Social well-being in offices

Abstract

The report describes the design process that led to an implementation strategy for a design intervention that fosters a sense of belonging and cohesion in working environments, by increasing opportunities of spontaneous face-to-face informal encounters. The research follows two different approaches: the classical double diamond process from the Design Council (Ball B. J., 2019) and the Empirical Research through Design (ERDM) in which a design hypothesis (expectation about the effect of the design on behaviour and well-being) is formulated and then tested (Keyson, D. V., & Bruns, M.,2009). Since it was difficult to find an office physically open during COVID-19, the design process was developed at the IDE faculty involving IDE employees’, Team managers, experts in Social Sciences and Technology, the Human Resources and Facility Management department.The Discover phase of the project consisted of in-depth literature review and semi-structured interviews to explore the concept of social well-being in the workplace, and learn about the personal experiences and opinions of workers. The Define phase was devoted to scoping the problem, and the formulation of a design vision and hypothesis. The Develop phase aimed to explore several directions for the final design intervention, and consisted of three generative phases with different stakeholders involved through evaluation, co-creative and iteration sessions. The fourth Deliver phase, was aimed at defining the final design intervention in terms of feasibility, desirability and viability. This phase involved testing the prototype in the coffee corners of the IDE faculty (through observations and short interviews), and formulating an implementation strategy that emphasises the importance, methods and stakeholders’ benefits of adopting the final design solution.During the pandemic, the sense of cohesion and belonging between colleagues is significantly reduced due to the decrease of spontaneous face-to-face informal social interactions. As the hybrid working mode is expected to be the future of the way of working (de Klerk J. J., 2021), it is important that organisations emphasise the social aspect of the office by increasing the possibilities for social interactions between colleagues (Dahik, A., 2021). A sense of belonging and cohesion in the office benefits not only the well-being of employees, but also the performance of the organisation (Rosales, R. M., 2016). The final design is a demonstration that it is possible to increase the sense of cohesion and belonging among workers, by means of an interactive object that increases the chances of informal serendipitous encounters. For implementation, organisations need to maintain long-term contact with supplier partners (e.g. furniture companies) to produce, assemble and develop new design features. These change according to the evolution of the pandemic, and the insights generated by ongoing user testing. The organisation is responsible for monitoring and directing the social behaviour of the office (Team Managers and HR Department), and for the installation and maintenance of the object within the office café corners (Facility Management Department). The continuous sharing of research insights between companies and supplier partners contributes to the development of knowledge for a healthier and socially connected workplace in the post-pandemic era.