/Dropby
Helping remote teams build trust, culture, and connection without sacrificing productivity
Since 2020, remote work has shifted from a stopgap solution to a norm. But somewhere along the line, human connection quietly slipped away. And with it, employee wellness began to erode.
We noticed a shift at our homes, family members grew quiet working remotely. We saw how remote employees went to gyms and cafés to engage in casual conversation — the kind that once happened naturally in offices.
Role
Researcher, Product Designer, Visual Designer
Collaborators
Tanishka Barne, Shubham Mestry, Shrushti Patel
Skills
Research, Visual Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping
Timeline
3 months
Problem Statement
UNDERLYING PROBLEM
Using the 5 Why Analysis
Experimented with different ways of generating ideas
Keeping in mind our root cause, interview insights, survey and competitor research plus market positioning, we began brainstorming ideas using sticky notes. Ideas were exciting, a few clearly aligned with user needs—but they still needed validation in real-world scenarios.
Concept Sketch : The Desk
This is our first draft visualization of the Desk — the central feature. It’s designed as a personal space where colleagues can express their personality, interests, and work style. From pet photos to playlists, the desk itself becomes a conversation starter for colleagues
Every other feature in our platform — from productivity tools to team collaboration and communities — revolves around this central UI. The desk acts as both an ice-breaker and an anchor, helping users connect naturally without forced interaction.
Customize your Desk to reflect who you are
Add personal items like photos, hobbies, or achievements. This creates visibility into each employee’s interests, offering entry points for organic conversation across the organization.
Discover shared interests by visiting others’ desks
Explore how teammates have set up their workspaces. Noticing shared hobbies or details can serve as a natural way to start conversations and build informal connections.
Turn desk comments into meaningful Conversations
Comment directly on items on others desk which act like conversation starters and continue the conversation here. Join anonymous company group for internal questions, helping employees engage without pressure.
Join Communities & Interest-Based Groups
Employees can play games with colleagues. They can join internal communities such as reading clubs, gaming clubs, or jamming sessions. These places foster casual interaction, reinforcing team culture in a remote setting.
Personal Productivity View
Stay organized with a dedicated section for personal to-dos and workstreams. Designed to reduce context-switching and bring clarity to your day-to-day priorities.
Shared Team Spaces
Create shared spaces with documents, pages, files, and slates. This brings visibility and alignment to team efforts, making collaboration easier in remote or hybrid setups.
Icebreakers for Video Meetings using AI
In physical offices, bonding occurs before and after meetings. Remote meetings eliminate this buffer, moving right into agenda mode. In addition, many remote workers find it difficult to start conversations. In the Ice breaker feature, employees are given a series of questions tailored to the person with whom they want to speak. This is accomplished by combining AI with other people's personal data. It is intended to alleviate awkwardness and facilitate discussion in meetings with new faces.
Showing it to the Red Hat team
The Red Hat team resonated with the desk customization feature — calling it a unique, untapped space. Akshay suggested integrating it with the system wallpaper for a seamless experience, reducing the friction of opening an app. He said to add more functions to the desk so that people keep going there. He also appreciated the icebreaker prompts, especially for people who struggle to start conversations. Others liked the bonding potential of cubicle personalization, but felt some users may skip customizing it — and recommended making it a default onboarding step to drive adoption.
