Context
A world of uncertainty and anxiety that asked to be redesigned
Imagine you’re a UX designer looking for a job. You’ve prepared your portfolio, applied to roles, and completed interviews. But now, all you can do is wait. Weeks pass, uncertainty grows, and anxiety takes over.
Did you know there are studies showing that prolonged waiting times can increase stress levels in people by up to 34%? We decided to address this issue directly with a solution that not only helps users find jobs but also supports their mental well-being.
How can we return control and calm to designers during this process?
Goals
Empower and accompany UX designers in their job search process
Our goal was to design and deliver an MVP in 10 days that would address two pressing issues for UX designers:
01.
Alleviate the anxiety and uncertainty of the job search process.
02.
Provide users with personalized tools to help them improve their design skills
Process
From ideas to assumptions and hypotheses
We started with an initial phase where we brainstormed several ideas to address the problem. There were many, but we wanted to focus on revolutionizing the job search process by prioritizing people’s well-being. Not all ideas aligned with this focus, so we ultimately decided to go with the concept of combining artificial intelligence and holography in a smartwatch, as it could truly enhance our goals.
Identifying the most critical assumptions was key: we used a prioritization matrix to focus on issues that could truly revolutionize the user’s work experience. We then formulated hypotheses on how that tool could transform their journey.
Brainstorming, assumptions and hypotheses
Clara, the designer who showed us the way.
To ensure our solution resonated emotionally, we designed a proto-persona and a proto-journey that reflected the real experiences of UX designers. This allowed us to create a clear narrative that guided both our design and functionality.
Proto-persona and proto-journey
From paper to product: designing with purpose
The design featured a holographic interface for an immersive experience, balanced with an intuitive navigation system to keep users at ease. To balance innovation with usability, we followed these principles:
01.
Keep it simple: make holography intuitive, not overwhelming.
02.
Focus on empathy: ensure every interaction reduces stress rather than adding complexity.
03.
Prioritize clarity: create a seamless navigation experience to make users feel in control.
Prototype of Sage
The moment of truth: validating the concept
To validate our product idea without heavy investment, we built a landing page. First, we created several wireframes to decide on the structure of the landing page. The page featured Sage’s benefits, a hero section with an emotional hook, and CTAs to gauge interest. The structure was clear: capture attention, inform, and convert.
Wireframes of the landing page
We wanted the design to not only be functional but also a visually appealing experience that inspired trust and calm. We first designed wireframes, followed by high-fidelity prototypes, opting for a palette of vibrant purples and modern typography to reflect innovation and empathy. We designed and developed the landing page using the Bootstrap framework with 12 columns, 71 px width, and a 24 px gutter. The page featured an impactful hero section, a clear explanation of Sage's benefits, and multiple CTAs to capture leads.
Low-fi and hi-fi prototypes in Figma
Design decisions
Results
Our first conversation with users
The landing page was not just a showcase; it was our first conversation with users. Would they connect with our vision? Would they be as excited about it as we were?
Using tools like Hotjar and Google Analytics, we monitored engagement and captured insights on how users interacted with the concept.
Engagement
50 %
Reached the bottom
Conversion
7 %
Users that signed up
Early testers highlighted Sage’s potential to reduce anxiety and streamline the job-hunting process.
Learning
There was room for improvement
While the results from our MVP were promising, there was room for improvement. The presentation of the content could be improved to better retain users' attention. We achieved a 7% lead conversion rate, below the expected 10%. This suggests that we need to adjust the communication and improve the visibility of the form, as well as consider additional incentives to increase participation. This process taught us how to iterate effectively, ensuring that future versions of Sage will resonate even more with users.
See more
If you want to dive deeper into this case study, you can read my article on Medium.
