Sync

Ecosystem Mapping • Mixed Methods Research • Service Blueprinting • Prototyping • Product Roadmap

Developed in Master’s Service Design course in a team of 4

Project Overview

Sync is a digital platform that enhances workplace dynamics by fostering a robust feedback loop between managers and employees, promoting transparency and active communication.

My Role

User research (in-depth interviews), co-creation workshops, presentation design, UI Design

Business management dashboard displaying today's schedule, employee status, notifications, task list, and navigation menu with icons for home, schedule, team, rewards, payroll, reports, and settings.

The Challenge of High Turnover

In the hospitality industry, high turnover rates present a dual challenge, affecting businesses and employees deeply. Each departure is more than a lost number; it signifies a breakdown in team cohesion and increased operational costs. High turnover erodes workplace culture and employee morale. The journey to developing 'Sync' started with recognizing the need for a profound change in how managers and employees connect and communicate.

A bartender using a cocktail shaker, with a quote about expectations and starting a job, in a warm-lit bar or restaurant setting.

Digging Deeper

Annual turnover in the hospitality industry currently hovers around 70-80%, this impact leads businesses to struggle to attract and retain employees leading to increased operational challenges and impacting customer experiences.

A infographic displays three circular charts with percentages related to the restaurant industry. The first chart shows a 70% turnover rate in the hospitality industry, the second indicates a 62% of restaurant operators currently lacking enough employees to support demand, and the third reflects a 79% of restaurant operators having difficulty filling opening positions.

Insights from the Ground

We gathered feedback from employees, hiring managers, and business owners in the hospitality industry to pinpoint the main reasons for high turnover. This direct input revealed significant issues in communication, hiring strategies, and general job satisfaction. By incorporating diverse viewpoints, we anchored our strategy in the hiring process that we found relied heavily on “word of mouth” for recruitment.

New Perspective

We gained a new perspective during our co-creation workshop with hospitality workers. Initially, we believed the hiring process was the main culprit behind high turnover. However, the workshop revealed the day-to-day employee experiences were the root cause. This revelation shifted our focus and approach towards designing 'Sync.'

Two men standing in front of a board covered with colorful sticky notes, discussing ideas for a project.
Group of five students in a classroom, some sitting at a table and others standing, participating in a discussion around a wall with colorful paper charts and sticky notes.

Current digital workplace tools do not effectively use and translate employee feedback. Just rating a work shift on a scale of 1-5 stars doesn’t give actionable insights to employers.

Tablet screen displaying a purple interface with a survey to track employee happiness, asking how the user is feeling with a five-star rating system, and a text box to enter feedback.

Identifying Opportunity Areas

With our new perspective, we identified the top digital workplace tools and used a blue ocean canvas to highlight key areas for innovation.

blue ocean strategy canvas of sync

Ideation to Creation: Designing 'Sync'

This phase was characterized by brainstorming sessions, card-sorting exercises, and iterative design sprints, all aimed at pinpointing the most crucial features needed to enhance the employee experience. The collaborative efforts brought a collection of key functionalities that would make 'Sync' impactful. These included real-time feedback mechanisms, transparent communication channels, and personalized employee engagement tools.

Screenshot of a presentation slide showing card sorting results with a list of 13 items and their scores, along with two images of the same slide showing physical cards laid out on a table for the card sorting activity.

The Solution Unveiled

Laptop screen displaying an employee management dashboard with schedule, employee status, notifications, and task list sections.

Crafting the Perfect Schedule

Options include AI-powered parameters such as improved chemistry, which pairs employees who work well together and schedules them for the same shifts when possible. This feature also allows managers to set and customize their parameters, ultimately saving time, and optimizing efficiency.

Screenshots of a scheduling software interface showing a weekly work schedule with employee shifts and a pop-up window for auto-fill scheduling parameters.

Actionable Feedback

Through Sync, business owners and management can actively monitor insights and feedback to improve employee engagement and retention

We developed a system for managers to see the status of their employees in one place. This feature encourages managers to take action based on employee feedback and address issues on time.

Mobile app screens and web dashboard of employee feedback and management platform with orange accents on a light background.

Employee Rewards

We developed a reward system to increase employee engagement and improve recognition. This feature allows managers to easily select rewards for their team, along with the goals associated with them.

Managers can also customize their own goals and rewards. The system also allows managers to recognize and reward individual employees and give suggestions based on employee performance and morale.

Screenshot of a web application interface for managing rewards, with a sidebar menu including icons for Home, Schedule, Team, Rewards, Payroll, Reports, and Settings. The page displays team goals, individual member profiles, and suggested rewards with estimated costs and activation checkboxes.

Takeaways and Learnings

Throughout the Sync project, I tapped into my food and beverage industry experience to identify opportunities for digital innovation in the hospitality sector, a profession still heavily reliant on traditional practices. Initially aiming to address hiring challenges, our team shifted focus to enhance the employee experience after identifying it as a core issue. We learned how to utilize co-creation and user-centric design to discover new perspectives and adapt away from our initial understanding of the root problem. This project not only sharpened my skills in collaborative problem-solving but also reinforced my capacity to lead with empathy and insight from our target users.