Cherry On Tech Fall 2025 Cohort
A Case Study in Gamified Team Building
Role
UX Designer
Timeline
12-weeks (September - December 2025)
Team
1 UX Designer
1 UX Writer
3 Developers
1 Product Manager
Project Overview
This case study explores how organizations can transform workplace inclusion from a awkward experience with their team into an engaging team-building experience. The study examines the disconnect between the need for authentic belonging in tech workplaces and the awkward, low-engagement tools currently available.
The Problem
41% higher rate of women experiencing toxic workplace culture
When looking at our secondary research we found how Workplace culture and subtle bias in the tech sector plays a big role on members of a team, For example, Imagine you're new to your job and doing your best to get to know your teammates and the culture, feeling awkward and excluded during meetings as you try to make conversation and fail. Or imagine you're a manager trying to learn more about diversity and find ways to bring your team together, but failing in the process and not applying what has been learned.
The Problem
The Current System is Outdated.
Organizations face a paradox: they need high engagement and connection, but current tools offer low fun and high friction. Existing solutions are awkward, administrative, or performative.
Research
We learned during interviews that there is a motivation when there is inciative from everyone to build connection.
We found 2 types of people on these sessions:
The Connection Seeker: A new employee desperate for belonging but unsure how to find it
The Culture Champion: A manager accountable for inclusion but lacking effective tools
"How might we offer a solution that feels less awkward, administrative or performative—and yet, fun?"
User Interviews
How can we add Value?
To bridge this gap, our research focused on the emotional landscape of the workplace. When analysing interview data and user surveys, we were able to better understand the emotional toll it was causing. Therefore, Mission Collective aims to live in the center—creating a Gamified way to connect team building with shared rewards.
Our MVP wasn't just about features, it was about solving our users' core pains.
Feature 1: Missions
the Mission Hub and trivia game, is education that promotes diversity and inclusion concepts at a high-level, but also getting to know their own teams on a more personal level.
Feature 2: The “Nudge”
is an interaction designed to reduce participation fatigue, avoid forced moments, and make engagement easy for everyone.
Feature 3: Rewards
It boost motivation by delivering tangible team rewards as incentives toward professional growth and investment.
The Solution
Our Future Vision
The Transformation: Mission Collective emerges as a gamified platform turning inclusion education into collaborative activities that build real connection. This isn't the end—we continue on the road to improving what Mission Collective can offer to tech workplaces for women and others who feel excluded.
Reflections
Re-imagining the Scope
Joining as the last designer meant we were already racing against the clock. After user testing our initial wireframes, we made a pivotal team decision: pivot to a web application we could realistically build in time, based on our design decisions.
Our developers focused on front-end development using JavaScript, React, and CSS, creating static interface to simulate the full user experience. This allowed us to prioritize interactivity while preparing for future back-end work. Working under tight constraints taught us that collaboration and smart scoping matter as much as the product itself.
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Daniela Guevara 2025
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