Roche

RapidPass & 
TraceCovid

Employee onboarding AR-game

RapidPass & 
TraceCovid

A fun augmented reality game for Roche's new employees, played in groups of 3-6 using a tablet. Players collect hints, solve puzzles, and scan 3D content to complete the value chain within 1.5 hours, learning about the journey of medicine all the way from initial research to distribution.

⟡ 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. 

Molecule spinning
Game gall empty
Roche staff game hall
Roche staff playing AR table game tablet
Petridishes game markers on table outside
Tablet game next to game board
Game board table
AR hologram
Petridishes game markers stack
Tablet board game floating game markers

Behind the scenes // process

Behind the scenes // process

Behind the scenes // process

Behind the scenes
Iteration process

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

  • Comply with established guidelines and be aware of anything that can reflect negatively on the organisation' reputation.
  • Ideally use the established color palette, art direction & tone of voice.
  • The game should be playable in both English and German.
  • The game should be playable within ~1h by 3 to 6 people in a relaxed setting while still providing a clear take-away of info & understanding.
  • The physical element should be easy to (re)produce, resist basic scratch damage and lends itself to be dismantled for storage.
  • The game should be playable in different settings & environments, with various lighting conditions that can affect object tracking. 
  • Comply with established guidelines and be aware of anything
    that can reflect negatively on the organisation' reputation.
  • Ideally use the established color palette, art direction & tone of voice.
  • The game should be playable in both English and German.
  • The game should be playable within ~1h by 3 to 6 people in a relaxed
    setting while still providing a clear take-away of info & understanding.
  • The physical element should be easy to (re)produce, resist
    basic scratch damage and lends itself to be dismantled for storage.
  • The game should be playable in different settings & environments,
    with various lighting conditions that can affect object tracking. 
Building illustration

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.

AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch
AR game feature exploration sketch

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 RoarCatan, & 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.

Game board marker sketches
3D render AR office scene
AR game concept moodboard
Petridish sticker process
Top down view game board table cardboard
Hands holding Tablet AR game mockup
Game board table 3D render
Hand controlling tablet game

A &ranj production

Ranj logo
NadineWidmer

Nadine Widmer

Project Lead | Roche

"The team did a great job delivering a unique experience that really engaged & actived the new employees! It was a nice icebreaker that increased collaboration & learning retention while greatly reducing the time we'd otherwise spent in lectures."

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Wow, you made it to the end!

Wow, you made it to the end!

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