"I Hate My Boss" Widget

This was a recruitment exercise for a digital agency in which a recruitment drive was guised as a quirky stress-reliever application, working inconspicuously to collect data on potential employees.

A virtual voodoo doll called the 'I-hate-my-boss' widget was created and users finally got to 'give it to the boss, good'. They begin by labelling the widget with their boss's name and proceed to inflict pain by pricking the doll with voodoo pins and casting curses on it.

Once the widget starts looking like a pin cushion (which is… oh, a mere100 pricks or so later), a call-to-action directs them to a site that unites them with fellow boss-haters. The agency then discloses itself and invites users to consider alternative career opportunities with the agency.

The niche approach of circulating a widget enables the agency to capture the right audience and suitable, prospective candidates for the job. In this case — People who embrace technology.

When the widget is installed, it appears as a voodoo doll on the desktop. The user simply names it and begins the torture!! Users can prick the doll simply by clicking on it - any spot and we mean ANY spot. A friendly escape button "X" is designed to close the widget quickly and discreetly just in case the thundering voice of the office demon is heard around the corner.

The menu opens up with options to change the name and update the curse of the day. A 'Prick Count' has also been devised to track the number of pins that have been stuck into the 'victim'. When the user hits 'UPDATE', the 'Curse of the day' is saved in a server.

"I Hate My Boss" Website