About Mentessa

Mentessa is an early stage digital workplace software company that aims to build a connected learning culture.

This Germany-based startup offers AI-powered matching services that allows companies to pair their employees based on skills and interests for mentorship, skill sharing, new employee onboarding, and networking.

Objective

Design an Mentessa inspired user experience that drives customer acquisition and engagement by seamlessly integrating with the Slack workplace. The Slack application should allow users to explore Mentessa’s key capabilities from within Slack, fostering a seamless and productive experience.

Research

Methods & Insights

In collaboration with the intern team, I utilized the company’s existing user research surrounding information seeking and communication apprehension in the workplace to identify pain points. I also read multiple psychological studies surrounding these topics. Additionally, I explored various Slack integrations that also aim to foster a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture.

The research made it evident that communication apprehension was a significant obstacle to peer-to-peer learning in our workplace. Employees expressed reluctance in asking questions, fearing they might inconvenience their colleagues.

Many existing Slack applications attempted to address this issue by creating additional communication channels, but regrettably, this approach didn’t address the anxiety around seeking help.

Design

Based on the research findings and multiple rounds of ideation, we chose to utilize Chat GPT's popularity in creating a chatbot experience. Employees could type their questions into a Slack channel and get matched with someone within their company using Mentessa's algorithm. This approach depersonalized the question-asking process while maintaining a personalized interaction with a human expert, fostering a supportive atmosphere for knowledge sharing in the workplace.

Takeaways

  • Teamwork

    I had the privilege of collaborating with individuals who brought diverse subject matter expertise to the table. This allowed me to understand the significance of effective communication and teamwork in overcoming challenges and achieving successful outcomes.

  • Agile Development & Figma

    Embracing an agile development approach, I quickly adapted to creating minimum viable design prototypes, enabling us to iterate and refine our solutions efficiently. Moreover, learning Figma during the project was a significant achievement, as it bolstered my software skills and enhanced my ability to work with design tools effectively.

  • Communication

    To ensure smooth operations and project advancement despite the time zone differences, maintaining constant and clear communication channels became imperative for the executive team, who were primarily located in Germany. Bi-weekly video conferences, comprehensive documentation and regular email updates were crucial in ensuring that progress continued seamlessly across different time zones.