LiteCo: Illuminating Workspace Awareness and Social Connectedness with Ambient Display in Home Office

With the tendency of hybrid workplace, more people work from home, offering benefits for both individuals and organizations. However, physical separation from colleagues increases social isolation. Home workers often lack information on their colleagues’ locations, presence, and intentions—key aspects of Workspace Awareness (WA). WA can contribute to collaborative interactions and have the potential to influence social connectedness. Considering home scenarios, lights within smart homes offer potential as carriers of ambient displays. This study proposed LiteCo, a Hybrid Presence System, designed to promote WA among home workers through lighting design. Twelve participants evaluated LiteCo’s impact on WA and social connectedness (SC). Results show that LiteCo can enhance WA by presenting office dynamics to home workers, and lead to higher level of SC. It also helps synchronize work rhythms, fosters emotional connections, and maintains appropriate attention levels while balancing privacy concerns.