UC Irvine

Amidst the emergence of diverse hybrid work patterns in globally distributed software organizations, information workers now have the unprecedented flexibility to work from virtually anywhere and at any time. While this newfound freedom has its advantages for individuals and companies, it has been observed that it may inadvertently overlook the benefits of in-office culture, particularly in fostering workspace awareness --- the ability of co-workers to have a real-time understanding of each other's activities and interactions with shared artifacts.

To mitigate the potential risks arising from limited transparency in hybrid or fully distributed teams, we introduce Collaborative Development Experience (CDX), a tool designed to enhance individuals' awareness and visualize socio-technical dependencies. Building upon qualitative research and leveraging insights from prior literature, CDX utilizes technical artifacts and activity logs from version control and backlog management systems to provide support for workspace awareness. This empowers practitioners to proactively address conflicts, misconceptions, distrust, and potential production issues that may arise.

We present the results of a preliminary evaluation of CDX conducted through a design critique workshop, and the derived insights will guide our future development roadmap for the tool, ensuring its continual improvement. Additionally, we document the challenges and experiences encountered while transitioning a prototype research tool into practical industrial use by practitioners.