Re-Imagining Online Events

The project is to create a digital workspace for international scientists, artists, designers, startups, and universities to effectively collaborate online. The space is designed to promote interactions among the collaborators and build networks.

This digital space concept is a well-curated, fun, interactive, and immersive online event experience that emphasizes attendees’ presence, has a better understanding of the ongoing event, and be able to connect with other attendees.

Scope：8 weeks | Spring 2021 | 5-people group project | Experience design

My role: Researcher, Designer

My deliverables: Research, UX Solution, Visual design, User Interface, User testing

Tools: Figma, Photoshop, Miro, Mural, Zoom, Spatial Chat

The vision

The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way they make, communicate, and share ideas. Zoom fatigue is a clear sign that they should aspire to change their ways of connecting with one another digitally. Moving towards a more immersive and engaging experience and way of communicating is Swissnex's current vision.

 

Swissnex’s mission

To support the outreach and active engagement of their partners in the international exchange of knowledge, ideas, and talent. Together with around twenty Science and Technology Offices (STO) and Counselors (STC) based in Swiss Embassies, they contribute to strengthening Switzerland’s profile as a world-leading innovation hotspot.

The problem

Zoom is problematic

Since the pandemic, zoom has gradually become the main alternative tool for in-person work and meetings. When we can only sit in front of a screen for long periods of time each day and see each other in these little boxes, we start to get exhausted. Zoom fatigue become a thing from all over the world.

To go more in-depth

Who’s our audience?

Product Target: Private working audience/Public viewing audience
Brand Target: Public audience

What’s the attitude?

Tone: To support and train future pioneers
Brand Personality: Supportive, diverse, international, friendly, approachable

What challenges we are facing right now?

The audience includes two parts: private working audiences and public viewing audiences. The challenge was to help them create a pitch deck-use to present to the partners. Including how to…

  1. Recreate a digital space?

  2. Be more engaging?

  3. Promote networking/closer relationships among creators?

  4. Elevate the experience in a new form?

  5. Support and train pioneers?

How do we get deeper into the problem?

We collected and collated data from 139 validated post-surveys from Swissnex, reached out to and interviewed three stakeholders. And in order to understand from the participants’ perspective, we participated in their existing online activities for on-the-ground observations. A competitive analysis is conducted in order to glance at the current online conference platforms Swissnex has been explored.

 

Experience Survey data

Based on data collected by Swissnex from 13 online events with 139 responses.

 

The voices from Swissnex team:

 

Attendees’ experience map:

 

Research takeaways

 

Challenge:

“How might we make the online event experience at Swissnex more well-curated, fun, interactive, and immersive? ”

In order to emphasize attendees’ presence and help them gain a better understanding of the ongoing event, and get connections. We designed a digital interactive space providing the experience to promote engagement as well as networking among collaborators.

 
 

The solution

 

Stage 1 - Create an avatar to start

Before entering the event, attendees are provided the option to create a personalized avatar that expressed themselves (representing their academic fields, companies, organizations, personalities, etc.).

Brings energy and sets a vibrant and fun tone for the start of the experience.

 

Stage 2 - Guided virtual tour on Miro

Attendees now have an overview of the entire event before it starts, with a welcome message in the top left corner providing an agenda of the event, inspiring them to explore what and how. Allowing them to explore the space more engagingly and being able to switch between rooms and activities more flexibly.

To enhance the post-event experience, attendees can now keep a trail of their participation and connection to Swissnex after the event and always retain the opportunity to network, rather than previously receiving only a thank you email with a zoomed record.

 

Stage 3 - Engage in activities and connect

Compared to the traditional fixed Q&A sessions and the inability to see other attendees during or after the event. Now, attendees can leave comments directly in the Q&A room of the Miro board and anyone can answer in real-time.

Attendees now can also be navigated to a separate chat room on the Spatial Chat platform via the link on the Miro board. This allows them to retain networking opportunities with other attendees without interfering with online activities or losing the connection after the events.


Stage 4 - Interactive networking

Compared to the previous traditional fixed Q&A session and not seeing other attendees during or after events.

Attendees now can be navigated to a separate chat room on the Spatial Chat platform via the link on the Miro board. This allows them to retain networking opportunities with other attendees without interfering with online activities or losing the connection after the events.

It allows attendees to drag their avatars around the room to join or leave different char groups to connect with people. Getting closer to someone else's avatar to listen or join the conversation; To move farther away to leave conversations.