Bronze Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design · 2022
NewDays Desktop Application
- A' Design Award 2022 Bronze Winner in Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Igjy
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 19,536
- Verification code 8FDF0B8DCA · Verify this award
About NewDays Desktop Application
NewDays is a cross-platform product for the new normal work environment. The manner in which teams communicate and collaborate has changed since the pandemic began. The absence of physical interaction has left employees more disconnected than ever. As a result, managers face the challenge of leading a team in a completely virtual setting. NewDays provides managers with the necessary tools to help maintain team morale, oversee performance, identify problems flagged by members, and orient new employees. Multiple design iterations and in-depth research developed the UX/UI of this product.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- NewDays is a cross-platform product for the new work environment. The absence of face-to-face workplace interactions has left employees more disconnected than ever, and managers are facing the challenge of leading a team in a completely virtual setting. NewDays provides managers with the tools to help maintain team morale, oversee performance, identify problems flagged by members, as well as onboard new employees.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Cross-platform desktop application for better work environment and team's communication.
- Tags
- Services Design, Desktop Application, Responsive Design, User Experience, User Interface, Interaction Design, Digital Interaction
- Production Technology
- We used Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, After Effect, and Miro Board to design the UX and UI of this desktop application. In addition, we used many research tools like user journey maps and service blueprints to design the experience.
- Design Challenge
- It was challenging to figure out the core needs for the current remote work environment. We also had to ask multiple questions to come up with our initial product idea. After we decided to set managers as target users for our product because of the product's scalability, we had to spend an extensive amount of time building the ideal user journey for our target users. Simplifying the complicated information on the interface design was also challenging.
- Project Duration
- The project started in September 2021 through remote collaboration. It is an ongoing process with updates depending on new needs.
- Operation Flow
- The home page dashboard is where managers can see things that need their attention. Welcome cards are collaborative cards that are shareable within the team. The project pages display an overview of where the project is at and the timeline the team member needs help with. There is also a section dedicated for resources relevant to the project space that helps transition work more efficiently. The kudos page highlights team's performances throughout their week in a more informal way.
- Research
- During the initial stage, we created an affinity diagram and interviewed people to understand the current work environment. We discovered many pain points that the managers were experiencing, then we went back to the group of research participants to test our low-fidelity mock-ups. We were able to gain insightful findings around its usability as well as its viability as a proof of concept. We created quick prototypes to A/B test with the group multiple times before finalizing our product design.
- Inspiration
- The ways in which teams communicate and work together have changed a lot since the pandemic began. As the new environment brought both advantages and disadvantages, the current methods we use have some difficulties for managers to have an overview, encourage each team member, and to onboard new remote employees. Considering the various remote work environment stress points, we designed a cross platform that would solve problems mentioned above in the current process.
Colors of NewDays Desktop Application
Design Interview about NewDays Desktop Application
As the new environment has brought both advantages and disadvantages, I wanted to develop an innovative product for the remote work environment with my teammates because the current methods make people feel disconnected and onboarding more difficult for new employees.
Innovation creates a solution that improves people's lives. This idea will help managers onboard new remote employees to the team, and the organization will create a better remote work environment. As this is a solution that can enhance the quality of a remote work environment, it is an innovative product.
If we discover new needs, we may add a few more features or refine an existing one.
The project started in September 2021 through remote collaboration. It is an ongoing process with updates depending on new needs.
The ways in which teams communicate and work together have changed a lot since the pandemic began. As the new environment brought both advantages and disadvantages, the current methods we use have some difficulties for managers to have an overview, encourage each team member, and onboard new remote employees. Therefore, considering the various remote work environment stress points, we designed a cross-platform that would solve the problems mentioned above in the current process.
My team hasn't made a decision yet.
I have found that the way my coworkers at work communicate and work together has changed a lot since the COVID pandemic began, so I wanted to design something for this new work environment with my team members.
We interviewed many designers, researchers, and engineers. We got many insightful findings from the interview.
We set about with the intention to create a friendly yet productive tool application for the workplace. Our target customers are managers and their team members.
We knew that NewDays had to address the needs of an employee's (including managers) entire work routine, from onboarding to becoming a settled, thriving member of the team.
This is a desktop application to support the new work environment, so we named this product, NewDays.
We used Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, After Effect, and Miro Board to design the UX and UI of this desktop application. In addition, we used many research tools like user journey maps and service blueprints to create the experience.
NewDays is a cross-platform product for the new work environment. The absence of face-to-face workplace interactions has left employees more disconnected than ever, and managers face the challenge of leading a team in a completely virtual setting. NewDays provides managers with the tools to help maintain team morale, oversee performance, identify problems flagged by members, and onboard new employees.
Inn Sun Park (myself), Gabriela Sudirja, Jing Qiao and Yoyo Dong
It helps to enhance users in the new remote work environment.
During the initial stage, we created an affinity diagram and interviewed people to understand the current work environment. We discovered many pain points that the managers were experiencing, then we went back to the group of research participants to test our low-fidelity mock-ups. We were able to gain insightful findings around its usability as well as its viability as a proof of concept. We created quick prototypes to A/B test with the group multiple times before finalizing our product design.
It was challenging to figure out the core needs for the current remote work environment. We also had to ask multiple questions to come up with our initial product idea. After we decided to set managers as target users for our product because of the product's scalability, we had to spend an extensive amount of time building the ideal user journey for our target users. Simplifying the complicated information on the interface design was also challenging.
We always wanted to try an international design competition.
I learn something meaningful every time when I design something. Through this work, I was able to sharpen my overall skill sets as a UX/UI designer.
I think you covered everything!
Grand Interview about NewDays Desktop Application
Our research phase was foundational. We began by conducting interviews with managers and team members across various industries. Using affinity diagramming, we identified common themes: a lack of connection, difficulties with onboarding, and challenges in recognizing team performance. These insights directly informed our design—each feature in NewDays maps back to a real need we uncovered. The user experience was crafted to feel intuitive, emotionally intelligent, and supportive of daily remote workflows.
During our research, many participants expressed how isolating it felt to join a new team remotely, and how casual recognition—like a quick “good job” in the office—was missing in virtual spaces. We noticed these touchpoints, though small, played a big role in team cohesion. That inspired the welcome cards to create a warm first impression for newcomers and the kudos page to foster peer-to-peer appreciation. Both features are lightweight but powerful in making virtual teams feel more human.
Each tool brought unique strengths. We used Sketch and Adobe XD for early concept exploration and quick mockups, then Figma became our main tool for collaboration due to its cloud-based, real-time capabilities. This iterative, multi-platform workflow allowed us to test ideas quickly, get feedback faster, and co-design efficiently as a remote team. It also helped ensure the UI was not only visually polished but also flexible and accessible across various user platforms.
Working remotely ourselves made the process deeply personal. We experienced first-hand the friction points our users faced—miscommunication, isolation, onboarding fatigue. This perspective allowed us to rapidly prototype and test features that directly addressed our own needs. For instance, when one of our new teammates joined mid-project, we realized how crucial a strong onboarding tool was. That led to the refinement of features like welcome cards and the resource hub.
We focused the dashboard design around clarity, emotional visibility, and actionability. Managers told us they often struggled to sense team morale or spot issues early in remote setups. So, we created a dashboard that highlights engagement signals, recent recognitions, and team activity summaries. Each section was designed to balance data and empathy—so that performance isn’t just measured, but also contextualized with human insights.
Users often told us that navigating company tools and processes remotely was overwhelming. New employees didn’t know where to find key documents, while managers had no centralized way to onboard effectively. From that, we designed the resource section as a single, well-organized repository that could be customized by managers. Usability testing confirmed that quick access, searchability, and categorized content drastically reduced onboarding time and confusion.
Welcome cards are more than just a nice gesture—they’re a social cue that sets the tone for inclusion. Remote onboarding can feel impersonal, so we designed welcome cards to be a team-wide activity where colleagues can add personalized notes or GIFs. It replicates the informal welcome someone might get in a physical office, helping new members feel seen and valued from day one.
We were inspired by the simplicity of a sticky note on a desk or a passing compliment in the hallway—moments of recognition that build team spirit. In remote settings, these moments are often lost. The kudos page brings that spirit back in a digital form. It’s informal by design to encourage frequent use and to foster a positive, gratitude-driven culture, without feeling like a formal evaluation tool.
We see NewDays evolving into an adaptive team OS—one that not only supports onboarding and engagement but also integrates with productivity tools, mental wellness indicators, and hybrid collaboration features. As remote and hybrid models become more dynamic, we’re interested in integrating AI for personalized feedback, trend detection, and proactive suggestions for team leaders.
Our interface balances emotional intelligence with usability. The thoughtful layout of the dashboard, the warm tone of microcopy, and features like welcome cards and kudos all reflect our intent to humanize remote work. It’s not just about efficiency—it’s about fostering connection, trust, and clarity in a distributed environment. These emotional design details, combined with a clean, intuitive UI, are what make NewDays stand out.