Optimizing desk capacity in the hybrid workplace
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a paradigm shift swept across the corporate landscape, as organizations embraced remote work arrangements, offering employees the flexibility to work from home for a portion of the week. However, this transition posed a unique challenge: how to effectively manage office space in an era of fluctuating occupancy. ti&m AG recognized this challenge as an opportunity to develop the Microsoft application "Places" that empowers organizations to optimize their workspace utilization.
Client
ti&m AG
Year
Juli 2020
Role & team
Leading designer, working with a junior designer, PO and software engineers
TL;DR
Challenge
ti&m Places started as a startup within the Swiss software development company ti&m AG. When I joined as the first designer, the development team had already created a functional proof of concept. The target audience was broad, encompassing large corporations with multiple campuses, smaller companies, and co-working spaces. Each new customer brought specific feature requests, such as hourly booking capabilities and meeting room reservations. The challenge was to rapidly implement these new features and changes while maintaining a high-quality user experience.
Approach
The team operated in an agile manner, working in two-week sprints. The plan was for designers to be informed about new features at least one sprint before development began. However, this was not always feasible due to constant changes in the roadmap driven by new client requests. As the lead designer, my responsibilities included establishing a cohesive design language, conducting user research, mentoring the junior designer, and advocating for the importance of good user experience within the tech-driven team.
Result
Ti&m Places can now be downloaded in the Microsoft Teams app store and is now used by over 10'000 users in companies such as Swisscom, Denner, USM, Galxus, digitech.ch, bbv and more. The Swiss IT Magazine has published a review of ti&m Places and highlighted the user experience's high quality.
Und wenn wir schon bei der Nutzerzufriedenheit sind, muss eines in aller Deutlichkeit gesagt werden: Man sieht und spürt, wie viel Arbeit und Hirnschmalz ins UI-Design und die Zugänglichkeit der Lösung gesteckt wurden. So gut wie jeder Button ist dort, wo man ihn erwartet, die spürbar durchdachte Benutzeroberfläche muss sich vor nichts verstecken.
- Swiss IT Magazine (Read the article in German)
Designing a new product in an agile environment
Working in a start-up setting required everyone to be hands-on and take on tasks outside of their core competencies. As a result, I ended up designing the logo for ti&m Places early in the project. (Just a few days after we started using the new logo, Microsoft Loop began appearing in Teams with a very similar logo. But we decided to keep our new ti&m Places logo.)
Book your favourite spot in the office
In a sea of workstations, 'Places' is guiding employees towards their ideal workplace. Based on past booking patterns, accessibility requirements, and team affiliations, 'Places' suggests workspaces tailored to individual needs. A touch of playfulness is added by highlighting the most popular desk, sparking curiosity and encouraging employees to explore different workspace options.
Tailored for diverse workspace realities
In order to offer a competitive solution, 'Places' distinguishes itself with its adaptability and customization capabilities, catering to the unique needs of various workspace realities. Employers can tailor the booking options to suit their specific requirements, enabling employees to reserve desks for a full day, choose from predefined time slots, or select a custom time frame based on their needs. Extending its versatility beyond workspaces, 'Places' also facilitates the management of parking spaces.
