Work app connectors

Project overview

One of my many “blue sky” projects explored the possibilities of giving control of workforce data back to employees in the form of what I called “connectors”.

Not as complex or technical as developer-focused APIs, “connectors” would be pre-built modules of functionality that employees could use to get their workforce data out of their company’s software, and put their information back in more easily.

Concept pitch

Whether it was something we might deliver directly, or whether we’d accomplish it via a service like IFTTT didn’t matter. I just wanted to showcase the possibilities of what people could do with their own data, and why they might want it.

• Budgeting for a trip next month and want a sneak preview of your upcoming paycheck? Just check the widget on your phone!
• Out running errands before your evening work shift and worry about traffic? Sign up for alerts that monitor the traffic between you and work, and tell you when it’s time to leave.
• Afternoon plans fall through and willing to pick up a shift for some extra cash? Just mark yourself “available” on your phone and nearby locations of your company know they can call you in if someone calls in sick.
• Just added a new skill to your LinkedIn profile and want to update your “skills” list at work automatically? Just “push” them to the system at work.

The pitch for this concept was one component of a larger series of UX-driven proposals to senior leadership about what we believe to be the future of enterprise workforce management.

The presentation culminated in an invitation to other designers and leadership alike to collaborate on growing the idea.