Interview about NewDays Desktop Application, winner of the A' Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design Award 2022
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.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsOur 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.
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