being too intimidated to ask for help. As a result, this section is a two-way system. First, for authorized managers to input feedback on an employee’s overall, and task-specific performance, as well as recognition that eventually leads to a reward. It is important for a new hire to be in sync with what the managers think of his or her performance, so he or she doesn’t have to constantly gauge their manager’s emotions. Second, the support and feedback system helps new employees to proactively seek help or feedback via the team roster with big, vibrant buttons, replacing the long and scary process of drafting a potentially demanding email.

Users can reach out for help or feedback without having to go through the process of drafting long emails or tracking down people in person.

The Solution

Seasoned employees or managers can also proactively give out feedback.

A reward system: managers can validate users for their hard work; accumulating enough recognitions leads to a reward. The specific metrics vary from companies to companies.

Tim Hsieh

Even with complete confidentiality, users can choose whether or not they want to disclose names in their stress logs. While specific reports help gauging stress patterns, anonymous reports could make users feel more comfortable. This feature is made for minor to intermediate situations. For more pressing issues that have to be dealt with instantly, users will talk to their manager or HR representative.

The Solution

The last component is where Ollie plays the most important role. Even with a smooth onboarding process, solid bonding experiences, and an effective support and feedback system, more complicated interpersonal communication issues are bound to arise at times. This is when Ollie steps in, offering employees a confidential medium to document their encounters, appropriate resources to cope with tough times, and monthly reports to help understand their sources of stress.

Log My Stress

Using the help of Keatext, a machine learning software that synthesizes large volumes of feedback from open survey questions to produce actionable insights,17 Ollie extracts input from users, sorts data to the corresponding stress categories in its database and recommends the proper resources for users to handle stressful situations. Moreover, Ollie reconstructs that input and responds in ways that not only helps users deal with stress, but also understand other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspectives. Last, Ollie sends monthly stress reports for users to better visualize their stress patterns at work. If an employee sees a bad pattern, they can use the stress reports as a reference during check-in meetings with their superiors. Ollie gets smarter over time as he learns from more user data to send more personalized messages, accurate diagnoses and appropriate resources. The logs, diagnoses, and stress reports help users organize their thoughts and track their stress patterns. Ollie acts as a buffer against miscommunications, providing employees with a safe place to express concerns, reflect, and maintain records to facilitate civilized conversations.

Tim Hsieh

The Solution

Tim Hsieh

USER TESTING 53

Early Concepts

Initially, I designed a mobile app called On Board and a virtual mediator kiosk called Ollie. The app On Board reduces the anxiety and confusion of new employees by helping them bond with their team members, clarifying task instructions, and making support and feedback accessible. Meanwhile, mediator Ollie talks users through their interpersonal communication issues, using the input received to draft invitations for in-person conversations where people can address issues.

User Testing

“I don’t want to be on my phone all day the first day I’m at work.” Upon testing, some of my users instantly pointed out that they would feel insecure if they had to constantly be on their phones on their first day of work. I knew then that a mobile app couldn’t be the only platform my concept where lived. As a result, I decided to shift my focus from designing a mobile app to a computer app.

Tim Hsieh

“I don’t want to be on my phone all day the first day I’m at work.” Next, I was told that the personal profiles seem too casual and don’t feel workplace appropriate enough. To improve, I added “core patterns” to each person’s profile. By taking the Big 5 Personality Test on Truity.com,18 users get a breakdown of their personalities by Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, as well as a summary of their “core pattern” based on those results. An employee’s “core pattern” is the essential role they take on while approaching this world that represents their fundamental values and ways of thinking. Learning about it helps people understand how their colleagues function in a professional setting, hence becoming more understanding and empathic while interacting with them. “What if I use my profile to passiveaggressively call out someone I hate at work?” I also changed the “Pet Peeves” section to “Misconceptions About Me”. Not only does “Pet Peeves” sound unprofessional, it also gives team members the potential chance to passiveaggressively call out other team members. For example, someone could write “I hate people who aren’t punctual”, knowing there is only one person on the team who is always late. In contrast, “Misconceptions About Me” focuses on the profile owner and offers them an opportunity to clear any misunderstandings that others might have about them. It also sounds less intimidating, especially for new employees who are reading these profiles for the first time.

User Testing

“Could this app be focusing too much on the new hires’ perspective and forcing the organization to conform to their needs?” Instead of helping young professionals adapt to a new environment, there were stated concerns about the approach of this app being imbalanced in favor of the new employees, making seasoned employees change their behavior just to accommodate them. While the concern is valid, I argued that the app requires action from both sides – asking that both new and seasoned hires work together to create a transparent and positive culture. To make my point clearer, I added an interactive onboarding checklist to my app, not only to streamline the onboarding process, but also to put an emphasis on employee training and education. The goal for this addition is to efficiently bring new employees up to speed for their team while also offering them a painless and straightforward onboarding experience.

Tim Hsieh

Ollie the Mediator

Virtual mediator Ollie sparked many interesting conversations. Ollie is a cartoon parrot designed to echo the pirate-themed â&#x20AC;&#x153;On Boardâ&#x20AC;? app, and his purpose is to express emotions (especially empathy) to his users, making their user experience more personable and relatable. The original idea was to have Ollie extract keywords from usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reports on interpersonal communication issues, reword them into a empathetic diagnosis, and generate invitations for chances to resolve conflicts in person. While Ollie generated a lot of interest and potential, it also proves inefficient in real-life settings.

User Testing

“Some issues aren’t worth confronting. Would it make the user petty?” “An invitation written in third-person by a cartoon character might seem condescending.” “There should be a smoother way to express concerns.” With all that feedback taken into account, I decided to turn the “mediator” into a stress logging platform. Instead of turning every single unpleasant encounter into a confrontation, it was more logical to keep a stress journal that allowed the user to sleep on their issues and revisit them after they had time to simmer down and organize their thoughts with a level mind. To test if logging workplace stress was actually helpful, I created anonymous Twitter accounts for different employees to log the stress they faced at work for a week. While it took a short learning curve for users to get used to logging their stress, they grew on it and ended up really appreciating the experience. They were left with a feed of their stressors, allowing them to identify what irritated them while having a channel to vent and release some negativity in the moment. In addition to the stress log, there were also discussions to make Ollie even smarter with the help of machine learning, so that he not only interacts with users more naturally and reflecting their needs over time, but also provides a more accurate diagnosis with appropriate resources to help deal with specific situations. Moreover, if Ollie learns from user data, he will also be able to generate monthly stress reports using their private stress entries to help users visualize their stress patterns and pinpoint stressors.

Tim Hsieh

Birth of Ollie 2.0

On top of addressing the feedback from user testing and making the necessary adjustments, I also merged On Board and Ollie the mediator and only kept the most effective features. I wanted Ollie to be the face of the entire user experience, not just for instances of communication issues. There are great communication and task management tools out there such as Slack, Asana, and Monday. While those may have more comprehensive features, none of them really take new employees’ emotional journeys into account, nor try to actively enhance the interpersonal bonds between team members. Ollie stands out from other workplace communication apps not because of how much it can do, but because of how personable it is. To design Ollie, a lot of effort was put into bringing the character to life. This way, Ollie can be the first face to greet timid new employees the moment they join a team and make them feel more comfortable and cared of. At the same time, my research has led me to design for a better transition process that emphasizes the human aspects of the workplace, killings seeds of miscommunication before they have had a chance to take root. Current task management apps work well for distributing responsibilities and keeping track of everyone’s progress, but they don’t provide guidance for positive or collaborative work relationships. For example, an employee at a remote company pointed out that their team eventually quit Slack, realizing that employees often feel lost in multiple simultaneous conversations, and the system only “simulated transparency” as people can be reserved knowing they are held accountable for everything they say.

User Testing

Professional Validation

To further improve and validate my app, I introduced it to Human Resources professionals and see if it would hold up to real-world standards. “This would have helped me so much if I had this when I got my first job; I can definitely see it helping many others.” The app received an overall positive reaction from HR professionals. They liked that the app was straightforward and only kept necessary functions. They also see a market for this app, as there are many large scale organizations that can benefit from reinforcing their team members’ interpersonal relationships and creating a more transparent and positive culture. At the same time, I also received many helpful insights from the professional standpoint to make my solution more comprehensive. “We don’t want to reward people for meeting expectations.” It was suggested that I raise the bar for the recognition part of Support & Feedback, since a reward system that is too easy lacks credibility and effectiveness, while also adding significant costs to the company. As a result, I made sure employees only get rewarded when they go above and beyond and modify the reward criteria so paid time off isn’t awarded so easily. “Even if you say the log is confidential, people are still going to feel uncomfortable naming names.” Multiple testers, both employees and HRs, have expressed that even if the information remained confidential, employees are always going to feel uncomfortable naming names. Therefore, I added an option for users to opt out name listing even if the input is just for their own record.

User Testing

“Some issues such as sexual harassment require more immediate and direct actions than a stress log.”

This is one of the most important pieces of feedback that got me to rethink the position of the stress log feature. There are various degrees of severity of interpersonal issues at the workplace. Something like sexual harassment requires a more proactive approach than documenting and waiting for it to show up on a stress report. This prompted me to use a disclaimer to make it clear that the feature is only suitable for minor to intermediate situations. Employees should refer to their employee handbooks to see what type of issues should be directly reported and dealt with instantly. “How does this co-exist with the apps and services that a company might already be using?” How would my app be integrated into an existing system where various other software applications are already implemented, and who is going to keep it running? The question led me to really think about where my app stands in the market. Ollie is going to be a supplement but not a replacement for currently existing applications. The goal for this app is to focus on the human interaction aspect of teamwork, not task management or in-depth group conversations. It is a centralized platform to handle minor to intermediate communication issues and improve the culture and atmosphere of a team as a whole. Since it also serves as a platform to process a large amount of confidential information, the only logical way is to have an independent entity run the app and make sure it is objective, credible, and in the best interest of both companies’ productivity and employees’ wellbeing.

Tim Hsieh

CONCLUSION 65

Conclusion

There is a reason why Peter Pan doesn’t want to leave Neverland. Who doesn’t want to live in a fantasy world of eternal escapism and stress-free childhood? Unfortunately, reality doesn’t work that way, and everyone grows. Obligations, responsibilities and other stressors pile up as our societal roles evolve. As a result, it is important to focus on the bright side, embrace what life has to offer, and have the right tools to help us minimize and manage stress, especially workplace stress, the most prominent source of stress after we entered adulthood. I propose this tool to help us focus on creating a sincere and positive culture for new employees the moment they join the team. I believe that a team can only thrive if it is built on the foundation of trust, respect, transparent communication, and genuine relationships, and I want to help a team to truly bond and excel as one. Ollie’s got your back.

Conclusion

Rosch, Paul J. “Reminiscences of Hans Selye, and the Birth of “Stress”.” The American Institute of Stress. Accessed April 07, 2019. https://www.stress. org/about/hans-selye-birth-of-stress.

Resources

2 Nordqvist, Christian. “Stress: Why Does It Happen and How Can We Manage It?” Medical News Today. November 28, 2017. Accessed November 12, 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/145855.php.

”Workplace Stress.” The American Institute of Stress. Accessed December 01, 2018. https://www. stress.org/workplace-stress. 3

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). “STRESS...At Work (99-101).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed February 07, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/ niosh/docs/99-101/default.html. 4

Bower, G. (1981). “Mood and Memory.” Stanford University, pp.129-148. Accessed December 10, 2018. https://web.stanford.edu/~gbower/1981/Mood_ Memory_in_American_Psychologist.pdf. 5

6 Cherry, Kendra. “Effects of the Color Purple on Mood and Behavior.” Verywell Mind. March 28, 2019. https://www.verywellmind.com/ the-color-psychology-of-purple-2795820.

Mehta, Ravi, and Julia Zhu, University of British Columbia. “Effect Of Colors: Blue Boosts Creativity, While Red Enhances Attention To Detail.” ScienceDaily. Accessed December 11, 2018. www.sciencedaily. com/releases/2009/02/090205142143.htm 7

Olesen, Jacob. “Orange Color Meaning – The Color Orange.” Color Meanings. February 11, 2019. Accessed December 13, 2018. https://www.color-meanings. com/orange-color-meaning-the-color-orange/. 8

Jimison, Robert. “What It Really Means to See Green.” CNN. June 05, 2017. Accessed December 07, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/05/health/ colorscope-green-environment-calm/index.html. 9

10 Schwab, Katharine. “Why Humans Are Obsessed With Circles, According To Science.” Fast Company. July 09, 2018. Accessed December 20, 2018. https:// www.fastcompany.com/90120049/why-humansare-obsessed-with-circles-according-to-science.

Tim Hsieh

Chanda, Mona L., and Daniel J. Levitin. “The Neurochemistry of Music.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, April 2013. https://daniellevitin.com/ levitinlab/articles/2013-TICS_1180.pdf. 11

12 MacKinnon, Matthew. “The Science of Slow Deep Breathing.” Psychology Today. February 07, 2016. Accessed November 27, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday. com/us/blog/neuraptitude/201602/ the-science-slow-deep-breathing.

“Why Good Vision Is So Important.” Zeiss. Accessed December 27, 2019. https://www. zeiss.com/vision-care/us/better-vision/healthprevention/why-good-vision-is-so-important.html. 13

Mcleod, Saul. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” Simply Psychology. May 21, 2018. Accessed January 2, 2019. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow. html. 14

Morgan, Jacob. “5 Ways Email Makes Your Employees Miserable.” Forbes. April 10, 2015. Accessed February 4, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ jacobmorgan/2013/10/15/5-ways-email-makesyour-employees-miserable/#3717ae381caa. 15

16 Fry, Richard. “Millennials Are Largest Generation in the U.S. Labor Force.” Pew Research Center. April 11, 2018. Accessed February 20, 2019. https:// w w w.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/1 1/ millennials-largest-generation-us-labor-force/.

“AI-powered Text Analytics for Feedback Interpretation.” Keatext. Accessed April 22, 2019. https://www.keatext.ai/ en/?utm_source=Capterra&utm_campaign=PPC. 17

”Big Five Personality Tests.” Truity. April 24, 2019. Accessed March 27, 2019. https://www.truity.com/ view/tests/big-five-personality. 18