Breakroom is an innovative job search platform that leverages user-generated ratings to help job seekers find rewarding employment opportunities. Our platform allows users to search for jobs based on a wide range of job features, including free food, paid breaks, and team quality. By incorporating user feedback and ratings, we provide job seekers with valuable insights into the culture and work environment of potential employers.
The aim of this project is to create a comprehensive job search UI that empowers users to not only filter job listings by location, pay, and job type, but also by the specific features that matter most to them.
Challenges
Design a search UI with the function of filtering jobs by the highlights, that is also user-friendly.
Conduct user tests on the new design to deicide if it’s performing as we expected.
Ship the design in iterations to ease in the work load for devs.
Painpoints
Identifying the pain points of the current search UI is an essential first step in initiating the design process. By determining the root causes of any issues, we can develop a more precise and effective plan to address them.
Market research
Conducted market research to evaluate the user interface (UI) and screen size utilised by other job search websites. The primary objective was to gain insight into users' mental models. Additionally, the research aimed to determine the average number of jobs displayed above the fold.
Content design
Refining and curating the selection of highlights while meticulously evaluating their potential impact is a crucial aspect of the process. This entails assessing any negative factors that may be present, and thoughtfully framing and phrasing them in a manner that presents a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of the subject matter. Additionally, careful consideration must be given to the decision of whether to include such negative factors within the final selection, in order to ensure a well-balanced and strategically positioned end result.
Iterations
Following extensive market research and filter refinement, I started doing a series of experiments to explore various concepts. The primary objective of this pursuit was to identify the optimal solution that would effectively address all previously identified challenges, while maintaining strict adherence to the design system.
Proposal
As 85% of the users of Breakroom uses the mobile version, the desktop version was aiming at a functional version with minimum effort. We reused a lot of the same elements that were on mobile version to achieve this desktop verison.
By separating actions into two distinct modal interfaces, we were able to optimise the utilisation of space on the primary screen. Furthermore, the UI not only serves as a functional feature, but also assumes a vital display role.
Prototyping & User research
The outcome was very positive as shown on the right side. It matches with most of the users’ mental modal and they knew how to use the search UI immediately after seeing it.
Once we had the design, we moved on to conduct user research to further refine our approach. To achieve this, I utilised a high-fidelity prototype in a comprehensive user research initiative. The key aim of this endeavour was to evaluate user responses to the new search UI, including their ability to engage with it effectively and how well it aligned with their mental models.
Shipping
Our approach involved the incremental deployment of the design in stages, which facilitated the developmental process for our engineering team. The challenging aspect of this undertaking entailed determining which components of the design could be altered while maintaining functional independence. We were committed to ensuring that each iteration was functional and capable of standing on its own before working progressively towards the ultimate objective. We found it useful to collaborate with an engineer and gain some familiarity with coding in order to streamline the iterative process.
Post-delivery
The final version was well-received by the entire team. As part of our efforts to enhance accessibility, we incorporated a few minor features into the desktop version. The conversion rate went higher than it used be and people were able to use the features without causing errors.
One thing we encountered after shipping was that it was hard to measure if the project was successful. We didn't set a goal or define what success would look like when we started the project, and we didn't have figures to compare to, so it was challenging for us to say, "This is successful!" If I were to do it again, I would probably try to figure that out before starting the project.