ROOM ZERO
a neutral space for bringing customer centricity to life
Approach
Design Thinking
Applied Research
Prototyping
Output
Transformation
Product
Workshop
Time
6 Days &
2 Weeks
Context
Room Zero is a pop-up workshop room that offers interdisciplinary project teams a neutral space to work together in an agile way at the same level.
Here, the culture clash between different working cultures can be overcome because the room's structure makes it possible to experience customer-centricity. – The modular and lightweight construction offers Room Zero an enormous variety of uses - whether for workshops, projects, presentations or exhibitions.
How might we
facilitate transformative change from within and bring processes together?
Challenge
In cooperation with NTT Data, as the exploiting culture, and the internal design studio Tangity, as the exploring culture, the self-set challenge was to bring both units project-related closer together on a project base. So that the generated growth potential from the design studio can spread from the inside to the outside of the organization. Desired was the initiated influence on the existing system. Therefore, the collaborative work had to be strengthened, despite the culture clash that manifested in language, vocabulary, clothing or venues.
The semantic differential as a result of the interviews shows that different processes meet each other.
How might we
make customer centricity a common goal despite different working cultures?
The design process from ideation, sketches, renderings and prototypes to the first testing.
Approach
In a 6-day sprint, hypotheses were tested in interviews with members of both cultures. It became clear, that there are different perspectives and processes for similar goals. Through ideation and definition, a prototype was created as a result of the sprint, a paravent paralleling and matching to the Japanese origin of NTT Data. Subsequent testing with company members showed that the multiple viabilities were ideal for the needs. Customer centricity was taken literally with an artifact in the middle, symbolizing the common goal. The final prototype unites modularity, easy set-up and take-down, mobility and flexibility of use.
Result
Room Zero is a modular space concept. – The project members can meet with the team at the same eye level in a neutral space.
Room Zero makes it possible to step out of the overall context of the project for a change of perspectives. Room Zero in move allows a fast and flexible feedback culture and the possibility to initiate further process steps. Room Zero avoids getting stuck in processes and facilitates the agility of interdisciplinary work.
The Manual of Room Zero
Learnings
The client's interest outside the university context shows the relevance of the work. We successfully combined conceptual organizational design with practical industrial design to develop a solution that can support companies in the new hybrid world of work, in addition to the problems of culture clash. – Another success was our participation in the GDC Summit 2022.
Our team of three worked together as equals. Despite the need for discussion, we always maintained an open approach. The close exchange with the customer Tangity led to a suitable customer solution. Both sides benefited from the frequent presentation an testing of progress due to interrupted work phases. – My role in the project also focused on strategic planning and good customer relationships. I was also able to use my critical observation skills in interviews.
