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SCDI

Unannounced project

WORKING SOCIAL PLACE

The project was in collaboration with the engineering consulting firm WSP. I investigated whether gamification could facilitate remote work by using a serious game with limitations for digital remote meetings.

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The Working Social Place

Project Overview

The project was designed for my master's thesis in informatics at the University of Skövde in the spring semester of 2021 in collaboration with the engineering consulting firm WSP. The master's thesis investigated whether gamification could facilitate remote work by using a serious game with limitations for digital remote meetings. The serious game made it possible to support a meeting structure by having avatars that people could follow across the map in a distant location while following a meeting agenda in the archipelago.

My Contributions

I was the project lead, designer, and artist for the project, so everything you see I have created myself. I was designing and evaluating the project from start to finish. The only thing I did not do myself was programming, which my coursemate Jesper Kanewoff supported.

Tools: Unity, Adobe Creative Suite, Substance Painter, Blender

Timeline: 5 months (Jan 2021- May 2021)

CHALLENGE:

How can we make remote meetings more effective and engaging?

Starting with the basis. Who, what, and why?

Before the project started, the initial idea was to create a tool to facilitate communication in physical meetings with WSP’s clients and make them more interactable. Due to the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, social distance was recommended, and as a result, an increased number of employees were using digital remote meeting software in order to communicate when working remotely. This created a number of communication issues. By applying game-based aesthetics and mechanics, the aim was to provide employees with easier motivation, interaction, and problem solving. Moreover, the study itself evaluated the serious game and examined if any specific gamification elements could be better suited for a remote meeting context.

Design iteration model

Identify a problem

Ideate solutions

Prototype

Analyze

Iterate

Ideation

Research

Analyzing

As stated at 'Starting with the Basis," we were curious to see if any specific gamification elements were better suited for a remote meeting context than others. I decided to further explore if personality traits preferred certain game elements by looking into extrovertism and introversion. After numerous discussions with WSP, a pre-study, and previous research, I decided to create a serious game with co-op, party game, race, customization, and crucial meeting mechanics. Once the iteration was developed, a strategy and timeline were applied to meet the needs and wants of the illustrated personas.

The choice of method is motivated by an exploratory purpose. Data, both qualitative and quantitative, was gathered from a team at the company WSP. Before the actual evaluation of the product, a first sub-study was conducted, which investigated through a survey the major problems that are associated with working remotely (275 respondents). The prototype was tested with smaller user groups throughout the project. More of the research can be found in the report.

Results from the study indicated that the most valuable gamification mechanics in a digital remote meeting are the visual agenda map with clear goal guidelines and the use of avatars. Competition and scoring were the least effective gamification elements for a remote meeting.

Working remotely has its disadvantages, one of which is having to spend the day at home, which can get pretty lonely. What if this wasn't just a meeting but an entire workday? Then I could see my team, then maybe we could have more spontaneous fikas together even remotely!

- Respondent 6

One of the main advantages of this initiative is that everyone must participate and has a chance to speak. Everyone must be on board for the journey to continue, which is something that is easily forgotten in virtual meetings.

- Respondent 5

This was super fun!

- Respondent 3

The game's waiting room; where all participants meet up and select their character, which is used in the meeting agenda later on in the game.

SWOT - Analysis

Strengths

The survey's response rate indicated that the prototype was needed

The main study demonstrated an aspiration among participants for further development of the artifact, with a specific focus on the use of avatars. They implied that it would be interesting to use avatars in more elements and even outside the meeting context, for example, when colleagues are online for more spontaneous and flexible meetings.

Opportunities

People are still working remotely, and there has been a shift in many work environments. However, there are still problematic parts about it.

Could be further developed and expanded as an “open world” where all colleagues are seeing themselves and which people are online.

It has the potential to expand into an "open world", in which all coworkers can view themselves and other individuals online.

Weaknesses

Since there is no pandemic anymore, the inquiry for the tool might not be as valid. Still, people are working remotely, and the need is still there.

As the serious game is still in the prototype phase, it needs further development on several segments to make it easier for the user to use

Threats

Concerns and disagreements among participants about incorporating gamification into a serious work context.

Small team only doing the master thesis. Bigger sharks can enter

There is not much competition yet because the serious game is quite unique for its area and was primarily developed for the master's thesis. On the other hand, bigger sharks can enter due to the demand for it.

During a meeting, the palyer is given the opportunity to navigate the archipelago using a map. Each agenda event has its own appearance and is coloured in either yellow, orange, or red depending on its priority.

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JAN 2023

Swedish Center for Digital Innovation

Unannounced project.

Role: Communication strategist