See how we solve complex challenges through service design, innovation sprints, and design research.
Service design
for Tet, ensuring a seamless shift to hybrid work for employees
Tet, a telecommunications company and one of the country's largest employers, faced a significant challenge when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With 940 employees, 90% of whom were accustomed to working entirely in the office, the company needed to transition swiftly to fully remote work. The research team's mission was to understand employees' needs and support their adaptation to this new work environment. The ultimate goal was to ensure a smooth transition to a remote and hybrid work model, which would enable Tet to reduce its office space from 8,500 m² to 3,800 m².
This project was guided by participatory design principles, actively involving employees in the process. This approach not only eased the transition but also strengthened their sense of belonging to the company.
Client’s Goals
We started with a thorough user experience study, employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This led to data collection and a clear definition of the challenges at hand.
Next, rapid prototyping and idea testing allowed us to quickly and affordably evaluate concepts, refining or discarding them as needed. By integrating low-fidelity prototypes into both physical and digital environments, we embedded the process into the company's daily routine, actively involving employees in driving the transformation.
What we did
Optimized Office Space: Data-driven decisions led to reducing office space from 8,500 m² to 3,800 m², saving EUR 130,000 annually on utilities and generating an additional EUR 288,000 per year by leasing excess space.
Enhanced Remote Collaboration: Developed remote collaboration etiquette and implemented innovative solutions for improving informal communication among employees.
Strategic Alignment: Introduced design methods to establish a transparent, inclusive strategic prioritization and quarterly project planning process, engaging all senior executives.
Feedback Culture: Launched a feedback training program aimed at enabling 700 employees to provide peer feedback and set personal development goals by the end of 2021.
Proven Methodology: Demonstrated the power of design thinking and participatory design in driving effective change management within large organizations like Tet.
Outcomes
Design research and service design: Madara Zelcane, Jelena Solovjova
HR and Project Management: Ingrida Rone, Edmunds Medvedevs, Anda Murniece, Agnese Vilde
Advisory and Consulting: Anja Svetina Nabergoj and Bill Pacheco
The Team
Design research study to enhance the quality and availability of oncology-related data in Latvia
In 2020, the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia (AmCham) Healthcare Work Group, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, National Health Service, and Disease Control and Prevention Center, launched an extensive initiative to improve the Latvian Oncology Patient Registry. The goal was to enhance the collection and quality of oncology data by uniting all key stakeholders, redesigning digital systems, and reimagining the overall data management process.
Our focus was to create efficient, user-friendly workflows while fostering collaboration and motivation among all involved parties. Guided by a human-centered approach, we prioritized the needs of the primary users—doctors—ensuring that the solutions we designed were intuitive, effective, and impactful.
Client’s Goals
Analyzed Existing Systems and Practices
We began by reviewing available data and researching international best practices. This laid the foundation for a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in oncology data collection.
Conducted Comprehensive Stakeholder Interviews
We engaged with a wide range of experts, including representatives from state institutions, doctors, statisticians, clinic managers, and IT specialists. These interviews provided a holistic view of how oncology data was being recorded across various analog and digital systems.
Mapped the Process with Service Blueprints
Using the insights gathered, we developed detailed service blueprints for oncology data collection across Latvia’s three largest oncology clinics. These blueprints revealed critical issues, including inefficiencies in processes, user experience challenges with existing tools, and motivational barriers for stakeholders involved in data collection and analysis.
Co-Created Solutions with Stakeholders
The process culminated in a co-creation workshop, where we brought together all stakeholders to collaboratively design practical, impactful solutions.
What we did
Our recommendations spanned three domains, with implementation phased across three stages:
Immediate Improvements: Optimize Existing Systems
Automate the transfer of clinic data to the national oncology registry, PREDA.
Redesign oncology forms based on workshop recommendations to improve usability and compliance
Digitize forms by integrating them directly into clinic systems, streamlining workflows
Enhance Processes
Refine processes to ensure better synchronization of data across various systems
Reduce manual data entry errors through automated information exchange and improved system integration.
Long-Term Transformation: Innovate Data Entry Tools
Develop a new oncology data entry tool that supports the collection of meaningful, high-quality data.
Enable improved patient outcomes, advance research, and support strategic health policy planning through better data utilization.
Outcomes
The Team
Design research and service design: Jelena Solovjova, Liene Kupca
Innovation Sprint to connect the design community and healthcare professionals to foster innovation for national e-health system
In spring 2021, the Latvian Ministry of Health reached out to the UX/UI Riga community, inviting local designers to help tackle challenges within the national e-health system. Faced with a range of system improvement needs, the Ministry opted for a three-day innovation sprint to accelerate problem-solving and produce effective, user-centered ideas.
As members of the UX/UI Riga organizational team, our role was to design the structure of this design sprint and facilitate the process, ensuring a seamless experience for all participants. By creating an environment that fostered creativity and focus, we helped lay the groundwork for innovative solutions to emerge.
Over 55 volunteer designers, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders formed 11 teams to take on this challenge, conducting interviews with 70 patients and medical industry representatives. Organized entirely remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, this collaborative sprint set the stage for impactful co-creation.
Client’s Goals
We designed a three-day sprint program that was both highly effective in delivering actionable solutions and seamless for participants working remotely. We began by defining 11 core challenges—transforming the Ministry’s feedback on system issues into user-centric goals that reflected what people need and expect from the e-health platform. These user-focused challenges became the foundation for the teams, which included diverse experts from design, product management, healthcare, and the public sector.
To facilitate this, we developed intuitive digital workspaces that guided the teams through each phase of the process, from user research and process mapping to ideation, prototyping, and testing. These workspaces enabled teams to collaborate efficiently, engage with real user needs, and iterate quickly on potential solutions.
We streamlined the entire workflow and delivered practical, user-ready outputs to support the ministry’s ongoing efforts. Our work included digital prototypes enriched with user research insights on key services such as e-prescriptions, vaccinations, remote doctor consultations, and many more.
What we did
The outcome was a comprehensive handover package covering the work of all 11 teams across their respective topics. This included user profiles based on direct interviews, current and improved process maps, and fully developed and tested digital prototypes along with sketches. Beyond delivering actionable insights and solutions for the e-health system, this initiative significantly increased engagement within the design community and underscored the importance of designers in shaping public digital services.
Outcomes
Innovation sprint design and execution: Madara Zelcane, Jelena Solovjova, Raitis Linde, Krisjanis Urcs, Zane Hartmane, Marina Petrakova