AR Welcome Box
About
An award-winning augmented reality experience for new employees joining the bank.
Role
Product designer
Service
AR design
Deliverables
Mobile AR prototype
Award
Overview
Joining a new company can often be a challenging experience for any employee. With BMO's acquisition of Bank of the West from California, the task was to create a memorable and engaging onboarding experience for the new employees.
As the sole product designer, I was entrusted with the mission to design an augmented reality (AR) mobile experience that would not only welcome but also create excitement for the new team members. This innovative project aimed to bridge the gap between the physical and digital onboarding processes, offering a seamless and interactive introduction to the company culture, values, and operations.
Discovery
During the discovery phase, it was crucial to ensure that the solution was not only engaging and welcoming for new employees but also aligned with BMO's commitment to sustainability. Using the design thinking process, an interactive solution was devised that promoted sustainability while being engaging and welcoming.
Recognizing that onboarding new employees involves much more than simply providing information, the goal was to create an experience that made new hires feel connected to the company from day one. It was essential to incorporate elements that would resonate with them on multiple levels—emotionally, intellectually, and ethically.
01
Define
"How might we create an engaging and welcoming onboarding experience for new employees that also promotes BMO's sustainability initiatives?"
The goal was to design an interactive augmented reality (AR) mobile experience that seamlessly integrated BMO's commitment to sustainability with a captivating and informative onboarding process. This experience was intended to make new employees feel welcomed, connected, and aligned with the company's values, while also educating them about and encouraging participation in BMO's sustainable practices.
02
Ideate
The ideation phase involved extensive research into similar AR use-cases to gather inspiration and best practices. By exploring successful implementations of AR in various industries, valuable insights were gained into how to effectively leverage this technology for onboarding purposes.
This research informed brainstorming sessions, where innovative concepts were generated, focusing on creating an immersive and educational experience that could seamlessly integrate BMO’s sustainability initiatives. The goal was to identify and adapt features that would make the onboarding process both memorable and aligned with the company’s values.
06
Results
The augmented reality app received great feedback internally. It was sent to about 9,000 employees via email, with a QR code also available on the intranet and shown on office TV screens across the company. In the first 24 hours, the AR app and its accessible webpage got 8,000 views, with 80% of those being unique visitors.
The app had a 61% conversion rate, meaning users tapped the “Start AR” prompt to open the welcome box. Both videos in the welcome box were watched in full by 80% and 76% of viewers, respectively.
Important UI/UX metrics showed the app’s success: 96% of users opened at least one item in the welcome box, and over 85% opened all four items. The low number of interactions with the Help button indicated that most users found the app easy to use.
This project won top prize at the 2024 American Business Awards for "Best Use of Augmented Reality."
03
Prototype
Exploring successful implementations of AR served as a valuable source of UI design inspiration, highlighting best practices for creating engaging and intuitive user interfaces. Building on these insights, I led design workshops with the team to discuss and brainstorm the key elements to include in our AR project.
These collaborative sessions allowed us to align on the project’s objectives and ensure that every interactive feature would contribute to a seamless and impactful onboarding experience. Together, we identified the essential components that would not only welcome new employees but also promote BMO’s sustainability initiatives.
Low-Fidelity
To create a welcoming and engaging environment for new employees, the AR experience initially featured three key items on a desk: a work laptop, a phone, and a plant. These items were carefully selected to recreate a workspace setting, providing an immersive and interactive introduction to the company.
By interacting with each of these items, employees could explore valuable information and gain a deeper understanding of the company's values and goals. This approach makes the onboarding process more engaging and memorable for new employees.
04
Sourcing 3D Assets
After completing the low-fidelity prototypes, the next critical step was sourcing high-quality 3D assets that matched BMO's brand identity. This began with internal testing to ensure that the chosen assets would seamlessly integrate into the AR experience and align with BMO’s aesthetic and values.
The goal was to find assets that were not only visually appealing but also resonated with the company's image and ethos. All 3D assets were sourced from CGTrader, with glTF used for loading the models. The AR experience was built and prototyped using Figma.
Mobile Phone & Plant
A mobile phone was added to the desk to allow users to view the latest BMO news releases. Initially, a newspaper was suggested, but this was changed to a mobile phone to better align with BMO’s commitment to sustainability.
Similarly, a money tree plant was added to the desk to symbolize BMO’s gift of a planted tree for every Bank of the West employee joining the bank. This type of plant was chosen as it fittingly represents BMO’s banking business. When users click on the plant, information about the tree gift is displayed, reinforcing BMO's commitment to sustainability and community.
05
Experience walkthrough
The final AR experience immerses new employees in a virtual workspace with BMO-branded items: a desk, a tablet, a mobile phone, a money tree plant, and a mug. Each interactive item provides unique insights, including a welcome video from CEO Darryl White, the latest BMO news, and information about BMO’s sustainability initiatives and values.
As the AR experience begins, the user sees an animated loading screen featuring a drone delivering a package. They are then greeted with a welcome message to start the experience.
Upon clicking the "I'm ready" button, a BMO-branded welcome box appears, prompting the user to tap on it. A help icon is included, featuring a link to an alternate website that mirrors all the content found in the AR welcome box, providing an accessible alternative for those who might require further assistance.
"Grow the Game" commercial
"Say Hello to BMO" commercial
Zappar: TAFE EyeAR
Zappar's TAFE EyeAR project utilized AR to bring course work and training to life by creating an exploded view of an eye for anatomy and physiology students. This project incorporated interactive quizzes to test students' understanding of anatomical elements, promoting 'active learning through doing' and enhancing memory retention through interactive engagement.
This insight guided my design decisions, ensuring the AR experience for BMO's new employees would be both engaging and informative, effectively communicating the company's values and sustainability initiatives.
NEXT/NOW: The Weber Experience
Another notable example was NEXT/NOW's collaboration with Weber Grills to create an engaging web AR experience. This project enabled users to explore Weber's Genesis, SmokeFire, and Weber CRAFTED products via their phones, featuring interactive 3D models with scaling and informative hotspots.
This example was influential in demonstrating how AR could create an accessible and intuitive user experience, blending excitement with detailed product exploration. The emphasis on usability and accessibility for both new and experienced AR users guided my design decisions, ensuring the AR onboarding experience for BMO's new employees was both engaging and easy to navigate.
Michelob ULTRA: Yosemite Portal
Next, the WebAR Yosemite Portal Experience, which transported users to the stunning Yosemite landscape, complete with a waterfall, campfire, park bench, and an ice-cold pack of beer.
This project showcased how brands can use WebAR to engage customers and enhance brand awareness through immersive experiential marketing campaigns. This example demonstrated the potential of AR to create memorable and immersive experiences, guiding my design decisions to ensure that the AR onboarding experience for BMO's new employees would be captivating.
BMO Desk, Tablet & Mug
Across North America, BMO's commercials frequently feature Lamorne Morris at the iconic "BMO Desk" with his branded BMO tablet and mug. The goal was to recreate this recognizable scene and use it as the focal point for the AR experience, ensuring brand consistency and creating a sense of familiarity for new employees.
When the user clicks on the tablet, they are presented with a welcome video message from CEO Darryl White, designed to make their welcome package feel more personal. Clicking on the mug provides another opportunity for users to learn more about BMO and its purpose, further enhancing their onboarding experience.
When the user taps on the box, it elevates to reveal the BMO desk and the items on it. Animated confetti appears as the box lifts, adding a celebratory touch to the reveal. The user can then click on each item to access more information through a modal, creating an engaging and interactive experience.