WHY
The reason this start-up was founded was to address the issues my business partners and I had when working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak. We had to create something better not only for ourselves but also for others who faced similar problems, so starting in April 2020, we set out on a journey to find a better solution. We were so troubled because we lacked the appropriate space to work from home, and it was difficult for us to focus, stay motivated, and concentrate when our families, siblings, and roommates were also working from home.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide professionals with the greatest possible infrastructure and tools so they may work from any location in our network at any time.
Market Research
50%
Find it difficult to stay motivated and focussed
76%
Have no separate home office
64%
Work from the living room, dining room, or kitchen
38%
Struggle to strike a balance between work and life
74% of CFOs plan to reduce their office space because employees have adapted to remote/ hybrid working.
Shopify, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Twitter announced long-term remote/hybrid working plans
Companies are aware that employees prefer to work from home since it's more comfortable and feels safer for them, and that this has led to higher output.
They must thus strike a balance between that and the requirement to create a meeting space where employees can collaborate and work productively at any time, from anywhere.
Trend
Changing Work Life Habits
Work from home is here to stay !!!
Problem
Although most individuals prefer it, working from home might present certain difficulties.
Not having a suitable workspace at home
Maintaining a work-life balance is difficult.
Difficult to remain focused and motivated
Decreased interpersonal relationships with colleagues
Being easily side-tracked by kids and household chores at home makes it difficult to focus
It is more difficult to collaborate remotely with people
The locations of the offices are far away, making it difficult to visit them for a brief visit.
User Research
We gathered some incredible insights that we had not previously considered when we conducted surveys with 256 people and interviews with over 80 Gen-Z and millennial respondents who had varied experiences working from home.
80+
Total User Interviews Conducted
256+
Surveys Response
50+
Usability Tests
User Interview
What do users think?
We interviewed over eighty people representing a wide range of occupations, ages, locations, and lifestyles. We then filtered down our intended user base to consist of three main categories: individuals in their Early Career (Ages 18 to 25), Mid-Career (Ages 25 to 35), and Late-Career (Ages 35 to 55).
Resides in a 3 BHK home in San Francisco with 6 people.
“It is difficult for me to meet high-profile clients somewhere else than the office while I work from home. Since my office is 30 minutes away from my house, I have to travel a lot, which bothers me. Additionally, it is difficult to protect the privacy of sensitive information when working in noisy co-working locations."
Insights :
Insufficient room to regularly meet and impress high-profile clients in her vicinity.
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Going to a co-working area makes her uncomfortable because it entails exchanging private information and is noisy.
Lives in a three-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles with two other housemates
"I feel slow and lethargic so I find it difficult to focus well at home." I like to work in peaceful, quiet locations with a pleasant experience rather than coworking facilities because they are so distracting.
In addition, I miss collaborating with my friends and co-workers at work."
Insights :
To be more productive, people would rather have a more distinctive, tranquil, and soothing experience.
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The social interaction with
co-workers is missed by users.
Lives in a two-bedroom home with her spouse in Texas
"I find it difficult to concentrate at home because I'm slow and sluggish at work. I prefer to work from quiet, peaceful locations with a pleasant experience; coworking facilities are quite distracting.
I also miss working with my friends and co-workers in the workplace."
Insights :
People often find it difficult to locate suitable workspaces, meet clients, and obtain the necessary tools, particularly when they are on the go.
During important meetings, users frequently experience disruptions from their families and children.
Financial Investor
Drake Dong
Product Design Intern
Loani Jackson
Project Manger
Vidhya Thakkar
Insights - Solution
We were better able to comprehend the consumers' needs and the main issues they were facing thanks to our conversations and interviews with them. Our unique solution was derived from the synthesis of these into important ideas.
Lack of a suitable location to regularly meet and impress high-profile clients in her vicinity.
Lack of a suitable location to regularly meet and impress high-profile clients in her vicinity.
Connecting remote workers with empty spaces nearby, such as hotels and cafes, that offer all the equipment, software, and suitable workspace they need to do their jobs well
Users frequently experience difficulty focusing and being productive since they are easily distracted by their family and kids, especially while attending crucial meetings from home.
To be productive, people would rather have a more distinctive, tranquil, and soothing experience.
Offering users a serene, well-designed space with health and wellness amenities enhances their reputation while also assisting them in focusing, being productive, and working effectively.
The fact that co-working locations can be congested, pricey, and noisy and that sensitive information may be shared amongst co-workers—knowledge that would be difficult to allow in public settings—means that users frequently feel uneasy holding crucial meetings and working from them.
Enabling users to reserve individual, small meeting, and conference rooms in hotels and cafes that are specifically meant for work, particularly when travellitravelingng to meet clients and do business, would be highly advantageous.
Competitive Analysis
Finding the organizations in the market and the services they provide in the industry was made easier with the aid of competitive analysis. It also assisted in identifying the areas in which they were effective and those that should be avoided.
We were able to comprehend their offers, their strengths and weaknesses, and areas of unrealized potential with the aid of their positioning matrix.
By analysing them at the beginning of the project, we were able to come up with unique ideas for product offers, services, and market acquisition tactics that would make use of the blue ocean strategy.
Positioning Matrix
Competitive App Features
How might we improve the working experience for remote / hybrid professionals and employees such that they are able to find productive workspaces based on their personal working requirements for short duration ?
Area of Opportunity
Businesses cutting back on their office space
In 2020, a large number of hotels nationwide entirely closed and became vacant.
Employees fear long commutes and don't want to spend a lot of time travelling to and from work as a result of COVID-19.
Solution
Out of office spaces is the next generation of remote/ hybrid working connecting professionals to productive workspaces based on their occupation, working style and working needs.
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Through our membership platform professionals can easily find workspaces based on the amenities provided, services offered, tools available, workspace infrastructure, and location based on their working needs.​
We aim to become the platform to find workspaces on the go.....
Hotels
Music & Photography Studios
Getaway Homes & Apartments
Office
Shared Professional Kitchens
As a platform for "Uber of workspaces," we aim to enable professionals to use underutilized locations and workspaces, including real estate, hotels, restaurants, cafes, music studios, and professional kitchens as we expand.
We have currently partnered with 10+ hotels in London
To begin with we partnered with hotels all across London to test the market viability and user need using "Lean Startup Methodology"
User Cases
User Persona Overview
Jack's Current User Journey
Goal of the App/ Platform
To be able to find 5 star hotels to meet a high profile client in London
Able to book a mini meet room on the date he is traveling to London
Able to Book the room based on Decor experience
Able to control in room equipments and facilities via the app
Emma's Current User Journey
Goal of the App/ Platform
To be able to find desired restaurant workspace based on location and facilities like childcare, zoom equipped etc
Able to directly navigate to the restaurant via the app
​Able to scan and check-in directly with thedigital membership card
Able to see the time spent in the workspace and if any friends around
Launch and Prototyping Roadmap (Big Picture)
Phase 01
Web Platform
Quick and efficient proof of prototype to test market viability and improve based on user needs and business constraints
Phase 02
Mobile App
Making it accessible for use by company employees and individuals. Thus improving the user experience of booking and using workspaces on the go.
Future Scenario
Autonomous Fleet of Workspaces
We predict that in the future professionals could have workspaces come to them in the form of autonomous mobility and pop-up workspaces based on their needs.
Phase 01
Web Platform (Proof of concept)
Tested the concept with
60 customers initially (Round 1)
3475 visits in 1 week
We onboarded our first customers and hotels through this platform. We user tested the validity of our startup idea, business model and improved upon as we went further.
Though the web platform we tested...
Customer Booking Experience
Portrayal of Pricing, Business Model, and Value Proposition
Showcasing hotel workspaces, facilities based on user needs
Communication with hotels for convenient check-in and faster booking confirmations
User Testing and Analyzing Market Needs through the Web Platform
We ran our first Social Media Campaign to test the market viability and demand
We ran the campaign for a week
600 website clicks
2% CTR
10-15% engagement rate
20 viral impressions
Through LinkedIn we launched a campaign to test the market demand and need for the concept
Through Telegram campaign we marketed our concept through word of mouth by sending out the information to 15+ INSEAD telegram groups and plus forwarding the messages to friends, family, investors, and classmates to generate traction/ feedback.
Key Learning
Clear demand for the space
Users found our pricing model (pay as you go) a bit confusing that if the membership covered the cost of the room or they had to pay extra.
Many people preferred to have one membership fee for the month and preferred to book rooms/ meeting rooms throughout the month as and when required
Usability Testing and A/B Testing
I divided the usability into three phases ....
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User Testing 1 - LowFidelity
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User Testing 2 - Mid Fidelity
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A/B Testing
User Testing 1
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Low Fidelity Mockups
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I sketched out quick concept features that I believed users might need based on user research.
Upon testing, I not only got some key insights regarding he system but also how people aim to use the app in their day to day lives and also what kind of features they were looking for in the system.
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Onboarding Experience
Booking Workspace
Booking Facilities like ChildCare
Key Learnings
Would love to see the balance on their cards and receive recommendations for locations based on proximity.
Would like to know the cost of the room, whether it can be reserved, and how many rooms are available for reservation in the event that I check in.
Users were unable to figure out how to reserve a room for a particular day, time, or date.
Users found it tedious to add each piece of equipment they desired, thus they preferred equipment bundles and, if feasible, the option to set up the equipment before arriving at the selected place.
Users wanted to be in control of their workspace environment
User Testing 2
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While utilizing the app, I discovered some important information on user behaviour, actions, and little interactions. I have gained knowledge about the optimal placement of buttons to facilitate user flow, as well as the significance of font size, spacing, and alignment in specific regions.
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Usability > Visual Design
Booking Workspace
Control of Workspace
Renting out Equipments at Workspace
Key Learnings
Users liked to see available workspaces based on the day and date, and it was difficult for them to locate that information on the homepage.
Users typically requested friends, relatives, or co-workers for recommendations of a hotel or restaurant to take high-profile clients. It would be great to have their input and learn about the potential workplace.
Customers would only reserve one room at a time, therefore they found the "+ & - " sign perplexing while booking a room. It was difficult for them to see the available room.
Before choosing a space and making a reservation, they would like to make sure that child care is an option at the preferred location.
Providing users with a variety of workspace recommendations on the platform based on their needs and profession, and customizing the workspace to impress clients.
A/B Testing
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I was able to examine how easy it is for consumers to use a certain function in various use case scenarios, how different UI layouts impact the booking experience, and how to create high-fidelity prototypes based on feedback thanks to A/B testing.
Understanding users' requirements for workspace according to their occupation, location, etc.
Testing Filter Option
Evaluating users' preferences for locating the workspace's necessary amenities in a preferred location before making a reservation
Key Learnings
Users favoured selecting the nearby workspaces on the map. They desired to be able to choose the exact type of workspace—such as a nearby hotel or restaurant—that they wanted
The filter button, in their opinion, was too large, noticeable, and distracting. When looking for a workstation, they frequently found themselves accidentally hitting it.
They discovered that using the filter option and choosing every feature allowed them to choose workspaces based on amenities as an extra step. They would have rather had something rapid and effective.
How It Works....
USER FLOW 01
Find the perfect hotel, workspace close to you.
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Meeting any high-profile clients soon?? Now locate and reserve a nearby workspace that meets your demands that is both attractive and professional, based on the services and features it provides.​
USER FLOW 02
Impress high profile clients and co-workers
Choose a workspace based on theme and decor to make it more lively, exciting, and professional while impressing high-profile clients and colleagues. Now, if you're unsure about choosing the ideal workspace to leave a positive impression, you can ask your friends and co-workers for advice.
USER FLOW 03
Seamless CheckIn
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To check in at any hotel or restaurant, simply use the entrance kiosk to scan your membership card or hotel room key that is stored in the app.
USER FLOW 04
Be in control of your workspace
Assign and arrange the workplace in accordance with your requirements and tastes. Choose a pleasant scent, lighting setting, or music straight from your phone, whether it's to dazzle clients or just to get things done
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USER FLOW 05
Connecting with colleagues outside of office
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To establish and strengthen social ties, locate and engage with your co-workers at any time in any of our affiliated workspaces.
Lets Talk Business !!!
Business Model Canvas
Value Proposition
Our Initial Offering
Subsidized Membership / per month + Pay as you go model
Branding
Inspiration
Design Principle
Grounded
Clean
Luxurious
Professional
Logo Ideation
Primary Logo
​The goal of Out of Office Spaces is to evoke a sense of luxury, energy, and calmness in its clients' work environments. We plan to use these colours for business cards, posters, banners, membership cards, and more.
Color Pallete
Pattern
The co-working plan layout (top image), which displays a range of spaces, served as the model for the pattern. I wanted to demonstrate the range of areas we offer with this pattern.
Membership Card
OoOS aims to issue digital membership card to its customers based on the plan they selected.
Customer can simply show the card on arrival and receive their room key from the concierge.
UI Style Guide
Design System
Master Grid
Application
Typography
Typeface
Type scale
Color
Main Colors
Text Colors
Map Colors
Color Application
Adaptive UI Elements
Filter Options
Buttons
Non Selected
Selected
Header Options
Adaptive Elements
Icons
Information Architecture
Hear From Our Customers
