⟡ CHALLENGES

Traditional new employee onboarding at Roche was costly, time-consuming, hard to replicate on different locations, lacked interaction and relied too heavily on lectures. The complexity of the medicine development cycle made information overwhelming, and new staff had limited time to connect with each other.

⟡ ROLE

As design lead, I collaborated with the internal team & external stakeholders to develop the vision, iterate on concepts, define the visual identity, and create most assets. I worked closely with game designers on the game flow & UX, developers on software creation, & freelancers on 3D and graphic design.

⟡ OBJECTIVES

Create a fun solution that simplifies the explanation of the value chain, reducing the time spent in lectures. Encourage active, collaborative learning among new employees to foster team spirit & enhance retention. Ensure the setup is easy to assemble & disassemble, durable enough to withstand regular use, & aligns with Roche's brand identity.

⟡ OUTCOMES

Achieved high NPS scores from clients and users for its innovative design & experience. Trained ~1,800 new staff annually, enhancing engagement, learning retention, and team spirit. Reduced lecture time by 2-3 hours per session. The AR technology was reused in new projects. The game won the Silver Serious Board Game Award.

From test to medicine

Discovering a disease cure is a intricate process. Developing a molecule with an impact can demand years, even decades, of research before viable testing & product transformation. The game teaches you about all steps in the process, what hurdles it might face and what the future of medicine entails. 

Goal
Help the user, one of the 150 new Roche employees that join every month, to better understand Roche and it’s values chain while meeting new people and experiencing the Introduction Day.

Challenges

Starting points
After consulting with key stakeholders at Roche's Experience Center in Basel, we established the initial step: utilizing AR alongside a physical board for an immersive, tangible experience. Employing the Double Diamond design framework, we underwent user and technical research, grasped the Roche brand, and began generating diverse directions, concepts, and ideas.

While there were quite extensive digital brand guidelines, we eventually made a distinct yet recognisable spin-off identity for the game in collaboration with the stakeholders. This was needed as games come with their own design challanges that aren't normally captured in such guides due to the different types of interactions, the medium and to streamline the overall look.

Petri-markers 
Starting with hexagonal markers, we switched to a round petri-dish design due to board size & production constraints. A straight edge was added on top to ensure they would fall snug in their slot. This, combined with distinct patterns on the markers & board, guaranteed accurate tech-based piece validation. Artistic impressions, not actual petri-dish visuals, were chosen to prevent expert confusion and enhance tracking stability.

We had to iterate quite a lot to strike a balance between:

• Letting the AR tech read the patterns in difficult lighting.
• Partially keeping existing brand guidelines in mind.
• Creating a consistent unique aesthetic that fits the game.
• Clearly communicating essential info to players.
• Making sure text is legible in different languages.
• Being producable within time/budget.
  

Physical meets digital
During the process, we conducted multiple user testing sessions to enhance design iterations and define the physical game's form and functions. Drawing insights from games like as Roar, Catan, & Civilization we distilled crucial lessons & potential pitfalls. With agile sprints, (paper) prototyping and ongoing user testing, we reached a functional MVP relatively quickly.

To accommodate between 3 to 6 players at once while using an iPad, we opted for a standing table allowing free movement. The sustainable custom-made pressed cardboard board and table are portable and easily disassembled. Their scratch- and waterproof surface ensure durability, and if needed, reprinting wouldn't require substantial costs.

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