Motiv

A mobile app and responsive web design for job hunters seeking a personable approach.

Background

Recent studies suggest that individuals in their 20s change jobs more frequently than other age groups, and several factors contribute to this trend. Firstly, many in their 20s are at the early stages of their careers, exploring various options to discern their long-term goals, often leading to job or industry switches. In addition, these individuals are oftentimes recently graduated and still figuring out what they want to pursue.

Goals

Motiv's goal is to transform the job search experience for individuals in their 20s. By prioritizing a more personalized approach, the platform aims to address common frustrations by enhancing job relevancy and transparency. Motiv strives to empower users with tools that streamline applications and create meaningful connections between job seekers and employers, making the job-seeking journey more engaging and successful.

Problem

People have difficulty applying to relevant jobs and managing their applications during their job hunt process.

Impact

Motiv offers features like customized profiles, introduction videos, and coffee chat scheduling. The platform addresses common frustrations by enhancing job relevancy and transparency. Users feel empowered  with tools that streamline applications and create meaningful connections between job seekers and employers, making the job-seeking journey more engaging.

Understanding the problem space 🧠

Research

✍🏻 Guiding Questions
  • Understand the challenges people face when finding relevant jobs
  • Understand how people’s experience and background tie into their job searching experience
  • Learn about how people organize their job applications
🌟 Objectives
  • What common challenges do people face when finding relevant jobs?
  • What approach do people take when job hunting?
  • What do people find helpful when job hunting?

methods

Screening Survey. These will be used to get the demographics of my participants. The target audience is those in their 20s, so this helps eliminate non-relevant users.
User Interviews. I’m choosing to do user interviews so I can better empathize with participants and their experiences. By asking relevant questions and further going in-depth with the conversations, I am able to better observe their behaviors and responses.

Competitor Analysis

User interviews

By creating an affinity map in my research process, I am better able to find commonalities when recognizing the diverse experiences of each user. This method was important in uncovering commonalities, allowing me to gain valuable insights and themes from the varied responses and behaviors of users. Key themes, including job searching methods, relevance in job listings, user backgrounds, application tracking preferences, and user needs/wants, emerged as guiding pillars in shaping a more user-centric approach.

Research Findings

🧠 Behaviors
  • Users utilize filters and keep their profiles up-to-date to try and see relevant postings
  • People expressed hatred when receiving scam, fake, or irrelevant job listings and recruiting
  • Users know what jobs they want, but they have trouble finding them
  • People feel discouraged when they don’t receive responses even if it’s a rejection
  • Most people apply to a lot of jobs and don’t feel like keeping track
🗣️ Quotes
  • “I got so many scam emails afterwards”
  • “I wish jobs were more transparent about their applications”
  • “In-person feels more personable, I  want to feel like more than just an application”
  • “I prefer feedback, but I usually don’t get it so I don’t expect any”
  • “I usually just let the website track my applications for me because I don’t remember”
✅ Likes
  • Setting up a profile and getting curated suggestions
  • Being personable, for ex. Meeting in-person or chatting with recruiters
  • Seeing requirements, qualifications, salary, hours, benefits, etc.
  • Filtering by experience and background
❌ Dislikes
  • Seeing and receiving messages from irrelevant jobs
  • Jobs that are too far to commute
  • Applying to fake jobs and receiving scams
  • Seeing old jobs that have already been filled
  • Cold rejections

Defining the users 💡

User personas

Task Flows

Crafting design solutions ✏️

During the design phase, I created low, mid, and high-fidelity wire frames, iterating to enhance the user experience. Prioritizing user preferences and addressing job-seeking frustrations, I focused on crafting a personalized journey.

Key features: customized profile based on interests, an introduction video, and the coffee chat feature.

wireframes creation process

Low-Fidelity Wireframes. I illustrated the primary frames in my low-fidelity prototypes. That being the preference page that tailors the dashboard, as well as the employers profile where users would be able to request a coffee chat.

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes. I illustrated the primary frames in my low-fidelity prototypes. That being the preference page that tailors the dashboard, as well as the employers profile where users would be able to request a coffee chat.

UI Components Library

After completing my wireframes, I created a components library to refer to and use throughout the high fidelity design.

High-Fidelity Wireframes. Utilizing my components, this is where I brought my ideas and designs to life.

But that’s not the end...it’s time to test 📲

Following the wireframe creation, I developed the initial prototype. I formulated a usability test plan and engaged diverse participants, within my target audience, for testing. In addition, I sought feedback from a field expert with recruiting experience to better understand the challenges from both ends.

🌟 Goal

My objective is to assess users' experiences with Motiv, aiming to understand whether this mobile app effectively addresses their concerns regarding job relevancy and enhances their ability to connect more personally with recruiters and hiring managers. I also want to identify any areas of confusion and improvement.

⏳ Task Flows
  • Understand the challenges people face when finding relevant jobs
  • Understand how people’s experience and background tie into their job searching experience
🏆 Success Metrics

Users navigate tasks seamlessly, find their career interests spotlighted on their account, and enjoy a positive experience with profile setup and chat requests.

USABILITY TEST FINDINGS

All tested users expressed interest in using Motiv for job seeking and connecting with employers. They also found the job listings and profile information to be highly relevant and informative.

🔑 Key Takeaways
  • Users reported a heightened sense of personalization with the creation of an intro video, customized career preferences, and coffee chat request feature
  • Users found the information in-app were insightful in making decisions
  • Some features in Motiv lacked a detailed description, which lead to confusion
🪜 Next Steps
  • Make it clear that video option is optional for both users to make and recruiters to watch, as well as a time limit
  • Change “Top Companies” to more helpful newsletters (such as tips for interviewing, this weeks industry trend, etc.)
  • Create a search feature when selecting interested job titles
Revisions

In the profile setup, I enhanced the font visuals for clarity and better understanding. Additionally, I made it explicit that the intro video is optional to provide users with a more transparent choice.

The primary revision involved transforming a section on the dashboard. Instead of "Top companies of the week," I modified it to showcase weekly career articles, aiming to provide more helpful content for the user.

FINAL PROTOTYPE

Give the prototype a spin and find your dream job! 🚀💼

Try Prototype

Takeaways

The key takeaway is that Motiv aids in alleviating the frustrations users face in when job seeking. The platform was helpful for job discovery and career development. Users respond positively to the core experience and personalization features.

I enjoyed working on Motiv because career development and job seeking resonates on such a human level. The best part of my experience was the meaningful connections I formed with participants during the research and testing stages. Empathizing with their experiences brought a personal touch to the entire process, enriching the data and highlighting the human stories behind the design. This personal connection not only strengthened my insights but also deepened my appreciation for the significance of empathy in UX design. It solidified my commitment to creating solutions that genuinely resonate with users' lives and needs.