Dolby Labs

3 End-to-End Webpage Design Concepts

Project Summary

My Role

1/2 UX Design team leads, in a group with 5 other UX Designers.

My role involved strategically planning the team's approach to the project, ensuring deliverables were of a quality to send to our sponsors, facilitating design workshops with the team, and being the main point of communication between sponsors and the team.

Deliverables

Three High-fidelity Design Prototypes - presented in Figma
Comparative Analysis Research Report - a report on platform recommendations for Dolby including an overview of the platform, how to implement it at Dolby, and best practices for implementation and sustainability
Design Documentation - includes the entire process of the design project, design methods, and takeaways
Transition Document - Knowledge transfer document that includes links to all assets created

Project Scope

End-to-End Website Designs, Remote Work Experience

Duration

15 weeks (Aug - Dec 2021)

Tools

Figma, Miro, Photoshop

The Context

Dolby partnered with Purdue UX to sponsor a project for our team.

COVID -19 has forced Dolby to re-think the way they work together, and even what together means. This project aimed to explore the possibilities of remote working experiences.

The Problem

Dolby's culture relied heavily on the in-office interactions and experiences employees had with one another.

When COVID-19 hit, Dolby was faced with the challenge of finding new ways to improve how employees bond and build a sense of community at Dolby.

The Objective

Research, strategize, and deliver various design ideas for Dolby. We aimed to equip Dolby with:

necessary research needed to make informed decisions when purchasing new platforms
innovative, out-of-the-box ideas Dolby's HR team could try with employees to engage them

New to Dolby, the team set out to understand how employees view the company culture. So, we conducted 15 user interviews with various Dolby employees.

Main pain point addressed: There is a lack of events that promote social engagement between employees at Dolby. In turn, there is little discoverability for affinity groups at the company.

Challenge: Not all employees seek social connections with colleagues. We didn't want to design a solution that would require employees to participate or make individuals feel left out.

Solution/Design Overview: Centralized hub for employees to find events, join different communities, and/or create their own groups.

Interview Takeaways

"We don't have enough [remote] engaging events that can foster more cultural connection."

- Dolby Manager

Interviews

The team began to understand the different struggles faced when trying to navigate a virtual work environment compared to an in-person experience. We found that:

Interviewees expressed that friend groups in an organization can feel cliquey

Interviewees identify the community and culture of Dolby is formed through organization events

Interviewees feel there is a need for more engaging social events

Literature Review

To understand our problem frame, the team conducted a literature review on I/O Psychology and Organizational communication.

With the rise of remote work, lots of new concepts had surfaced on the market. The team conducted a comparative analysis to pull inspiration and best practices.

Main pain point addressed: Due to remote work, employees have little to no opportunities to engage in spontaneous, water cooler conversations.

Challenge: How do we allow employees a glimpse into their colleagues' lives while respecting privacy and maintaining a professional environment?

Solution/Design Overview: This platform mimics in-person office interactions. Specifically, it mirrors "desk decorations" virtually as well as the act of approaching a co-worker at their desk.

What Inspired Dolby Cubicles?

"Important aspects of projects are accidentally discovered with water-cooler talks.”

- Dolby Leadership

Interviews

Through interviews, we learned the difficulty employees had transitioning from being able to approach and chat with a colleague in the office to having to be more intentional with who they interact and meet online. We also found that:

There is a need for spontaneous communication

Informal communication online feels awkward

Zoom fatigue exists

Comparative Analysis

A vital part of the inspiration of this concept was given to us by the comparative analysis, looking specifically at the app Voxer. This is an informal voice communication app that works similar to a walkie-talkie. We found this idea to be an interesting area to ideate as spontaneous communication is a major pain point found within Dolby.

To continue iterating and promoting co-collaboration, the team planned a Co-Design session with Dolby participants.

Main pain point addressed: Due to the company culture at Dolby being so loosely defined and dynamic, the culture is highly vulnerable due to the loss of employee connections in a remote setting.

Challenge: How do we foster a dynamic company culture in a remote setting and without requiring employees to participate in unwanted activities.

Solution/Design Overview: The Dolby Cultural Board aims to empower employees to feel a sense of connectedness by being able to seamlessly share and discuss company-related topics.

What Inspired Dolby Culture Board?

"Hearing about exciting Dolby news makes me excited to be a part of the company."

- Dolby Employee

Interviews

From interviews, one common takeaway was that remote working increases the need for employees to intentionally connect and resonate with the company. The team also found that:

It is hard to work with people who aren't motivated

The biggest motivation is being in a motivated environment

Taking breaks throughout the day promote motivation

Co-Design Session

Our co-design shed light on the intrinsic motivators of Dolby employees which largely inspired this design. The majority of our participants ranked curiosity as their top motivator in the workforce.