For my final group project of the Ironhack Berlin UX/UI bootcamp we teamed up with FreelancerMap to develop a better user experience for them. We were given two weeks to deliver an MVP.

FreelancerMap is a well-established German-based job search platform where freelancers can search for available projects and companies can search for suitable freelancers.

We were asked to focus on the freelance users searching for work to better guide them through the job searching processes and aid them in using the functions of the website.

After meeting with the client and understanding their priorities and expectations we started by diving into a full analysis of the current platform.

We tested the usability with a number of potential users, asking them to sign up, create a profile and search around for work. We validated that there was an issue with the current communication on-site and user flow through the job searching process. Users were particularly confused about the project alert function which had a number of naming conventions and lacked consistency throughout the site.

Parallel to investigating the usability we surveyed freelancers asking them about their current job-searching experience. We learned that most use online platforms to find new work and that ease of use and the ability to create job alerts were important to them.

Through interviews, we really got to know the frustrations and difficulties of the constant project hunt for freelancers.

Based on all our findings empathising with freelancers experiences and pain points we developed our user.

We named her Lotte Schultz, a 35-year-old freelance web designer. She wants to spend less time on the administrative side of job searching, while also having a steady stream of interesting projects that she's able to do remotely, with clients that are aligned with her interests.

After completing a thorough competitor analysis, we learned that there aren’t strong design conventions across the job search market and that each platform has a unique approach.

We discovered the value of freelancermap is the ability for freelancers to search deeply for projects and companies offering work. A huge advantage is users aren’t priced out by membership like other platforms where some make you pay just to filter search results.

The users we identified during our research were aged between 26 and 44 which is slightly younger than the current freelancermap demographic whose median user is 48. Interestingly the average age of people moving into freelancing is 36 so we decided to focus on updating the platform to capture new, younger users moving into the freelance market.

In offering an informative and supportive job search for freelancers, freelancermap will assist them in securing the right projects.

We will know we are right when freelancermap sees a 25% increase in freelancers applying for projects.

After defining who we were designing for, the shape of the market, and the specific problem we were going to focus on we reviewed the current architecture of the site. We decided to split the site into two - freelancers/companies - to avoid overlaps and confusion (we learned in usability testing users were often confused about where to look). As we'd learned during the research stage it was important for users to feel orientated and trusting of where they were on site and that they were looking in the right place. Creating this assurance from the moment you log in was important.

We wanted to re-design a look and feel that was urban, dynamic, optimistic, and ambitious. We moved away from the black, white, and turquoise colour palette to yellow, grey, and blue. The resulting design was clear, trusting, and respectful.

We spent a lot of time iterating the dashboard and UI components ensuring elements made sense, were function-focused and the text hierarchy was such that users could glance at components. Freelancer Map had asked us to use the existing typefaces due to their licensing agreements so we stuck with the original typeface but re-set it to improve text hierarchy.

We conducted a lot of low-fi testing during the ideation stage. As we were reimagining a completely new user flow we had to validate we were on the right track with our architecture and language, as well as UI elements.

We had to scope a lot during this time as two weeks wasn't enough to accomplish everything we identified! We chose to focus on the transparency and clarity of the job search and job alert functions.

Based on the feedback that we received during testing, we made tweaks here and there and at last (after some late nights) we had our MVP!

Our essential user flow is as follows:

• Our user, Lotte, needs to find a job to bridge between her June contract ending and her next project in August.
• She logs into her account and begins her search.
• Through her search, she sets filters on her search results, bookmarks projects she finds interesting, and creates a project alert for any future listings that match her filters to make her search easier.
• Ultimately, she finds a project that she applies for.