Sep 2021 – Jun 2022
product_design, coworking_pop-ups
Popworking x Sutton House
‘Popworking’ is a platform connecting local people and places post-pandemic by reimagining how we work together. Think of an Airbnb for remote work, powered by a supper club spirit.
It kickstarted with a coworking pop-up in one of the last remaining Tudor mansions in London, Sutton House in Hackney, for a neighbouring audience of creative and tech industry workers. Here, 'popworkers' were transported back to Tudor times to work from Sir Ralph Sadler's home for a day.
The mobile app design concept – Popworking (Margo Lazarenkova)
The project brief was to create a narrative environment as a product: a scalable, physical+digital experience, telling a story and addressing the real problem of real people. Grounding on the UX-research methods, the project focuses on people who work from home and explores our working routine: how different environments influence the way we work, what are the consequences of the global work-from-home experiment for our mental health and well-being and, finally, what are the new hybrid work scenarios imaginable?
Emotional map, spatial experience design – Popworking x Sutton House (Margo Lazarenkova)
‘Popworking’ deconstructs existing spatial scenarios by inviting popworkers to engage with the story of the place and become characters of this story themselves. Sets of different touchpoints, such as Tudor-times inspired ‘coffee’ breaks with weak ale and rose-scented hand sanitiser create the sense of narrative temporality, immersing popworkers in the Tudor world.
21 Mar, 2022 – Popworking x Sutton House (Coworking pop-up, showcase experience).
Work story transports not only in time but also to a human character-focused narrative environment: graphic posters with motivational quotes are based on the life and career stories of the original owner of Sutton House, who managed to outlive four Tudor monarchs. Popworkers can try on an AR-filter with Sir Ralph's outfit for even greater immersion, and use it on a video call surprising their colleagues.
AR-filter based on Sir Ralph Sadler Tudor-times outfit.
Background
The idea of the project is deeply rooted in the ‘third places’ concept. According to this, ‘third places’ are different from the two usual social environments of home ("first place") and the workplace ("second place") – places such as public libraries, bookstores, museum open spaces, and cafes. The project explores how this concept is evolving due to the recently shifted and mixed ‘sense of place’ between ‘work’ and ‘home’.
Project team:
Margo Lazarenkova (Creative Direction, Product Design)
Chris Mademtzis (Spatial design)
Daria Sazanovich (Graphic design, Logo)
Emma Brohan (Spatial design)
Maria Romanovich (AR-elements)
Partners:
National Trust,
Days Brewery
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