The Philosophie team commenced work by evaluating the oral pitch and in-person walkthrough that the WeWork sales team members delivered to potential tenants. The objective of this assessment was to identify any pain points or areas of improvement that could be addressed by the sales tool. To gain a better understanding of the workflow and experience of WeWork sales team members, our team conducted various interviews with team members at different levels of seniority. The interviews provided the team with valuable insights into the sales process and the challenges faced by sales representatives at various stages of the process. The team also examined the WeWork sales team's use of technology and tools to identify potential integration points. By conducting these evaluations and interviews, our team was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current sales process, identify areas for improvement, and develop a more effective sales tool.

Our team found that the sales team members had different levels of experience, personalities, and communication styles, which resulted in each individual developing their own unique pitch process. Some sales team members felt that deviating from the linear pitch cadence allowed them to better connect with potential clients, while others felt that it helped them to be more authentic and genuine in their interactions. The interviews also revealed that some sales team members struggled with the length and complexity of the pitch, which made it difficult for them to remember all the key points and benefits of WeWork membership. The team also discovered that sales team members were often not provided with enough information about potential clients before the pitch, which made it challenging for them to tailor their pitch to the client's specific needs. Overall, our team's discovery emphasized the need for a more personalized and flexible sales tool that could support the sales team in delivering a pitch that was authentic, genuine, and effective.

After gaining a thorough understanding of the problem space and conducting extensive research, our team began to develop a navigation schema for the sales tool application. We carefully considered our user base and the context in which the application would be used, which would typically be in a conference room setting on a tablet or large touchscreen device. We also took into account the possibility of the application being controlled by both sales team members and prospective clients. Therefore, we prioritized accessibility standards and design best practices in determining the optimal placement of the main navigation menu within the application's interface. We wanted to ensure that users could easily and intuitively navigate through the application, regardless of their level of technical expertise. Our focus on accessibility and user experience ultimately contributed to the success of the final product.

Once our team had established the placement of central navigation elements in the application's interface, we began to envision a user flow that could adapt to the requirements of all sales team members, regardless of their personal pitch process style. We knew that the application needed to be flexible and accommodate different approaches, while still providing access to the rich media and educational assets that showcased the unique benefits of WeWork tenancy. To achieve this, our team engaged in several brainstorming sessions to identify the most critical features and assets that should be included in the application. Throughout the design process, the team remained focused on creating an intuitive user experience that would guide sales team members and prospective clients through the pitch process with ease considering different ways to present information and media assets, such as using interactive elements like videos and animations, to make the content more engaging and memorable. As our team continued to iterate on the design, we also sought feedback from the WeWork sales team members to ensure that the application met their needs and addressed their pain points.

After agreeing on the user flow and design direction for the application, our team proceeded to create high-fidelity wireframes to provide a detailed representation of the application's interface, showcasing the different features and functions of the application. In addition to wireframes, our team also developed various design concepts and visual assets that would be used throughout the application, such as the typography, color, and iconography. Overall, the creation of high-fidelity wireframes was a crucial step in the design process, as it allowed the team to visualize and refine the application's interface and user experience before moving into the development phase.

The collaboration between the Philosophie team and WeWork's internal design and product teams was made easier by the fact that the latter had already created substantial design guidelines and supporting media assets. These artifacts included typography, color palette, photography, videos, and virtual walkthroughs of the physical space in both 3D and 2D formats. All of these assets were of a very high quality and helped to inform the design decisions made by the Philosophie team.

In addition to the existing assets, the WeWork team also provided the Philosophie team with newly created assets that were specifically intended for the Open Studio initiative. These assets were seamlessly incorporated into the final design solution, enhancing the overall user experience and ensuring that the application met the needs of both the sales team and prospective clients.

The search and discovery feature is a critical component of the prototype application that our team designed. To ensure a seamless user experience, we created a simple and intuitive search interface that prompts users to enter their preferred location. We leveraged design patterns used on the main WeWork website, which allowed users to search for WeWork spaces based on geolocation and building type. Our team recognized that users might want to filter their search results, so we included a filter feature that enables users to refine their search based on specific criteria such as location, building type, amenities, and price. To enhance the user experience, we also introduced a new map feature that was plotted to the right of the search results. This feature helps users visualize their search results on a location specific map, which makes it easy to identify the location of the buildings they are interested in. By providing this visual representation, users can easily navigate and interact with their search results, making it simpler for them to find a WeWork space that best fits their needs.

Our design team was able to work efficiently and effectively to deliver a rapid prototype of the application in just under four months. As the Design Director, I was particularly pleased with the speed and quality of our work, considering the relatively small team we had allocated to this project. We were able to create a high-fidelity design that was visually appealing, user-friendly, and intuitive for the sales team members to use. The final prototype application was designed to be simplistic, yet powerful. It was designed to meet the needs of the sales team members, providing them with a tool that would help them effectively communicate the advantages and amenities of WeWork membership to potential clients. The application was also easy to navigate, with clear and concise menu options and user-friendly icons that allowed users to quickly and easily find the information they needed. Once the prototype was complete, we were excited to get it into the hands of the sales team members for testing.

As the Design Director, my primary responsibility was to lead the team in exploring and defining the overall user experience design direction for the WeWork application. Once the product strategy and overall experience design direction was finalized, I led the team of three designers to create the interface design for said application. During the design process, we were able to utilize many of the predefined design patterns established by the WeWork team, which helped to maintain consistency with the WeWork brand. However, there were also several situations where we needed to create unique assets and patterns to meet the requirements of the product build. For example, we designed the menu system, created unique iconography, and developed the interface used to navigate the 3D and 2D virtual walkthrough experiences. Throughout the design process, we worked closely with the product and development teams to ensure that our designs were feasible and could be implemented within the timeframe and budget of the project.

The WeWork commercial real estate properties were rendered in a variety of formats including 2D floorplans, 3D renders, and virtual walkthroughs. The design team was tasked with creating a streamlined interface that would facilitate navigation through these virtual assets. Most of these renders were produced by a technology company called Archaeologic, which was later acquired by WeWork. The design team was provided with certain guidelines for designing the interface elements and controls. Ultimately, we opted for a minimalistic approach, with a subtle menu of essential controls that allowed the stunning render assets to take center stage.

The video render above depicts a floor in a WeWork property produced by Archaeologic. The purpose is to highlight the remarkable quality of the assets we had access to. Despite the relatively low definition of the renders, their influence on the decision-making process of potential clients and the pitch process of sales team members is significant. Integrating such assets into the prototype allowed us to create an immersive experience that enabled sales team members to tell a more captivating story and prospective clients to envision their place within the co-working space.

After the prototype application was distributed to several sales team members, Chase, the project's product owner,  conducting a diary study administering a series of questionnaires to the sales team, incrementally gathering feedback on their experiences using the prototype. This allowed us to gain insights from their usage and incorporate their feedback into our final product recommendation. Looking back, the project was a resounding success, achieved by a small team. As the Design Director, I was working on many projects concurrently, and I heavily relied on dedicated colleagues throughout the entire project lifecycle. Our team consisted of three designers, one product manager, and one engineering resource, and given the final output, it was an impressive feat to have been accomplished by a team of that size under time constraints.