Over the past two years, we’ve seen significant changes in how we work together, lead teams, and build professional relationships. The global pandemic has enabled the widespread adoption of remote work; while office software like Microsoft Teams has eased the transition, there are fewer opportunities for professionals to bond or form spontaneous connections with one another. When members don’t feel connected to the team, they leave the company.
Vestigo has historically united teams with a mix of in-person and virtual experiences that challenge teams to step out of their comfort zone. For example, white-water rafting can be an effective way for team members to form strong human connections with one another. However, the pandemic has led to the company’s shift in focus entirely to virtual reality; Vestigo needed a way of translating their trademark adventures into a challenging, fully remote VR experience for teams.
We worked with Vestigo to create a safe yet adventurous space in virtual reality that enables teams to share meaningful experiences without being near each other physically. Using AltspaceVR, we created a customizable Mt. Everest crevasse experience within an existing, accessible virtual reality application that effectively captures the feeling of being together in person.
AltspaceVR’s social features enable team members to easily send friend requests to one another and meet at a Mt. Everest base camp, where they can explore the mountain’s history and experience the thrill of walking across the mountain’s crevasse. Instead of directly porting Vestigo’s in-person adventures to virtual reality, we took advantage of VR’s ability to scale the impact of these adventures to create a challenging, memorable experience that builds bonds and strengthens relationships.
Each experience lasts about two hours, sometimes longer if a speaker is involved, which tends to push the limits of the VR headsets’ battery life. Vestigo circumvents this potential issue by planning intermissions as part of their longer virtual experiences. During this break, users can eat a snack, use the restroom, and, most importantly, charge their headsets.
After each experience, Vestigo follows up with each user to capture subjective data via self-reported surveys to reveal how the experience accomplished the team’s goals. It’s worth noting how often users are shocked by Vestigo’s virtual rooms; many team members don’t expect the togetherness and camaraderie that define the experience.
