Wells Fargo Wellness Challenge
Overview
Wells Fargo Corporate approached us to design an initiative that would encourage employees to use the underutilized stairwells between office floors. The goal was to promote healthier habits and create a culture of wellness. To ensure the experience was engaging and user-centered, we co-created the solution with employees through a design thinking workshop.
Research
The workshop combined design sprints, user interviews, surveys, and collaborative exercises. From this research, three key insights emerged:
Make it fun: Employees wanted the initiative to feel like a game rather than a chore.
Make it repeatable: Sustained engagement required an incentive to return, even if only for bragging rights.
Educate: Many employees were unaware of the broader health benefits of daily activity, highlighting a need for integrated education.
The Solution
We designed the Wells Fargo Wellness Challenge—a lighthearted, gamified wellness initiative.
Participation: The stairwells became the central activity hub, with alternative options for those unable to take the stairs.
Gamification: Graphics inspired by mobile fitness apps were installed throughout stairwells to display motivational prompts, step counts, and health facts, reinforcing the feeling of a game.
Education: Health benefits of daily activity were woven into the visuals, ensuring employees were informed while participating.
Call to Action: Bright, eye-catching signage in high-traffic areas (elevator lobbies, breakrooms, stairwell entrances) guided employees on how to join.
Photo & Social Sharing: To amplify engagement, we proposed a photo station with a digital screen where employees could log their weekly steps and share their progress on social media using hashtags like #WFWC and #wellsfargo_wc_texas. This added a layer of visibility, pride, and ongoing motivation to the challenge.
Impact
The weekly challenge was simple: whoever logged the most steps won. While there were no physical prizes, bragging rights fostered healthy competition. Teams organically formed, increasing participation and enthusiasm.
The initiative also had potential to scale—regional offices could challenge one another (e.g., Texas vs. California), expanding the wellness culture across the company.
Only Phase One of the Wellness Challenge was tested in 2018, but the framework envisioned a much larger, ongoing program with opportunities for inter-office competition and social participation.