Jobs Flow is a job tracking site that allows users to see where they are in the job application process.
OVERVIEW
Problem
Stakeholders have an Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and seek to evaluate the next phase of the website prior to its launch.
Solution
Conduct user testing to in order to assess the efficacy of the website and make improvements before embarking on its launch.
My Role
UX Researcher & Designer
1 of 3 Designers working on the project
THE PROCESS
Learning About the Company
Who they are
Jobs Flow is a start-up job tracking company with an MVP.
Who they want to be
Jobs Flow would like to be an all-in-one hub for bootcamps that allow its students to search for and apply for jobs, track their applications, and connect with recruiters, mentors, and coaches.
How do they get there
By testing out the next phase of their website with potential users, Jobs Flow can discover any usability issues and make updates prior to launching the next phase.
Research and Testing
After discussions with the stakeholders, we decided to test the main flows of the applicant tracker.
This allowed us to:
Identify and address any issues before they become more serious and impact the user experience
Validate assumptions about the site and inform future decisions
Developing a test plan and script
Developing a test plan and script is a best practice in usability testing that helped us to ensure:
well-planned
well-executed
produced meaningful results
Recruiting participants
Two main channels were used for recruiting the 8 participants:
Bootcamp student community: Outreach was conducted through Slack and Skype channels to engage current and recently graduated students in the UX Design bootcamp program who are currently job hunting
Friends and acquaintances: Outreach was conducted towards personal connections and friends who are in the job search process
Screening Criteria:
Currently applying to jobs or in the job search process
Have experience with job sites
Can talk about their recent experience job hunting
Participant Profiles
Conducting the usability test
We conducted 8 virtual, moderated usability tests.
The goal of of the test was to gain insights into how to improve the site's usability.
We considered the following questions:
1. Is the flow intuitive?
2. Are there any misconceptions?
3. Does the user experience any frustration?
4. Is the user able to complete all tasks or does the user abandon a task?
Virtual Testing Session
How do you feel about the job search process?
“I often get ghosted by recruiters and never know the status of my application.”
Participant 6
“The job search process is grueling, especially for entry level candidates.”
Participant 4
“It’s overwhelming, trying to weed through jobs and companies to find the right fit.”
Participant 5
Synthesizing the Data
We synthesized the data from our 8 usability tests by creating a rainbow chart of insights and labeling them using the categories: feedback, idea, observation, usability issue, and what worked.
Rainbow chart
The rainbow chart was a visual representation of the severity of usability issues we identified during usability testing.
We chose this method of synthesizing our data because:
It’s a clear and concise way to communicate our findings with our stakeholders.
It helps us prioritize issues based on its severity.
Snippet of Rainbow Chart
Research report
The data from our Rainbow Chart revealed usability issues.
After presenting our findings to stakehodlers, we agreed to prioritize our efforts on solving the following usability issues.
Usability Issues
8 out of 8 participants experienced confusion with the copy and icons while navigating through the platform. They found it challenging to understand the language used on the site, which resulted in difficulties in performing certain actions.
7 out of 8 participants were not able to determine the difference between the Blue and White Job Cards in the Tracker.
5 out of 8 participants did not know that the Tracker was scrollable horizontally. The Tracker’s layout cause some frustration as participants did not like that it wasn’t customizable or how it collapsed with vertical text that was hard to read.
Ideation and Improvements
Our design team used several strategies to come up with design ideas. We researched to find inspiration, conducted brainstorming sessions, shared sketches, and collaborated on improvements to find the best solutions to solve the usability issues.
Inspiration
We researched companies that offered a similar flow to get inspired by what works well for them and to determine what can be improved.
Inspired by the cut off column to indicate scrolling and by the numbered tracking bar
Inspired by the fixed side panel menu and the color coding
Inspired by the ability to customize the columns you see
Inspired by the priority star rating and the profile icons
Inspired by the ability to show and hide the job card and bookmark it
Sketches
Drawing from the inspiration, we developed sketches. We focused on how the tracker could be improved to solve the usability issues that were uncovered during testing.
Frozen column for search & filter
Ability to show or hide columns
Visual cue for horizontal scrolling
Collapsible columns
Hover labels for clarity
Visual cue for horizontal scrolling
Pop up search and filter
Options to customize tracker
Visual cue for horizontal scrolling
Improvements to the Job Card
Using the inspiration and our sketches, we created 4 design options for the Job Card.
After each idea, we iterated and refined the design until we came up with the best solution for solving the usability issues.
Usability Issues Solved:
Differentiation between blue (internal) and white (external") job cards
Unfamiliar icons
Inability to rank jobs (bonus)
Improvements to the Job Tracker
Using the inspiration and our sketches, we created 3 design options for the Job Tracker.
After each idea, we iterated and refined the design until we came up with the best solution for solving the usability issues.
Usability Issues Solved:
Horizontal scrolling
Readability of text on the collapsed column
Unfamiliar icons
Uncustomizable tracker