IoT & AI

B2B

How we simplified PwC’s connected safety system for enterprise workforces

Client

PwC

PwC

Model

Product accelerator

Product accelerator

Smartphone displaying PWC Zone Check app with high risk COVID-19 exposure alert

Services

UX/UI design

UX/UI design

Rapid prototyping

Rapid prototyping

Info

PwC needed a connected safety system its workforce would adopt voluntarily, at enterprise scale, in weeks. But proximity tracking, data collection and wearables are exactly what triggers resistance. So we worked out what would earn people's trust, privacy made visible and compliance reframed as care, then designed it.

PWC Zone Check app screens displaying low risk status, distancing index metrics, and SafeDistance device sync
PWC Zone Check app onboarding screen showing illustrated person under protective dome with text "Report COVID-19 tests to keep others safe"
PWC Zone Check app screen displaying low risk status with illustration, submitted test results section, and exposures

Challenge

PwC needed to deliver for ongoing client work whilst simultaneously transitioning their own resources to remote working under extreme pressure. With enterprises typically requiring more than a year for similar deployments, PWC needed to deliver in weeks whilst maintaining enterprise standards.

Our analysis

PwC's first-mover advantage counted for nothing without adoption, and adoption came down to trust. People had to trust the system protected them rather than watched them, so we designed for that trust from the outset.

Connected products earn adoption when people trust what they're asked to use.

Smartphone displaying PWC Zone Check app onboarding screen with illustration of people and red virus particles, text "We can all stop COVID-19 together"
PWC Zone Check app screen showing "Keep our company safe" with illustrated person and explanation of exposure logging feature with toggle switch
Hand holding smartphone displaying PWC Zone Check app with moderate risk alert, negative diagnosis result, and exposure alert

What we did

01.

Designed for instant understanding

Created mobile and wearable experiences that communicated function through interface alone without instructions.

Designed for instant understanding

Created mobile and wearable experiences that communicated function through interface alone without instructions.

02.

Eliminated cognitive load through consistency

Built design systems ensuring identical mental models across iOS, Android and wearables, so users learned once and applied everywhere.

Eliminated cognitive load through consistency

Built design systems ensuring identical mental models across iOS, Android and wearables, so users learned once and applied everywhere.

03.

Made privacy visible through design

Used visual language and interaction patterns to communicate data protection without requiring users to read privacy policies or trust statements.

Made privacy visible through design

Used visual language and interaction patterns to communicate data protection without requiring users to read privacy policies or trust statements.

04.

Turned compliance into care

Reframed mandatory safety requirements as supportive experiences, using illustration and animation to make compliance feel like an act of care.

Turned compliance into care

Reframed mandatory safety requirements as supportive experiences, using illustration and animation to make compliance feel like an act of care.

05.

Validated through rapid prototyping

Tested core interactions with real users under pressure, finding and reducing friction before engineering began, so it couldn't undermine adoption.

Validated through rapid prototyping

Tested core interactions with real users under pressure, finding and reducing friction before engineering began, so it couldn't undermine adoption.

PWC illustrations of people used throughout the app
PWC Zone Check app "How the app works" UI showing three active features: exposure logging, location sharing, and notifications
PWC illustration with person achieving success on blue background

Project impact

Accelerated development

Reusable component library and visual framework enabling engineering teams to expand features rapidly with consistent quality.

Accelerated development

Reusable component library and visual framework enabling engineering teams to expand features rapidly with consistent quality.

Voluntary adoption at scale

Showed that an enterprise safety system can earn adoption across a workforce when people trust it on sight.

Voluntary adoption at scale

Showed that an enterprise safety system can earn adoption across a workforce when people trust it on sight.

Human-centred crisis response

A supportive experience that reframed a compliance requirement as care, which is what drove people to opt in.

Human-centred crisis response

A supportive experience that reframed a compliance requirement as care, which is what drove people to opt in.

Ready to know what's worth building before you commit to it?

In a short, evidence-led sprint we help you decide, then design it. For PwC, that was a safety system the workforce adopted voluntarily, with a reusable component library behind it.

Let's talk about running one on your challenge.

Let's start a project

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