Remote work is becoming increasingly common in many countries around the world and it may bring about various benefits, such as an increase in productivity and a reduction in cost. However, working from home also has a dark side: As Buffer’s State of Remote Work Report from 2018 ascertains, 21% of remote workers struggle with loneliness. This presentation documents my user research exploring this issue. My research process included both quantitative and qualitative methods and I've been using empathy maps, affinity diagrams, personas and HMW statements to synthesize and analyze my data.

1. (Dis)Connection
among Remote
Workers
Nora Goerne
November 2019

2. © Nora Goerne, 2019
The future of work is remote
55% of hiring managers agree
remote work is becoming more common
as compared to three years ago.
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The remote workforce has grown
by 159% over the last 12 years.

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21% say loneliness is
their biggest struggle
with working remotely
© Nora Goerne, 2019
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Eating alone might be
one of the biggest
causes of unhappiness.
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● What are people’s current strategies to combat loneliness and isolation?
● Who struggles more with loneliness - homeworkers or digital nomads?
● How and where do remote workers currently eat their meals?
● Which features should a mobile app contain to complete the objective of
connecting remote workers through food?
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Research Questions

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Heuristic Evaluation of Competitors
● Aesthetic and minimalist design
● Recognition rather than recall
● Flexibility and efficiency of use
● Consistency and standards
● Positive
● Cosmetic issues
● Minor issues
● Major issues
● Catastrophic issues
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Goerne,
2019
Nomad Radar Bumble Meet & Eat
Positive
● In general clean &
consistent design
● Easy to navigate
Negative
● No facebook/Google
login
● No value without
registering
● No social (searching
for facebook friends)
● Limited data and user
base
● Bugs (finding friends
& groups)
● Slow map
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Positive
● Consistent & very
pleasant design
● Intelligent login
● Quick registration
with facebook
● Smooth onboarding
for novice user
Negative
● Color choice for
different modes
● Settings a bit hidden
● Intrusive ads from the
beginning
Positive
● Simple & uncluttered
interface
● Easy for novice &
expert users
Negative
● Spelling mistakes
● Hidden menu &
uncommon symbols
● Navigation is not
self-explanatory
● Profile options
● Not possible to delete
photos
● 6-month trial period
(not stated in
onboarding process)

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Quantitative
Research
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Survey
● 82 respondents
○ 61 female
○ 17 male
○ 2 non-binary
○ 2 prefer not to say
● 60 people met the
minimum requirements
○ Work remotely at least 4
days a week
○ Between 22-45
○ Work at least 30 hours a
week
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Traveling vs. working from home
● ca. 32% work from home
● ca. 68% travel at least sometimes while working
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Eating alone
● ca. 63% eat at least every other day alone
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Qualitative Research
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Interviews
● 8 participants (26-50)
○ 5 female, 2 male, 1 non-binary
○ 4 different nationalities
● 3 freelancers, 5 full-time employees
● Various fields
○ Administrative, Graphic Design,
Marketing (2x), Product Management,
Sales, Computer & IT, UX/UI Design
● 6 travel at least a few times a year
while working
● Level of disconnectedness
○ often, sometimes (3x), (almost) all of
the time, occasionally (2x), very often 14
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Synthesis
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Affinity Map
● Challenges
○ Loneliness
○ Companies that are not
“remote-ready”
○ Having to work more as proof of
work
○ No restriction of overtime
○ Work becomes distraction
● Working from home or traveling
○ Upsides & downsides - balance!
○ Personal preference
○ But: it’s not always a choice
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"To be honest. I have decided
not to travel for a while I've
been I tire me out a lot and
stressed me out Because I
was working so much, I
wasn't really enjoying the
trip."
"I think when I travel
and work remote I
don't feel as
disconnected."
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Affinity Map
"Knowing people in the place or knowing
how to live a social life that impacts a lot the
experience you have, when you work
remotely I think because you spend the
whole day alone."
● Having a social network matters
● Introvert/extrovert personality
● Meeting people is easy - finding
deeper connection is not
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Affinity Map
"When I really was feeling the loneliness is
that I wasn't eating."
● Varying preferences
○ Cooking as relaxation
○ Eating to hang out with friends
○ Eating alone as me-time
● Social stigma of eating alone
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20. Heather
31 years old · engaged · no children · lives in Richmond, Canada
Heather is an English teacher from Toronto. Half a year ago, she
moved to British Columbia to be with her fiancé. As she couldn’t
find a job immediately, she started teaching English online to
Asian children as a freelancer. She needs a quiet space to teach
and usually works from home while her fiancé works long hours
at a tax office.
“Sometimes, after a long day, I
feel trapped in my own house.”
Personality
introvert extrovert
rational emotional
cautious adventurous
planner spontaneous
Homeworker
Pain points
- Low income prevents her
from going to certain events
- Finds it hard to start a
conversation
- Tends to forget to eat lunch
Goals
- Finally make some friends in the area
- Get out of the house more often
- Build healthy lunch breaks habits to recharge
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21. 29 years old · single · no children · lives in Berlin (“kind of”)
Josephine
“When I travel and work remote
I don't feel as disconnected.”
Digital Nomad
Josephine is a true citizen of the world. She was born in Belgium
and raised in Germany by a French mother and American father.
Two years ago, she started to work remotely for a social media
marketing agency. She spends about 6 months a year in Berlin
and travels the rest of the year. Her dream is to start her own
growth hacking business.
Personality
introvert extrovert
rational emotional
cautious adventurous
planner spontaneous
Pain points
- Doesn’t want to wait for
events to meet like-minded
people
- Hates eating out alone
Goals
- Meet inspiring people that share her values
- Connect to the local digital nomad community while
traveling
- Explore and learn more about the local cuisine21

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What does the user want?
● Users want
○ the possibility to search for remote workers close-by
○ sufficient information about the other person
○ exchange help and resources with others
○ 1-on-1 meetings and meetups for smaller groups
○ the possibility to meet other remote workers online
○ filter events by date and topic
○ find like-minded people
● Users don’t want
○ to initiate the conversation
○ to sign up for an app before getting value out of it
○ to be labelled as a “digital nomad”
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How might we...
reduce feelings of loneliness and disconnection
among remote workers?
encourage remote workers to build healthy lunch
habits?
➔ help homeworkers find and connect with other
remote workers in their local area?
➔ facilitate the process of making new friends for
traveling remote workers (/digital nomads)?
➔ help remote workers to socialize during a lunch
or coffee break?
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Open Questions
● How are companies with remote employees currently addressing this issue?
● Which solutions are feasible for remote workers living in rural areas?
● What facilitates in-depth conversations and lasting connections?
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Questions?
Nora Goerne
noragoerne@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/noragoerne
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References & Credits
● p. 2: Global Workplace Analytics Report, The Future Workforce Report
● p. 3: Aleyda Solis on Twitter
● p. 4: Buffer State of Remote Work, Photo by Arif Riyanto on Unsplash
● p. 5: Sainsbury’s Living Well Index
● p. 16, 18, 19: Full affinity map
● p. 20: Photo by Timur Romanov on Unsplash
● p. 21: Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash
● Presentation template by Slidesgo (adapted), personas from unsplash.com
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