BondFire was created at FordLabs as a response to insights from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee’s analysis of survey demographic and sentiment data. Employees expressed a desire to connect with colleagues outside their immediate teams but found one-on-one chats intimidating unless facilitated by someone else. To address this, we designed BondFire as a structured yet casual way to foster connections. The platform introduced icebreakers in a gradual progression, starting with lighthearted topics like favorite junk food and building up to more meaningful questions such as “What’s your ideal Saturday?” or “When have you felt truly included at work?” This approach helped cultivate empathy and strengthen workplace relationships in a comfortable, low-stakes environment.
Eventually, BondFire was aligned with another team-building product (StoryJam) and we adjusted the design accordingly – instead of toasty marshmallows, participants become woodland creatures jammin' around a campfire.
