To ensure a smooth rollout, we structured our recommendations into a three-phase implementation plan:
Pilot Phase
A small team within Alice tested the new communication model using Discord, Gather, and Slack.
Employees provided feedback on how these tools impacted engagement and creativity.
1
Training &
OnboardingDesigned quick-start guides and live training sessions to help employees integrate new tools into their workflows.
Leadership played an active role in modeling tool adoption to encourage participation.
2
Company-Wide Integration
Metrics were established to track engagement, including participation rates in informal spaces and employee sentiment surveys.
Adjustments were made based on feedback, ensuring the solution remained scalable and adaptable.
3
Interviews
Research Methods
Conducted 7 stakeholder interviews with professionals across creative and remote industries.
Engaged with 3 key stakeholder groups to gather information regarding creative collaborative capacity of remote teams.
Research Methods
Surveys
Gathered insights from 15 remote and hybrid workers on their experiences with collaboration.
Focus Groups
Research Methods
Engaged early-career professionals to explore challenges in building remote team rapport. Collaboration with key stakeholders to create conversation around team connection in remote settings.
Research Methods
Academic Review
Extracted insights from peer-reviewed studies regarding essential real-time collaboration tools utilized by hybrid teams.
Data Analysis
Research Methods
Examined a dataset of 1,500 remote workers to identify trends in communication effectiveness.
Reinventing Remote Creativity for Alice Inc
Michelle Lin, Paris Heard, Vanshika Gaur, Mohammad Farhat
UX Design
UX Design
Interaction Design
Interaction Design
Report Writing
Report Writing
To ensure a smooth rollout, we structured our recommendations into a three-phase implementation plan:
Pilot Phase
A small team within Alice tested the new communication model using Discord, Gather, and Slack.
Employees provided feedback on how these tools impacted engagement and creativity.
1
Training & Onboarding
Designed quick-start guides and live training sessions to help employees integrate new tools into their workflows.
Leadership played an active role in modeling tool adoption to encourage participation.
2
Company-Wide Integration
Metrics were established to track engagement, including participation rates in informal spaces and employee sentiment surveys.
Adjustments were made based on feedback, ensuring the solution remained scalable and adaptable.
3
Research Methods
Interviews
Conducted 7 stakeholder interviews with professionals across creative and remote industries.
Engaged with 3 key stakeholder groups to gather information regarding creative collaborative capacity of remote teams.
Research Methods
Research Methods
Surveys
Gathered insights from 15 remote and hybrid workers on their experiences with collaboration.
Research Methods
Focus Groups
Engaged early-career professionals to explore challenges in building remote team rapport. Collaboration with key stakeholders to create conversation around team connection in remote settings.
Research Methods
Academic Review
Extracted insights from peer-reviewed studies regarding essential real-time collaboration tools utilized by hybrid teams.
Research Methods
Data Analysis
Examined a dataset of 1,500 remote workers to identify trends in communication effectiveness.
UX Design
<- Back
UX Research
Report Writing
Interaction Design
UX Research
Interaction Design
UX Research
Alice Inc. is a creative agency that thrives on spontaneous collaboration and informal idea-sharing—elements that are often lost in remote work. While digital tools like Slack and Zoom facilitate structured communication, they fail to replicate the unplanned, casual interactions that fuel creative breakthroughs.
Our team partnered with Alice to explore:
How might we design a remote work experience that enables spontaneous collaboration and fosters authentic creative connections?
Through extensive research, strategic design recommendations, and a full-stack implementation plan, we delivered a comprehensive final report and presentation to Alice Inc.’s leadership, guiding their transition to a more dynamic and engaging remote work environment.
Alice Inc. is a creative agency that thrives on spontaneous collaboration and informal idea-sharing—elements that are often lost in remote work. While digital tools like Slack and Zoom facilitate structured communication, they fail to replicate the unplanned, casual interactions that fuel creative breakthroughs.
Our team partnered with Alice to explore:
How might we design a remote work experience that enables spontaneous collaboration and fosters authentic creative connections?
Through extensive research, strategic design recommendations, and a full-stack implementation plan, we delivered a comprehensive final report and presentation to Alice Inc.’s leadership, guiding their transition to a more dynamic and engaging remote work environment.
As a UX Researcher, Designer, and Writer, I contributed to:
Research & Data Collection – Conducted interviews, surveys, focus groups, and literature reviews to identify challenges in remote creative collaboration.
UX Strategy & Solution Design – Developed recommendations integrating cultural, structural, and technological interventions to support spontaneity in remote work.
Prototyping & Testing – Explored interactive tools to create a multi-layered communication system balancing structured and unstructured collaboration.
Report Writing & Synthesis – Co-authored a detailed final report, outlining our research, insights, and a full-stack implementation plan for Alice.
Presentation to Alice Inc. – Delivered key findings and recommendations to Alice’s leadership, ensuring our proposed solutions were actionable and aligned with their company goals.
As a UX Researcher, Designer, and Writer, I contributed to:
Research & Data Collection – Conducted interviews, surveys, focus groups, and literature reviews to identify challenges in remote creative collaboration.
UX Strategy & Solution Design – Developed recommendations integrating cultural, structural, and technological interventions to support spontaneity in remote work.
Prototyping & Testing – Explored interactive tools to create a multi-layered communication system balancing structured and unstructured collaboration.
Report Writing & Synthesis – Co-authored a detailed final report, outlining our research, insights, and a full-stack implementation plan for Alice.
Presentation to Alice Inc. – Delivered key findings and recommendations to Alice’s leadership, ensuring our proposed solutions were actionable and aligned with their company goals.
Reinventing Remote Creativity for Alice Inc.
Michelle Lin, Paris Heard, Vanshika Gaur, Mohammad Farhat
Racing to Connect
My Role
My Role
Final Outcomes & Impact
Reflections
Implrementation Plan
Based on our insights, we developed a three-part strategy blending cultural and technological interventions to create a more engaging and spontaneous remote work environment.
1. Build a Culture of Trust & Empathy
We found that strong interpersonal trust enables more open collaboration. To foster this, we recommended:
Creating a company culture handbook co-designed by employees to define engagement norms.
Implementing structured check-ins to gauge employee well-being and encourage open dialogue.
Introducing peer recognition programs to strengthen team bonds and build a positive work culture.
2. Establish Structured Spontaneity
To create more opportunities for informal interactions, we designed structured but flexible team rituals, including:
Rotating mentorship pairings to encourage cross-team relationships.
Virtual “show & tell” sessions for sharing creative work in an informal setting.
Creative free-time events to allow employees to engage in low-stakes brainstorming.
3. Leverage Technology to Mimic In-Person Interaction (Recommended Solution)
Since remote tools weren’t designed for spontaneous collaboration, we proposed integrating three platforms to create a layered communication system balancing structured work with casual interactions:
🔹 Discord – A space for informal, low-pressure conversations fostering organic team bonding.
🔹 Gather – A virtual office tool allowing team members to move freely and “bump into” colleagues, simulating watercooler moments.
🔹 Slack – The primary workspace for structured discussions, ensuring clarity in formal communication.
This approach enables employees to separate work and social interactions, making it easier to replicate the natural rhythm of in-person collaboration.
Based on our insights, we developed a three-part strategy blending cultural and technological interventions to create a more engaging and spontaneous remote work environment.
1. Build a Culture of Trust & Empathy
We found that strong interpersonal trust enables more open collaboration. To foster this, we recommended:
Creating a company culture handbook co-designed by employees to define engagement norms.
Implementing structured check-ins to gauge employee well-being and encourage open dialogue.
Introducing peer recognition programs to strengthen team bonds and build a positive work culture.
2. Establish Structured Spontaneity
To create more opportunities for informal interactions, we designed structured but flexible team rituals, including:
Rotating mentorship pairings to encourage cross-team relationships.
Virtual “show & tell” sessions for sharing creative work in an informal setting.
Creative free-time events to allow employees to engage in low-stakes brainstorming.
3. Leverage Technology to Mimic In-Person Interaction (Recommended Solution)
Since remote tools weren’t designed for spontaneous collaboration, we proposed integrating three platforms to create a layered communication system balancing structured work with casual interactions:
🔹 Discord – A space for informal, low-pressure conversations fostering organic team bonding.
🔹 Gather – A virtual office tool allowing team members to move freely and “bump into” colleagues, simulating watercooler moments.
🔹 Slack – The primary workspace for structured discussions, ensuring clarity in formal communication.
This approach enables employees to separate work and social interactions, making it easier to replicate the natural rhythm of in-person collaboration.
Design the Solution
Implementation Plan
To deeply understand how remote work impacts creative collaboration, we used a multi-method research approach, combining qualitative and quantitative insights.
To deeply understand how remote work impacts creative collaboration, we used a multi-method research approach, combining qualitative and quantitative insights.
Problem Research
Problem Research
Following our recommendations, Alice reported significant improvements in remote team dynamics:
Increased engagement in informal conversations – Employees actively used Discord and Gather for casual discussions, reducing feelings of isolation.
More creative brainstorming sessions – Teams reported that structured rituals helped spark more spontaneous ideation.
Better work-life balance – Employees found it easier to separate social and work-related discussions, reducing burnout.
Following our recommendations, Alice reported significant improvements in remote team dynamics:
Increased engagement in informal conversations – Employees actively used Discord and Gather for casual discussions, reducing feelings of isolation.
More creative brainstorming sessions – Teams reported that structured rituals helped spark more spontaneous ideation.
Better work-life balance – Employees found it easier to separate social and work-related discussions, reducing burnout.
Technology alone can’t fix the challenges of remote collaboration. Culture, structure, and the right tools must work together to create an environment where creativity can flourish—even at a distance.
A survey of 1,500 NSW workers from March and April 2021, commissioned to understand workers' experiences of and attitudes to remote and hybrid working. To be eligible, respondents had to be employed NSW residents with experience of remote working in their current job. After accounting for unemployed people and those whose jobs cannot be done remotely—for example, dentists, cashiers and cleaners—the sample represents around 59 per cent of NSW workers.
This project reinforced that designing for remote collaboration requires more than just digital solutions—it’s about understanding human behavior and creating spaces where people feel comfortable engaging.
🌟 User research is key – Speaking with real users helped us uncover pain points that weren’t immediately obvious.
🌟 Technology should enhance, not dictate, collaboration – The most effective tools support natural interactions rather than forcing artificial engagement.
🌟 Culture shapes the way teams work – A positive, inclusive culture is just as important as the tools a team uses.
This project reinforced that designing for remote collaboration requires more than just digital solutions—it’s about understanding human behavior and creating spaces where people feel comfortable engaging.
🌟 User research is key – Speaking with real users helped us uncover pain points that weren’t immediately obvious.
🌟 Technology should enhance, not dictate, collaboration – The most effective tools support natural interactions rather than forcing artificial engagement.
🌟 Culture shapes the way teams work – A positive, inclusive culture is just as important as the tools a team uses.
Final Outcomes & Impact
Key Takeaway
Reflections
Read Report
A survey of 1,500 NSW workers from March and April 2021, commissioned to understand workers' experiences of and attitudes to remote and hybrid working. To be eligible, respondents had to be employed NSW residents with experience of remote working in their current job. After accounting for unemployed people and those whose jobs cannot be done remotely—for example, dentists, cashiers and cleaners—the sample represents around 59 per cent of NSW workers.