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André Meyer, in collaboration with Thomas Fritz, has received funding from the DIZH for their project «FlowTeams». Congratulations!
André Meyer, an IfI and DSI senior researcher, in collaboration with Thomas Fritz, Professor at the IfI, has received funding from DIZH. In today's hybrid work environments, achieving a balance between individual focused work and teamwork is very challenging, but crucial. The DIZH-funded project addresses this challenge with FlowTeams, a solution that enhances team awareness by sharing work schedules and availability information.
By integrating with communication apps like Teams and Zoom as well as calendars, FlowTeams allows users to organize their work schedules according to their preferences for focused work and collaboration, including consideration of work hours and locations. The aggregated information is displayed in the office through a physical light, the FlowLight, synchronized across connected apps and visualized in an aggregated view that also displays co-workers’ current and upcoming availabilities.
A six-week field study involving 48 participants across various industries demonstrated that FlowTeams improved alignment within teams, reduced interruptions, and fostered a healthier balance between individual focus and collaboration. The work was recently accepted for publication at the Conference for Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2025). Additional findings relate to how information workers are organizing their workdays in terms of ideal times for focused work and collaboration, and differences across roles (individual worker VS managers) and locations (home office VS office).
A second step in the implementation of the grant evolves around developing and executing evidence-based workshops with hybrid-working teams that help to find a better balance between focused work and teamwork, thereby improving team collaboration, productivity and well-being at work. Interested teams can learn more on the website and sign-up to receive a workshop tailored to their needs.
This initiative underscores the importance of supporting hybrid-working teams in aligning their work according to communication preferences and work schedules, to boost productivity and well-being. By cultivating a shared understanding of availability for interactions, teams can minimize disruptions and support both individual and collective goals.
