HR
RicoLab
Tool
herbs and techology
Design learning Content App
«Elever»
Creative Confidence
Instructional Design, Gamification 4K
Hands-On
Already existing Excel-File with content
Design
Keep it simple and motivational
POD
It's a collaborative start-up within a corporate environment from Ricola.
Tools
Challenge the Change.
Herbs and Plant Candy
Ricola is a traditional family business with strong roots in agriculture, herbal knowledge and long-term partnerships. At the same time, the company is facing a generational shift: new expectations, new markets, new digital opportunities.
This tension – tradition vs. transformation – is the starting point for RicoLab.
Impact
RicoLab operates at the intersection of production, agriculture, innovation and culture. It is a place where critical questions are allowed – and where new perspectives emerge.
Challenge
The biggest challenge lies not in technology, but in mindset:
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The industry is historically production-oriented, not digital.
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The organisation is traditional and conservative.
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People prefer stable routines and have little room for radical change.
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At the same time, pressure is growing from new generations, new markets and new sustainability requirements.
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In short, digitalisation is less a technical issue than a cultural one.
Opportunity
Beneath the surface, Ricola has enormous potential:
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deep knowledge of herbs and agriculture
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a well-established network of farmers and producers
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a culture of quality and care
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a long-term understanding of sustainability
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expertise that cannot simply be copied
These elements are strategic assets that can be strengthened through digitalisation – if done right.
Role
RicoLab is the sparring partner for this transformation.
It asks the questions that don't get asked in day-to-day business:
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How can herb production remain sustainable when the climate and markets are changing?
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How can we use digital tools without overwhelming farmers?
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How do we protect sensitive knowledge about herbs, drying and quality?
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How do we combine tradition with new business models?
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How do we create innovation without losing our identity?
Electricity
ewz
Online
Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich, ewz
Redesign the future of ewz and network partnership
Creative Confidence
Future Navigation and Self-Navigation
Hands-On
Design UI/UX and System
Design & Research
Adobe Creative, Mindmapping
HRM
IBM DESIGN STUDIO
Tool
Kenexa, Smarter Workforce
HRM coaching, on-boarding processes and personal development
Creative Confidence
IBM Design Field Guideline, OCEAN, US-Visa Programs, On-boarding experiences
Hands-On
Co-Ownership, Incubator- /Patents- Process, HCM, HCI, ROI, HR Goals, NPO System Innovation
Design | Research
Researchgate, Statista, internal Data, Mural, Contextual Research, Adobe, InVision, ML
POD
Before onboarding is before overboarding
Tools
Manage the Change.
Stepping in Elephant Shoes
IBM Design Studios were established in 2012/13 to shift IBM from traditional business consulting toward a global, design‑driven innovation culture. Within this transformation, the collaboration with Kenexa and the Smarter Workforce initiative played a central role. These platforms integrate talent management, people analytics, onboarding, skills development, and organizational culture into one HR ecosystem.
Hired as a visual designer, I worked as part of a distributed, interdisciplinary team across three continents, collaborating with business consulting partners, HR specialists, and technical stakeholders.
Impact
Through my contribution, I provided numbers of EBD-insights and findings:
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make complex HR data and processes understandable and actionable
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enable teams to make clearer, more informed decisions
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reveal innovation opportunities previously hidden in the system
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bridge design, HR, business, and technology
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support the evolution of a global HR ecosystem
Challenge
The project operated at the intersection of enterprise‑scale design, HR transformation, and global collaboration.
1. Enterprise Design Thinking at Scale
Working across cultures, time zones, and organizational layers required:
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navigating complex stakeholder landscapes
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aligning diverse expectations
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balancing ethics, data responsibility, and scalability
2. Human‑Centric HR Transformation
Kenexa/Smarter Workforce touches sensitive areas:
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motivation, performance, and career development
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trust, transparency, and data governance
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cultural and legal differences across regions
3. Making the System Understandable
My challenge as a designer was to:
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uncover the “hidden logic” behind HR systems
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translate mission, vision, and strategy into visual clarity
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identify meaningful indicators from research, interviews, and contextual analysis
Opportunity
The project opened a unique learning environment:
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insights into American work culture and global HR structures
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collaboration with leaders, researchers, and consultants
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exposure to incubator processes, patent thinking, and innovation pipelines
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application of gamification and learning architectures
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use of research tools (statistics, market data, internal insights)
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development of a systemic perspective on HR pain points and opportunities
Role
I contributed as an Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner with a hybrid lens of design, HRM, and innovation.
1. Contextual Visual Research
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analyzing mission, vision, and strategic goals
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translating complex HR processes into clear visual frameworks
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identifying patterns, risks, and opportunities
2. Co‑Ownership in a Global Team
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collaborating with business consulting partners
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aligning design, HR, engineering, and leadership
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working remotely across three continents
3. Product & Innovation Development
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shaping concepts for HR management tools
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defining MLPs (Minimum Lovable Products)
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uncovering «hidden gems» — indicators that create real value
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supporting measurement of processes (time, flow, experience)
4. Ethical & Holistic Thinking
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questioning automation, data use, and AI implications
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focusing on fairness, transparency, and human impact
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balancing efficiency with responsibility
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Fin-Tech
Emric Bank
Change
Business Transformation
On self-leadership and product development
Creative Confidence
Unlock Creativity, Prototyping, Create Lean-in, Team
Hands-On
Co-Ownership, Co-Production, Workshop, Strategy, Vision
Design
Fin-Tech, lending-platform (P2P), product workshops
POD
The unknown change and create a mission
Tools
Design thinking and digitalization, methods
When Swiss Banking Logic Meets Swedish Financial Culture
Emric was one of my most challenging and formative team projects. A testosterone‑driven financial company — surprisingly conservative for Sweden — approached us without a clear brief: “We need something innovative. You’re the creatives, go ahead.” At the same time, there was a transparent but unspoken resistance. Bank secrecy, protected expert knowledge, and rigid structures made collaboration and creativity extremely difficult.
Impact
This level of trust in the process was unexpected in such a rigid environment — and it signaled real transformation. The project showed that even conservative financial cultures can open up when the right conditions are intentionally designed.
It pushed me into a stretch zone, acting as the de‑facto Creative Director and guiding clarity and collaboration.
It also revealed a structural need for an internal creative and production team.
By translating complex content into concise infographics and organigrams, I made urgency and interdependencies visible at a glance — laying the groundwork for further collaboration with Hyper Island.
I doubted myself at times, knowing the stakes and my team’s expectations were high — and matching their potential was a personal challenge. One of them was a semi‑pro sprinter, fiercely competitive and eager, which set a very real pace for all of us. Still, I stayed with the process and grew through it.
Challenge
The CEO initially preferred not to involve the wider team, anticipating too many questions and a level of uncertainty the organization was not yet ready to handle. This created a delicate starting point: high expectations, low clarity, and a culture not accustomed to openness or experimentation.
The core challenge was to:
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build trust at leadership level
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unlock expert knowledge hidden behind bank secrecy
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soften rigid, hierarchical structures
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create psychological safety for creativity
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guide a team unused to innovation into a collaborative mode
Approach
Working closely with the CEO, I designed the informal and structural freedom needed for the project to move forward. My role was to coordinate the tactical and strategic execution within our team, set goals, and communicate the workshop planning with clarity and efficiency — while preparing the conditions for the organization to eventually join the process with confidence.
Through a combination of facilitation, structured creativity, and cultural sensitivity, we gradually opened dialogue, reduced resistance, and enabled meaningful participation.
Achievement
Despite the constraints, our team delivered within six weeks:
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a P2P platform concept
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a name and brand direction
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a FinTech innovation prototype
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a new collaborative dynamic that softened internal silos
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a shift in mindset, from secrecy to shared exploration
Financial
Marginalen Bank
Strategy
New Product Service Design
Shift of client service and organizational strategy design
Creative Confidence
Digital Marketing Education, new Tools, Guidance Process
Hands-On
New Services and Possibilities in digital Marketing
Design
Design Mediation, design an costumer experience map
Effortable Design
Design becomes democratic when it’s attainable — not a privilege.
Pragmatic Design
Proactive work culture shapes tomorrow’s brand identity.
© 2035 by Sini Oh
SEUNG-YUN OH
승연