Thursday.social
2700+ socials and counting, Winner of Product Hunt Golden Kitty Award, 1000+ Number of remote teams using Thursday
Design Strategy
0 to 1 Product Development
Launching new product
About Thursday
In a world where remote work is on the rise, everyone's been busy crafting tools to make the "work" part smoother. But what about the fun stuff, like those impromptu chats, coffee breaks, and game sessions with your team?
Thursday steps in to tackle the part of remote work that no one else seems to be addressing. It’s all about making the social side of remote work a whole lot better – like, 10 times better! Inside Thursday's Lounge, remote teams can kick back, chat, and enjoy some friendly mini-games, leaving the work-related stuff at the door.
Best part? it shatters the dull Zoom grid!
Problem
1
While most people believed remote work boosted productivity, the biggest challenge they faced was building a strong culture. Teams were struggling with a loss of belonging in the workplace.
2
Online video conferencing tools often lead to unnatural conversations, making them ineffective for socializing. For organisers like HR, founders, or managers, hosting socials can be a challenge to juggle alongside their core responsibilities.
Who is it for?
Remote Teams-
Our research identified two main user groups: Employees and Organisers, with Management as a secondary user.
We prioritised our primary users, creating the best experience for them to engage, connect, and socialise in a remote workplace, while simplifying the process of hosting these for teams.
Remote Employees
Pain points
Feeling of isolation and disconnect from their workplace.
Mundane and boring environment.
Needs
Regular and organic Social interactions at workplace.
Sense of belonging.
Organisers/Hosts
Pain points
Difficulty organising socials and lack of interest/feedback.
Difficulty finding interesting activities to do.
Needs
Organising regular socials without spending a lot of time.
Increase in engagement from employees.
Management
Pain points
Employees are feeling burnout, often not realising the importance of social interactions at workplace.
Needs
Effective remote working environment for employees.
Increase in productivity while working remotely.
Let’s begin with understanding the journey inside Thursday
Building the lounge
The Lounge in Thursday is like the lounge in your office, a shared gathering space where people come together and interact. It's spatial, like a room, where moving your cursor means you’re physically moving too, creating a lively, dynamic environment where everyone’s presence is tangible.
Faced with the emptiness of remote work, we aimed to create a social space for remote teams that mimics the office environment. Through our research, we realised existing video conferencing tools lacked spatial dynamics. They felt constricting. Specially for social team catchups!
It's challenging to gauge reactions as you see numerous faces at once. These tools, like zoom, lack the richness of real-life body language, like hand movements and natural gestures. And thus the lounge!! We found a balance between intuitiveness, spatiality, and speed in the way of User cards inside a space confined by walls.
Jahnavi
Jahnavi
Jahnavi
Designing the Mixers (Breakout activities that are fun, engaging and inclusive)
Mixers are activities in Thursday where you break into smaller groups to boost participation and enjoy a variety of experiences. From exciting games to thoughtful discussions, competitive challenges to team-building exercises, there’s something for everyone.
Mixers in Thursday aim to recreate seamless socialising in a digital space, like a team games night or dinner party, where the goal isn’t the activity itself but fostering meaningful connections. By breaking into smaller, dynamic groups, we encourage natural conversations, avoiding awkward silences and video call fatigue. Room sizes adapt to the activity, from lively games with larger groups to reflective talks in intimate settings, ensuring every interaction feels fresh, engaging, and effortless—like chatting with friends over coffee.
A big issue with traditional video conferencing, even in smaller breakout rooms, is that they often feel lifeless. Despite a screen full of faces, you’re left reaching outside the digital space for something to fidget with. Our mixers are designed to be the opposite, lively and interactive, much like real life. Whether you’re quietly listening or not actively speaking, there’s always something to engage with, be it through movement or interactions, making the experience dynamic and tactile.
