Case Study: New Work at a German automotive organisation
Challenge
Development of a new working environment that supports a modern, flexible and sustainable way of working.
Outcome
A new-work space concept developed by employees for employees, which promotes greater belonging, flexibility and collaboration.
Key Facts
Client: a German automotive organisation
Category: Automotive / Mobility
Service: New Work | Workplace Design | Culture Design | Interior Design
Methods: Decoding & Designing the human experience Human-Centred-Design | Vision Talks | Co-Creation | Worktype personas | Prototyping | Interior Design
Year: 2021
Facts: 15 User representatives from all areas in the project team
70% Employees' voices collected
90% Virtual project work
25 Interactive MURAL Boards
6 Vision-Talks with Management team
8 Department Diaries
3 Design Territories
5 Prototypes
Context
The automotive industry is undergoing fundamental change, having to cope with increasing pressure to innovate, rapid digitization, and environmental challenges, among other things. This also has a strong impact on the structures, working methods and working environments of the companies. As a body representing the interests of the industry, our client was also facing up to these new requirements of its members. And was therefore setting out to change its structures, corporate culture and working environment and to develop more personal responsibility, flexibility, affiliation and creative collaboration under the heading of 'New Work'.
In addition, the corona-induced shifts to home office and virtual collaboration have created new perspectives and expectations of what the reality of work should look like, even after the pandemic. For the project, this also meant that the process had to be conducted completely remotely and digitally and ideally trigger a transformative learning effect for all participants on how new forms of collaboration can also look virtually.
Design-Challenge
How might we design a flexible, future-proof office environment for employees that supports the relevant aspects of their (collaborative) work in the best possible way (while discovering new, digital working methods and tools themselves)?
Our approach
For us, a new, sustainable working world has the goal of unlocking human potential in the best possible way. The working environment should support this in the form of increased relevance, resilience and resourcefulness.
With a cross-departmental project team with user representatives from all departments, we collaboratively explored the needs of employees in new and digital collaboration formats over a period of 6 months, derived 6 specific work types from this, developed design criteria and translated these into 5 prototypes for the new work space design. These were tested with employees, and based on the feedback, a final concept for a new working environment was developed, which translates the specific requirements of the work types into space and workplace concepts.
Approach in detail (click on arrow for more details):
Kick off & ‚winning hearts‘
Starting out as a team, understanding previous directions of thinking and jointly laying the first contextual cornerstones for our New Work project.
30-minute energizer with the project team to generate excitement together in preparation for the kickoff
Half-day kick-off session with the project team including new-work inspiration to understand and agree on the exact expectations of the project, the goal and the concrete outcome, team agreements and project communication and organization.
Conducting weekly retrospectives
Empathise Space & Define Line
We listen to the VDA in order to be able to record the relevant requirements of employees and management in a human-centered way, and bring important stakeholders on board.
Vision Talks with management and executives to understand the strategic direction and evolution of the organization
Employee survey to learn about perceptions and preferences for the new way of working
1-week departmental diaries to identify existing and perspective work and communication styles
Development of specific work typologies
Conducting weekly retrospectives
Design Space & Test Line
Based on the previous sessions, we jointly develop a first prototypical design concept, test it iteratively and concretize the concept.
Development of strategic guidelines as well as prototypical design territories for the New Work concept
1/2-day co-creation bootcamp to develop 5 prototypes for the New Work workplace concept.
Test Slam - Round 1:
The project team tested the prototypes in user tests with 2 stakeholders each, with the test subjects simulating their daily work routine within the prototype design
Conducting weekly retrospectives
Implement Space & Evaluation Line
We open the design prototype for an iteration round with all employees* before presenting a final design concept.
Feasibility check with our interior design experts from Designliga. After the revision of the space concept on the basis of the user experience testing, we carry out a feasibility check regarding the implementation.
Finalization of the design concept based on further feedback in close cooperation with our design specialist (basic evaluation & preliminary planning)
Presentation of results and concept handover, in which all results were handed over to the client in a results presentation, as well as the development of the next implementation steps and a collection of ideas for the launch of the New Work concept.
Outcomes
A work typology specially developed for the VDA with 6 work types
Design criteria for the future development of the working environment and culture
A concept tested with employees for the design of the new working environment across all floors, taking into account the design criteria and space requirements for each work type
Learned new ways of working and use of modern digital collaboration tools.
The results and findings from the concept development are now being implemented by the client within the framework of a 'test floor'.
Head of HR
"I always found the cooperation great! The super good interaction with you guys. Informal, personal, always also individual and a friendship level. It's just incredibly easy to work with you and to talk openly and discuss things. And also the approach, the innovativeness you show, the digital structure you follow with your processes and just the modern and progressive approach you have taken always and every time. Thank you very much!"