CONNEC
PRODUCT DESIGN | 2016/2018 REVISED
A 14 weeks group project to explore the future of workplaces. CONNEC, is an office landscape for creative work environments with an operation system embedded inside to enhance collaboration and foster innovation.
2016 Summer
2018 Revised
Sketch/ Principle / Illustrator / Photoshop / After Effects
UX/UI Designer
Storytelling
Art Director
Motion Design
Kesu Wang
Harry Teng
Jean He
We are proud that this project was built with foresight prior to the Google Jamboard and Microsoft's Surface Hub.
Collaboration should not be exclusive to conference rooms or desks; it should happen everywhere.
CONNEC is a comprehensive enterprise solution for creative work environments to enhance collaboration and foster innovation, starting with physical office furniture and collaboration tools like Totem down to integrated software on mobile and desktop.
Conceptualize the phy-gital (physical & digital) working environment to capitalize on a blue ocean opportunity in better collaboration tools and environments.
What do a creative working environment need for enhance collaboration and foster innovation?
How to help individual creative to work more efficient?
CONNEC's Project Section gives users access to big-picture project overviews, team contributions, and a decision tree.
In the task section, users can easily access, add, and adjust tasks in different categories.
Like the mobile version, CONNEC's project section dashboard gives users access to big-picture project overviews, team contributions, and a decision tree. Additionally, users can also send comments or share files to update or inspire the team.
In the dashboard, CONNEC provides flexibility for users to customize their tasks and create a personal channel for each task or project documentation.
CONNEC Totem could help the entire team discover, exchange, and empower their creative collaboration, such as planning, comments, sharing ideas, etc.
Drag the contents that you want to share with others.Save the inspirations that you inspired by others.
Shareboard is a public display where team members could share and find inspirations, ideas, and thoughts.
The global team collaboration software market size was valued at USD 9.5 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% from 2020 to 2027.
*Grand View Research
There are a lot of different collaboration tools for the design studio. Meanwhile, furniture companies are also creating physical places for a better working environment.
There are a lot of different collaboration tools for the design studio. Meanwhile, furniture companies are also creating physical places for a better working environment.
There are a lot of different collaboration tools for the design studio. Meanwhile, furniture companies are also creating physical places for a better working environment.
There are a lot of different collaboration tools for the design studio. Meanwhile, furniture companies are also creating physical places for a better working environment.
In order to understand the unique needs and workflows in a creative workplace, we interviewed four different roles.
By overlapping each point from the diagrams, we could get a mess overall workflow diagram.
After cleaning up the mess workflow diagram from each stakeholder, I got this diagram with a more in-depth understanding of each one's behaviors.
By interviewing different groups of target users to understand their workflows and user needs, we found there are five functions that our users would all like to access quickly.
Side buttons embedded in the desk surface give instant access to any crucial point of the work.
Contextual Research
We researched different benchmarks of office landscape designs and mental models of various project management tools.
Hundreds of Sketches of Products
From physical products to digital products, we sketched hundreds of ideas and storyboards to figure out the best-fit solutions.
Paper prototype, projector prototype, and physical prototype models
By using different methods of prototyping, we were able to create different levels of understanding users' needs, and further adjustments.
We are proud of that this project is before Google Jam, Microsoft hub
There are disconnections between each project phase because people cannot see the entire evolution of the project.
Allow everyone to see the entire evolution of a project and understand on an equal level.
There is a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding when exchanging information.
Eliminate any possible ambiguity in communication.
People are often intimidated to approach others and don’t feel like they can freely share their thoughts and give feedback.
Allow people to feel free to engage and share their thoughts and give feedback.
Many people feel limited because they aren’t able to express themselves freely.
A configurable system that encourages coworkers to show freedom and personality.
CONNEC Totem is your personal ID to initiate the system. Each color represents an individual.
CONNEC Totem could help the entire team discover, exchange, and empower their creative collaboration, such as planning, comments, sharing ideas, etc.
Drag the contents that you want to share with others.Save the inspirations that you inspired by others.
Shareboard is a public display where team members could share and find inspirations, ideas, and thoughts.
A boundary-less platform for sharing inspirations and progress.
Track your progress and quickly swipe information to a colleague’s desks.
Simple seat to encourage conversation.
An expressive environment promotes individuality.
Configurable divider for improving concentration and privacy.
Because of COVID, working environments will be remote and more flexible. CONNEC can develop features that adapt to different remote environments such as at home, taking care of kids, and unstable wifi mode.
Freelancing continues to grow in popularity, and is estimated to be $1.2 trillion economy in the U.S. We need to develop more freelancing-friendly functions to help the team leaders organize project-based teams quickly and enhance team relationships with stakeholders.
We plan to keep improving the meeting section of CONNEC's design by exploring new opportunities for team meetings under different environments and wifi situations.
In addition to the current products, we have more ideas to concept and design out for a comprehensive creative team/office with different perspectives such as clients' sides, supply chain stakeholders, and other related teams.
1. Sketch out everything to reduce ambiguity
It was my honor to work with my teammates, who are first-class of industrial designers. So, when creativity is the team's foundation, it is crucial to visualize every idea, no matter how small it is. Communication is the key to teamwork, but it is essential to sketch out details, thoughts, and unclear points for excellent design team communication.
2. Work hard, play hard, and aim for the "best," and don't take critiques personal
In order to create something new and extraordinary, we pulled all-nighters, disputed ideas, and worked through disagreements. Through all this, no one took the disagreements or criticism personally. We critiqued each other's plans but not each other. Because of this respectful working relationship, we grew a lot as design professionals.
