In a new reality where most work experiences are shifting into remote and often lonelier versions, understanding what it means to be social in the workplace is key for mental health.

Talking to people from around the world with a diversity of work environments allowed the team to go deep and find valuable insights:

• Social magic lives in the crevices of the mundane, those day to day interactions that fosters the space to just say hello, is where the closeness is derived. 


• Unspoken and complex social roles help a community build itself up but the community relies on healthy signaling to achieve balance, yet these spaces are limited in remote work. 

All these insights bring us back to people starting a job remotely. Being new amplifies the need to impress, so socializing is not always comfortable. Especially when you are floating as a box in a grid of faces, spontaneous opportunities to connect are lost.

How might we translate nuanced emotional signals into a digital space for team mates who have never met in person?

Introducing the concept: FLOURISH, team presence through a physical desk plant. 

Record your energy level and see your petal physically reflect that change, see your teammates' energy levels through the petals, and send little pokes, random GIFs, or voice notes interacting with the petals to check in. 

We explored FLOURISH as an ecosystem. It manifested in mushroom form, in orchid form, in lava lamp form, and bloomed as a garden in the virtual world. But what would it actually become? A desktop favorite that creates real connection? Or another point of social pressure? 

Ultimately, this is a prototype to help uncover more, with the research question evolving into: Does providing a signal through a physical presence will increase connection within a team?

That's where our 2 week investigation left off.

Though it seems that the journey of learning and exploring the social aspect of people's mental health at work has just begun, we find ourselves grateful for the stories they shared, the experiences we discover and all the opportunities there are to make social more meaningful and comfortable for all.

Let's never forget we are social animals.

To learn about the process, check out the video.