DESIGN FOR AGE-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES
in collaboration with Ministry of Manpower Singapore, Singapore National Employers Federation
and National Trades Union Congress (2016)

In this era of an aging society, companies in Singapore increasingly want to tap on the aging workforce. However, are the current workplaces conducive for older workers to stay productive, safe & motivated? 

In this studio, we apply service design approaches to create solutions for age-friendly workplaces. Student teams collaborated with 7 different companies across hospitality and F&B industries, they then designed solutions that are company-specific yet scalable.

This studio was conducted in conjunction with the Singapore Government's move to encourage Job Redesign for older workers to continue to stay in the workforce. Some of the student concepts were also showcased at the Age-Management Seminar organised by the Singapore National Employers Federation. Find out more about the event here.

RESTOCK

Restock is an integrative supply management system that reduces physical labour and facilitates with social interactions. With emphasis on familiar routines and alignment between physical and digital interaction mediums, Restock proposes a redesigned supply work flow that is assisted by restructured pantries, delivery tools and an application. With Restock, unnecessary repetitions are reduced for senior workers, implying a shortened workflow and faster job performance with reduced physical and mental fatigue. More importantly, an inclusive platform is created for staff to motivate and encourage one another.  

Project by Esli Ee, Kevin Chiam & Priscillia Lim

TOGATHER

In collaboration with Lawry’s The Prime Rib Singapore, TOGATHER is a contextualized digital training tool designed to facilitate cross-department learning through employee-curated content. TOGATHER engages workers in real-life teaching and learning by documenting it in the form of a training video to be shared within the community. This ensures an up-to-date collection of training videos that actively involves workers. TOGATHER offers a cooperative learning opportunity for the experienced and new workers and ultimately, creates an inclusive, multi-generational workforce. 

Project by Ku Ga Eun, Winky Chan & Nghiem Si Phuoc

KEEPSY

When observing the linen department at York Hotel we found an opportunity to improve data collection and dissemination. There were three main drivers to our design, streamlining data collection, clear conveying of information to staff and reducing miscommunication.

Keepsy is a digital platform that integrates chambermaids’ linen receipts and transmits it instantaneously to linen attendants and other housekeeping staff. The outputs of the system are automated reports that bypass the usual discrepancies and back and forth communication of a analogue system. Live updates are also provided to staff so that they will be pre-empted before certain actions are required of them.

Project by Alvin Juano, Mathilde Gaucher & Alison Wong

SERVICE TROLLEY REDESIGN

Our project aims to redesign the workflow for York hotel’s mature F&B service staff with the use of appropriate service equipment. Being efficient and able to reduce the total amount of walking required, it gives them the confidence to perform at their highest potential.

We followed closely to our design principles --- an ergonomic solution that fits the hotel image and is easy to learn. To remind the mature workers of the correct use of the service trolley, design nudges are introduced.This project is truly one that is highly feasible and widely applicable throughout the F&B industry.

Project by Hong Ling Yang, Miko Yeo & Vanessa Ong

THE HELPING HAND

The Helping Hand is a feedback system for employers to regularly engage and obtain insights on contextual pain points from their older workers, to align their job responsibilities better, as well as to guide their recruitment. It enables mature workers to express their pain points by opening communication channels and gathering contextual insights about these workers' perception, thus enabling management to make evidence based improvements to mature workers’ jobs.

Rather than a one-size fit solution, the concept is designed to be flexible enough to be adaptable across different service scopes. The Helping Hand has been positioned to be a dynamically evolving system that adapts to changing perceptions in workplaces, as new mature workers enter work force over time.

Project by Shubhangi Paul, Alvina Yeo & Hans Brombacher

MONICART

Monicart is a premium solution designed for room attendants (RA’s) working in hotels of the highest calibre. Having collaborated with Sheraton Towers over a span of 12 weeks and weeks of intensive research, Monicart was designed to resolve and improve 4 main principles; namely: optimising ergonomics to embrace RA’s behaviours, streamlining work processes, improving dignity of work, refining and maintaining their Professional Image.

Monicart comprises of organised platforms, compartments with effortless retrievability, hygienic solutions and personal partitions for the RAs. The solution is not only attempting to instil a sense of pride and belonging of the RAs to their jobs through more efficient and productive performance, but a simple idea that is easily adopted across the hotel industry.

Project by Low Joo Tat, Fiona Tan & Kelvin Siew

MULTI-GENERATIONAL INTEGRATION SYSTEM (MIS)

Hong Hua Pte Ltd had plans in place for its subsidiary, Mata Thai, a casual dining restaurant in the Bishan neighborhood heartlands. The plans include introducing an e-ordering system through the use of an iPad, as well as expansion to shopping malls over the next 5 years.

It is without doubt that mature workers would find picking up new technology a huge obstacle. In addition, underlying issues such as communication barriers between multi-generational staff as well as the difference in expectations between superior and worker would have to be managed.

By re-creating a collaborative environment that encourages progressive learning, the Multi-Generational Integration System (MIS) aims to promote the adoption of new skills in the workplace (ie. iPad e-ordering system).

Project by Tan Seiyee, Chan Shi Ming & Yang XinHui 

PROGRESSIVE WORKPLACE

Focusing on the needs of mature puff-folding workers in ABF Tip Top Curry Puff’s central kitchen, the project aims to alleviate workers’ various bodily pains by tackling the root causes found in the current  workstation and equipment used. Key work items are redesigned for improved ergonomics, anthropometrics, and user experience, resulting in reduced muscle stress and worker fatigue, as well as improved workflow. Elements for social bonding, experienced through communal exercise routines targeting pain areas, are introduced to support the main solutions in building towards a healthier, happier workplace for all workers involved.

Project by Delane Foo, Amanda Swee & Lin Qiuxia