Gig Works
SOLUTION
We’ve identified an opportunity where young creatives and local businesses can benefit each other through a shared economy platform.
GIG WORKS is a space for young creatives to discover opportunities, collaborate with local businesses and grow as professionals. The platform uses gamification elements, client feedback and third-party expert reviews to make growth of creative skill more tangible & trustworthy. Clients, on the other hand, get access to talent that is otherwise much more expensive to hire.
Gig works aims to provide opportunities for young creatives, that caters to their development by leveraging local resources, to help them nurture and grow their skills.
CHALLENGE
It is difficult for young creative professionals to find a sustainable job without any work experience. This leaves students fresh out of college with limited opportunities, some of which may not lead to the path they want to follow. There is need for a system that allows creatives to gain experience before joining the workforce.
On the other hand, local businesses have a natural urge to change in order to grow. Yet, their limited budget and access to resources won’t allow them to hire professionals to do so.
Current Job Market
A study of job postings on indeed showed that most recruiters look for candidates with at least 3 years of experience in the field, even for entry level positions..
For young professionals fresh out of college, gaining this experience is difficult and as a result, it is difficult for them to find a sustainable job. The 2 options they are left with is either doing an internship or finding freelance jobs.
Survey
To find out more we conducted a student survey to learn more about the process of gaining experience. Of the 64% of candidates that gained internship experience, only 9% of these students were truly satisfied. Further, respondents showed a tendency to identify and work on requirements as and when they needed it instead of preparing beforehand.
User research & Analysis
We conducted interviews with recruiters, design team managers, professors & students to gain a better understanding of the job application/rectuiting process & preparation.
Competitor Analysis
We looked at platforms in the market today that help students prepare for future jobs and rated them based on findings from the user research. This helped us identify unique selling points (USP) that would help us differentiate our solution from those already in the market.
Personas
Experience Map
This concept was mapped against the existing experience of finding and doing a gig using existing online platforms. It was observed that apart from the base concept, elements of transparency and trust would also need to be included.
Concept
Keeping our driving insights, USPs & personas in mind, we started ideation on possible concepts. We narrowed down to the concept of a gamified freelance platform that tangibly records growth of skill that is endorsed by previous clients (local businesses).
The eventual goal is to provide a way for recruiters to be able to gauge candidate quality (bottom right). This would Implemented in Phase 2 once the platform is more established.
Card Sorting
We then built a list of functions & features that the platform would need to perform in order to be successful. These were divided based on the stakeholder that would be using them. A card sorting exercise was conducted with these functions better understand the users’ mental model of the platform layout.
Higher level Blueprint
Based on findings of the card sorting exercise, a blueprint of the platform was developed to understand user flows better.
Lo-Fi Wireframes
From here we started developing screens for the various functions
QUASI-EMPERICAL USER TEST
While developing wireframes, we conducted user tests where we simulated the platform flow using paper screens asked participants to perform tasks. This helped is identify flaws in the user flow early on.
Mid-Fi Wireframes
From here we started developing screens for the various functions
GIG WORKS
Gigworks is a safe space for young creatives to discover opportunities, collaborate with local businesses & grow as professionals in the real world
THE LEVEL SYSTEM
When creatives sign up, an external expert (Past Recruiters/3rd Party Experts) reviews their resume and portfolio, to gauge their level. After completing a gig, the client gives endorsements for pre-selected skills that are converted into points. An External expert also rates their quality of work & design related skills. Completing specific tasks also earn you badges.
Next Steps
The end goal is for young professionals to find a sustainable job that they are passionate about. As a next step we hope to introduce recruiters into the platform and give them the ability to gauge and select possible candidates that fit their needs based on their performance and skill level.
Takeaways
Rapid always, don't worry about making things perfect, get results while its still messy.
Ask for feedback often throughout all phases of the project, user involvement is key to success.
Be conscious of language, know what you're talking about, you don’t want to confuse people.