Research
Journey Map
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
After the persona was created, we developed a journey map that illustrated the hiring manager's steps in selecting a candidate as well as setting up an interview for a new position. Through this exercise, we can acquire a deeper understanding of users such as David, which can help with ideating and sketching. This is a journey map documenting David's experience.
Name: David Johnson
Goal: Find a qualified and good-fitting candidate
for the open role.
Actions
Task List
Feeling
Thoughts
Opportunities
Post a Job Listing
Access job posting portal and fill out posting
Post relevant job and clear job description on job board
🙂
David is hopeful to find a good candidate that fits the needs for his posted job.
The applicant search process is time consuming and inefficient
Search for Applicants
Go to applicant portal
Look through applicants resume for matching experience and skills
😡
David is frustrated with the amount of applications he has received he can only spend 2-3 minutes on each applicant.
David needs his own system in place in order to identify applicants who have applied in the past.
Select & Contact
Contact the applicant and schedule an interview time
Send meeting maker to the applicant
🤔
David is hopeful he has found an appropriate fit for the open role and is optimistic for the candidate he has chosen
David needs his own way of reaching out and contacting potential applicants through email/phone calling.
Research
Journey Map
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
After the persona was created, we developed a journey map that illustrated the hiring manager's steps in selecting a candidate as well as setting up an interview for a new position. Through this exercise, we can acquire a deeper understanding of users such as David, which can help with ideating and sketching. This is a journey map documenting David's experience.
Name: David Johnson
Goal: Find a qualified and good-fitting candidate
for the open role.
Actions
Task List
Feeling
Thoughts
Opportunities
Post a Job Listing
Access job posting portal and fill out posting
Post relevant job and clear job description on job board
🙂
David is hopeful to find a good candidate that fits the needs for his posted job.
The applicant search process is time consuming and inefficient
Search for Applicants
Go to applicant portal
Look through applicants resume for matching experience and skills
😡
David is frustrated with the amount of applications he has received he can only spend 2-3 minutes on each applicant.
David needs his own system in place in order to identify applicants who have applied in the past.
Select & Contact
Contact the applicant and schedule an interview time
Send meeting maker to the applicant
🤔
David is hopeful he has found an appropriate fit for the open role and is optimistic for the candidate he has chosen
David needs his own way of reaching out and contacting potential applicants through email/phone calling.
Research
Persona
After synthesizing the data from user interviews, I pinpointed key insights and trends, leading to the creation of a persona named "David." This enabled us to better empathize with and design for our users who will be utilizing our product.
Demographic
Name:
Age:
Job:
Location:
Hobbies:
David Johnson
34
Hiring Manager
Boston, MA
Hiking, Baseball
Bio
David is a professional in the technology industry with over 10 years of experience. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and an MBA with a focus on Human Resources.
Frustration
Multiple responsibilities
Communication method
Outdated or inefficient
hiring processes
Goals
David needs a better way to
help the local community and
meet his personal goals at the
same time
Personality
Strategic
Work-Driven
Efficient
Personable
Research
Persona
After synthesizing the data from user interviews, I pinpointed key insights and trends, leading to the creation of a persona named "David." This enabled us to better empathize with and design for our users who will be utilizing our product.
Demographic
Name:
Age:
Job:
Location:
Hobbies:
David Johnson
34
Hiring Manager
Boston, MA
Hiking, Baseball
Bio
David is a professional in the technology industry with over 10 years of experience. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and an MBA with a focus on Human Resources.
Frustration
Multiple responsibilities
Communication method
Outdated or inefficient
hiring processes
Goals
David needs a better way to
help the local community and
meet his personal goals at the
same time
Personality
Strategic
Work-Driven
Efficient
Personable
Web Application
A Foot In The Door
Team
Isaac Song (UI Lead)
Marc Roman (Product Lead)
Jeremy Wing (Research Lead)
Tools
Adobe Photoshop
Canva
Figma
Web Application
A Foot In The Door
Team
Isaac Song (UI Lead)
Marc Roman (Product Lead)
Jeremy Wing (Research Lead)
Tools
Adobe Photoshop
Canva
Figma
Introduction
About
A Foot In The Door is a job search platform in its beta phase that caters to applicants with 0-5 years of experience in the field. With the job applicant side up and running, they prioritize developing an employer-facing dashboard to provide hiring professionals with valuable information, data, and metrics.
Introduction
About
A Foot In The Door is a job search platform in its beta phase that caters to applicants with 0-5 years of experience in the field. With the job applicant side up and running, they prioritize developing an employer-facing dashboard to provide hiring professionals with valuable information, data, and metrics.
Summary
UI Lead
As the UI Lead my team and I created a web application with advanced filtering features, the ability to quickly view candidate information at a glance, set up an interview, create and save job posting templates for reuse, and view key engagement metrics on an open job posting will help the hiring manager navigate through the hiring process more easily and efficiently.
As the UI lead, I led the design phase of the project and conducted additional research on the side to create a smooth and effective experience for both hiring managers and job seekers.
Summary
UI Lead
As the UI Lead my team and I created a web application with advanced filtering features, the ability to quickly view candidate information at a glance, set up an interview, create and save job posting templates for reuse, and view key engagement metrics on an open job posting will help the hiring manager navigate through the hiring process more easily and efficiently.
As the UI lead, I led the design phase of the project and conducted additional research on the side to create a smooth and effective experience for both hiring managers and job seekers.
Lesson
Reflect
Through this journey, I’ve learned the power of empathy-driven design and continuous improvement in crafting user-friendly solutions. Understanding user needs and refining products iteratively has sharpened my skills as a UX designer. This experience has deepened my commitment to advocating for users and driving positive outcomes through impactful design. As I continue to grow, I am inspired to push the boundaries of innovation.
Lesson
Reflect
Through this journey, I’ve learned the power of empathy-driven design and continuous improvement in crafting user-friendly solutions. Understanding user needs and refining products iteratively has sharpened my skills as a UX designer. This experience has deepened my commitment to advocating for users and driving positive outcomes through impactful design. As I continue to grow, I am inspired to push the boundaries of innovation.
Summary
Conclusion
With a streamlined user interface built specifically with their need for convenience and efficiency, This new tool is sure to add delight to the hiring manager's process and allow them to get back to the most important parts of running their businesses.
Summary
Conclusion
With a streamlined user interface built specifically with their need for convenience and efficiency, This new tool is sure to add delight to the hiring manager's process and allow them to get back to the most important parts of running their businesses.
Conclusion
Next Steps
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
Sightseeker is in it's early phase of development. In the future, the next steps of the Sightseeker would be divided into three different phases.
Iterate & Enhance
Phase #1
Usability testing on new iteration of the prototype
Iterate more based on feedback
Stakeholder
Phase #2
Review research and prototype with stakeholders
Development
Phase #3
Send to development team in preparation for launch
Conclusion
Next Steps
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
Sightseeker is in it's early phase of development. In the future, the next steps of the Sightseeker would be divided into three different phases.
Iterate & Enhance
Phase #1
Usability testing on new iteration of the prototype
Iterate more based on feedback
Stakeholder
Phase #2
Review research and prototype with stakeholders
Development
Phase #3
Send to development team in preparation for launch
Design
Usability Testing
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
Usability testing is employed to identify potential usability issues in a product. By tracking quantified metrics such as Time on Task, Success Rate, and Easiness Rating from 1–5, insights and trends are extracted to guide designers in recommending changes or enhancements for improved usability. We conducted 5 usability tests with hiring mangers to understand where we can iterate on our design.
Create Job Listing
Job Post Analytics
Candidate Contact
User 1
User 2
User 3
User 4
User 5
Easiness Rating
4/5
3/5
3/5
Average Success Rate
100%
100%
100%
Direct Path
Indirect Path
Fail
Navigation
Key Insight #1
Hiring managers need an interface that is laid out efficiently to make for an easier workflow.
Indicator
Key Insight #2
Hiring managers need an interface to clearly indicate when tasks ware completed.
Language
Key Insight #3
Hiring managers need items on the website to be communicated in easy-to-understand language.
Design
Usability Testing
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
Usability testing is employed to identify potential usability issues in a product. By tracking quantified metrics such as Time on Task, Success Rate, and Easiness Rating from 1–5, insights and trends are extracted to guide designers in recommending changes or enhancements for improved usability. We conducted 5 usability tests with hiring mangers to understand where we can iterate on our design.
Create Job Listing
Job Post Analytics
Candidate Contact
User 1
User 2
User 3
User 4
User 5
Easiness Rating
4/5
3/5
3/5
Average Success Rate
100%
100%
100%
Direct Path
Indirect Path
Fail
Navigation
Key Insight #1
Hiring managers need an interface that is laid out efficiently to make for an easier workflow.
Indicator
Key Insight #2
Hiring managers need an interface to clearly indicate when tasks ware completed.
Language
Key Insight #3
Hiring managers need items on the website to be communicated in easy-to-understand language.
Design
Ideation & Sketching
In our design studio workshop, we started with a “How Might We” ideation session, exploring multiple perspectives on the problem to uncover nuanced insights and expand potential solutions. We then conducted a “Yes And…” session, fostering collaborative idea-building. Following these ideation sessions, each team member sketched individual app screens, comparing each other’s designs and picking the elements from each that stood out for the final sketch.
Design
Ideation & Sketching
In our design studio workshop, we started with a “How Might We” ideation session, exploring multiple perspectives on the problem to uncover nuanced insights and expand potential solutions. We then conducted a “Yes And…” session, fostering collaborative idea-building. Following these ideation sessions, each team member sketched individual app screens, comparing each other’s designs and picking the elements from each that stood out for the final sketch.
Design
Mid-Fidelity Wireframe
Mid-fidelity wireframes serve as simplified representations of digital interfaces, created early in the design process. They provide a structural blueprint focusing on layout and content placement, aiding quick feedback from stakeholders before finalizing designs.
I used these wireframes as guidelines to craft the skeleton of the AFITD's web application. The images on the left display the layout for the homepage, quest detail page, and user profile page.
Design
Mid-Fidelity Wireframe
Mid-fidelity wireframes serve as simplified representations of digital interfaces, created early in the design process. They provide a structural blueprint focusing on layout and content placement, aiding quick feedback from stakeholders before finalizing designs.
I used these wireframes as guidelines to craft the skeleton of the AFITD's web application. The images on the left display the layout for the homepage, quest detail page, and user profile page.
Research
Problem Statement
A problem statement is used to articulate the user problem identified during the data synthesis phase of research. It provides the design team with clarity about how to address the users’ problems and what falls outside the project scope.
"Hiring managers need more efficient ways to hire applicants because the process of reviewing applications can be time consuming."
Research
Problem Statement
A problem statement is used to articulate the user problem identified during the data synthesis phase of research. It provides the design team with clarity about how to address the users’ problems and what falls outside the project scope.
"Hiring managers need more efficient ways to hire applicants because the process of reviewing applications can be time consuming."
Research
User Interview
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
User interviews are vital for understanding user pain points and gathering key information. We started them right after screener surveys to get insights early on. Our goal is to improve time efficiency and feature quality to help hiring managers find suitable candidates.
We interviewed a total of 16 individuals, comprising 9 hiring managers and 7 job seekers, to gather feedback from both perspectives and identify common themes. Interviews were conducted using Zoom, Google Meet, and in-person sessions, lasting between 10 to 30 minutes. With our interview guide, we collected comprehensive information, focusing on pinpointing where problems and issues occur in the hiring process.
Time Efficiency
Key Insight #1
Hiring managers need fast and simple method to analyze job posting metrics, allowing them to quickly assess candidate's performance.
Features
Key Insight #2
Hiring managers need convenient features such as a simple way to create job postings using templates, enabling them to quickly generate postings.
Transparency
Key Insight #4
Job seekers require a transparent and accurate up-to-date information on job postings provided by potential employers.
Communication
Key Insight #3
Job seekers desire a reliable method to get in touch with hiring managers and receive updates when their applications are being assessed.
Research
User Interview
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
User interviews are vital for understanding user pain points and gathering key information. We started them right after screener surveys to get insights early on. Our goal is to improve time efficiency and feature quality to help hiring managers find suitable candidates.
We interviewed a total of 16 individuals, comprising 9 hiring managers and 7 job seekers, to gather feedback from both perspectives and identify common themes. Interviews were conducted using Zoom, Google Meet, and in-person sessions, lasting between 10 to 30 minutes. With our interview guide, we collected comprehensive information, focusing on pinpointing where problems and issues occur in the hiring process.
Time Efficiency
Key Insight #1
Hiring managers need fast and simple method to analyze job posting metrics, allowing them to quickly assess candidate's performance.
Features
Key Insight #2
Hiring managers need convenient features such as a simple way to create job postings using templates, enabling them to quickly generate postings.
Transparency
Key Insight #4
Job seekers require a transparent and accurate up-to-date information on job postings provided by potential employers.
Communication
Key Insight #3
Job seekers desire a reliable method to get in touch with hiring managers and receive updates when their applications are being assessed.
Research
Screener Survey
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
We used a screener survey to find appropriate interview candidates and collect more data about hiring managers. We asked hiring managers what their preferred candidate search platform was and how hiring managers utilize the job boards and ATS systems at their disposable. We got back our response from 22 different hiring managers/recruiters.
Job Posting
Key Insight #1
80% of the hiring managers utilize online job boards to create and post new job opportunities.
Job Board
Key Insight #2
40% of the hiring managers mentioned online job boards are their preferred candidate search platform.
In House ATS
Key Insight #4
30% of the hiring managers utilize in house applicant tracking system to find the appropriate candidate.
Applicant Details
Key Insight #3
50% of the hiring managers utilize the ATS system to view resumes and job experience through the database.
Research
Screener Survey
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
We used a screener survey to find appropriate interview candidates and collect more data about hiring managers. We asked hiring managers what their preferred candidate search platform was and how hiring managers utilize the job boards and ATS systems at their disposable. We got back our response from 22 different hiring managers/recruiters.
Job Posting
Key Insight #1
80% of the hiring managers utilize online job boards to create and post new job opportunities.
Job Board
Key Insight #2
40% of the hiring managers mentioned online job boards are their preferred candidate search platform.
In House ATS
Key Insight #4
30% of the hiring managers utilize in house applicant tracking system to find the appropriate candidate.
Applicant Details
Key Insight #3
50% of the hiring managers utilize the ATS system to view resumes and job experience through the database.
Introduction
Goal
The building of a functional web application was determined to be essential by the “A Foot In the Door” team in order to optimize the hiring process. Considering hiring is a laborious process, we wanted to discover a way to speed up the process without sacrificing efficiency. “A Foot In the Door” aims to establish a brand that embodies results and professionalism, aligning perfectly with their objectives.
The objective of this project is to create a web application that accelerates the hiring process.
Overview
Process
01 Competitive Research
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
02 User Interviews
Conducted 16 interviews, hiring managers and 7 job seekers.
03 Sketching & Ideation
With the insights from the research we created a mid-fidelity prototype.
04 User Testing & Iteration
We tested the prototype and the insights lead our iteration process developing a high-fidelity final design.
Introduction
Goal
The building of a functional web application was determined to be essential by the “A Foot In the Door” team in order to optimize the hiring process. Considering hiring is a laborious process, we wanted to discover a way to speed up the process without sacrificing efficiency. “A Foot In the Door” aims to establish a brand that embodies results and professionalism, aligning perfectly with their objectives.
The objective of this project is to create a web application that accelerates the hiring process.
Overview
Process
01 Competitive Research
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
02 User Interviews
Conducted 16 interviews, hiring managers and 7 job seekers.
03 Sketching & Ideation
With the insights from the research we created a mid-fidelity prototype.
04 User Testing & Iteration
We tested the prototype and the insights lead our iteration process developing a high-fidelity final design.
Research
Competitive Analysis
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
To understand some of our users' needs we did a competitive analysis, creating a feature inventory chart showing what is consistent for this industry and what tools are available for hiring managers.
Resume
Key Insight #1
Most of the major job portals provide a resume database and ATS compatibility system.
Interview
Key Insight #2
All portals offer scheduling interviews through their website to remove another step where users have to go through a different portal.
Applicant
Key Insight #4
Most of the websites doesn't provide applicant insight where it indicates whether if the applicant is suitable for the position.
Filter
Key Insight #3
We also realized that most of the job boards provide applicant filter where hiring managers can filter appropriate applicants for the position.
Built-in Map
Resume Database
Applicant Message
Analytics Overview
Applicant Filter
Applicant Insight
Interview Schedule
Ad Campaigns
ATS Compatability
Indeed
Monster
Research
Competitive Analysis
We conducted research and comparative analysis based on features that the main competitors had.
To understand some of our users' needs we did a competitive analysis, creating a feature inventory chart showing what is consistent for this industry and what tools are available for hiring managers.
Resume
Key Insight #1
Most of the major job portals provide a resume database and ATS compatibility system.
Interview
Key Insight #2
All portals offer scheduling interviews through their website to remove another step where users have to go through a different portal.
Applicant
Key Insight #4
Most of the websites doesn't provide applicant insight where it indicates whether if the applicant is suitable for the position.
Filter
Key Insight #3
We also realized that most of the job boards provide applicant filter where hiring managers can filter appropriate applicants for the position.
Built-in Map
Resume Database
Applicant Message
Analytics Overview
Applicant Filter
Applicant Insight
Interview Schedule
Ad Campaigns
ATS Compatability
Indeed
Monster
Design
High-Fidelity Prototype
A high-fidelity prototype closely resembles the final user interface of a digital product, featuring realistic graphics, animations, and functional elements.
It enables stakeholders to interact with and evaluate the product’s functionalities, ensuring alignment with design goals before development.
Following usability testing, we made a few adjustments based on user feedback and finalized our high-fidelity prototype, as depicted in the following homepage screen.
Design
High-Fidelity Prototype
A high-fidelity prototype closely resembles the final user interface of a digital product, featuring realistic graphics, animations, and functional elements.
It enables stakeholders to interact with and evaluate the product’s functionalities, ensuring alignment with design goals before development.
Following usability testing, we made a few adjustments based on user feedback and finalized our high-fidelity prototype, as depicted in the following homepage screen.
Focus Point #1
Navigation
One of the feedbacks we got was that it was time-consuming to navigate through the overview page so I redesigned it into a widget format so that hiring managers can quickly absorb information and move to the next task.
Focus Point #2
AI Chat Bot
To better help the hiring manager's experience we added an AI helper "Hiremate". It provides an analysis of the candidate's suitability and an interview summary displaying the key details.
Focus Point #3
Interview
In order to reduce the hiring manager's candidate search process, I created a system where hiring managers can view the applicant and set an interview within 5 minutes. Moreover, whenever the candidate moves to another phase of the process, the system alerts them on their application status.
