Solving the Mystery of Office Availability
Keeping track of who’s in the office and who’s working remotely can feel like solving a daily puzzle. Endless email threads and missed Slack updates make it hard to know who's actually in the office. It’s like trying to decode hieroglyphics just to figure out who's working from home today. Email after email, the subject lines stack up like messages from your great aunt: “Re: Re: Re: WFH Thursday.” Who’s at home? Who’s on vacation? Who’s just a few desks away, but might as well be on the moon?
After returning from a vacation to a flood of unread status updates, I knew there had to be a better way. That's when I came up with the idea of a simple, real-time system that could solve this communication puzzle. What we needed was a way to see at a glance who was available, without sifting through messages or popping our heads up like meerkats.
From: Jackie
Date: Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 11:18 AM
To: Niko
Cc: Mktg Creative Campaign Team
Subject: Re: Re: Re: WFH Thursday
I’m not feeling well so I’m heading home to work for the remainder of the day.
Jackie
> From: Kasey
> Date: Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 9:15 AM
> To: Niko Simonson
> Cc: Mktg Creative Campaign Team
> Subject: Re: Re: WFH Thursday
>
> Working remote.
>
>> From: Niko
>> Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 1:04 PM
>> To: Mktg Creative Campaign Team
>> Subject: WFH Thursday
>>
>> Hey Team,
>>
>> I’ll be working from home tomorrow, offline from 11:30–1:30 to go to the dentist.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> NikoA Spark of Inspiration
The concept of a connected office wasn’t entirely new to me. I’d been following the work of 383 Studio in the UK, who were doing some fascinating things in the realm of connected environments. Their innovative approach to blending physical spaces with digital solutions inspired me to think about how we could apply similar principles to solve the issue of office presence.
@383project super impressed with your office. For your Arduino in/out board, are you using charlieplexing or something else?
This inspiration led me to envision a solution that combined a web app, a mobile app, and an Arduino-powered display. The web app would allow team members to manually update their status and check who was in the office or working remotely. The mobile app, on the other hand, was designed with a geofencing feature that could automatically update a user's status based on their location. This way, the system could seamlessly track where everyone was without the need for constant manual updates.
Building the Punch Clock
The app needed to be simple. No clutter, no frills, just the essentials. Users should only need to do two things:
- Update their status.
- See everyone else’s status.
Once the concept was clear, it was time to bring it to life. I chose to use an Arduino for the display because of its flexibility and the wealth of community support. The display itself was an LED matrix—big enough to be seen from across the room but compact enough to fit in a variety of spaces.
The web app was built to interface with the display, pulling in the latest status updates and showing them in real-time. The mobile app’s geofencing feature was a particularly fun challenge, allowing the system to automatically update a user's status when they entered or left the office area. This way, the team could focus on their work without worrying about constantly updating their availability.
From Prototype to a New Job
Just as everything was coming together, I received an offer for a new job. During the interview process, I presented the punch clock project as a demonstration of my skills and problem-solving approach. This project ended up being a pivotal part of my transition from marketing and graphic design to product design and building digital products.
Although the project was never fully integrated into the office, it was instrumental in helping me land that new role. The apps worked well together, and it was exciting to see the system come to life, even as a prototype. More importantly, it marked a significant turning point in my career.
Reflecting on this project, I realize how much it brought together my love for technology and problem-solving. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the value of a project goes beyond its immediate application—it can also be a stepping stone to new opportunities. If you’re facing a similar challenge in your office, or just want to experiment with new tech, I encourage you to dive in. You might find the process just as rewarding as the final product, and who knows? It might even help you land your next gig.
