Industry Insights

Ubisoft Employee Well-being Survey

Ubisoft is a French video game company best known for popular games like Rayman, Prince of Persia, Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance. So what are the secrets of the company’s global success? The answer lies first in the dedicated, creative and passionate employees, who give their all to create the greatest video games of tomorrow.

Their working environment plays an essential role. It needs to be comfortable and suitable for a range of different tasks, while also reflecting the culture and values of the company. This is a vision that Ubisoft shares with many companies today. In 2017, the renovation of a former warehouse near Lyon, France was completed for Ubisoft's latest studio, Ivory Tower.  The open-plan office space was equipped with dynamic glass to maximize daylight and create a comfortable working environment that would reflect the culture and values of the company.

 

Initial visit in 2018

In May 2018, a few representatives of SageGlass visited the studio to collect initial feedback on the occupant experience in the space.  They spoke with a representative panel of employees whose collective experience was positive overall but offered a couple opportunities for improvement.

For example, some employees expressed that they would like the automation behind the glass to better aniticipate the risk of glare.  The SageGlass technical team was quickly able to make some minor adjustments the controls system to respond to the feedback.

Ubisoft open office plan

The vast open-plan office space at Ubisoft’s Ivory Tower studio, bathed in natural light.

 

Feedback on a larger scale

A year later, SageGlass conducted an online survey of all employees at the studio, and to find out whether satisfaction among occupants was still strong. Our methodology was similar to that used in previous studies, such as the comfort study conducted at the Glatt Innovation Center in Germany.

96 employees responded to the survey, and the results were consistent with the qualitative feedback collected during the prior visit. The following findings were among the most significant:

  • More than 85% of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the dynamic glazing and its positive impact on both their visual comfort (amount of quality natural light, anti-glare control, view of the outside) and their thermal comfort.
  • Around 80% believed the dynamic glazing enhances their overall well-being.
  • Around 90% said the dynamic glazing had a positive effect on their overall appreciation of their workplace.
  • More than 60% believed that dynamic glazing helped them feel connected to the outdoors and improved their concentration.
  • All of the occupants surveyed appreciated the presence of large windows in the façade and the roof, underscoring the importance of natural light.

 

Conclusions

In their previous offices, Ubisoft employees typically spent all day in the dark with the blinds lowered to prevent glare on their screens.  While this points to the prevailing stereotype of programmers, the survey results show that respondents share an appreciation for the access to natural light that their new space affords.

The study does show that two-thirds of respondents prefer working conditions with lower light levels, however, respondents shared a desire for access to natural light provided that glare was minimized.  By equipping their studio with dynamic glazing, Ubisoft was able to provide a comfortable environment for its programmers that maintained views of the outdoors and reduced the risk of glare and overheating.